Thirteen Suffolk County Community College students have been awarded prestigious and highly competitive internships at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) and are collaborating with renowned scientists and engineers on some of the labs most advanced and emerging research and projects. They include Stefan Baggan, Isaiah Brown-Rodriguez, James Bush, Michael Chin, William Daniels, Benjamin Herr, Danielius Krivickas, Matthew McCarthy, Patricia Moore, Kwaku Ntori, Matthew Warner, Samuel Woronick and Robert Zinser.

“Our College typically places three or four students into this highly competitive paid internship program,” explained Academic Chair and Professor of Engineering/Industrial Technology Peter Maritato, who explained that the students are provided the opportunity to intern under the guidance of scientific and engineering staff on projects that are relevant to the Department of Energy’s mission through transformative science and technology solutions. The 10-week program engages the students in cutting-edge scientific research programs, the chance to present research results verbally and/or in writing and collaborations with leaders that may result in a contribution to a scientific journal. Each intern is provided a weekly stipend of $600. Maritato said the internships and training could also lead to possible employment at the lab.

“Securing a BNL internship is a highly competitive process and our success here proves that a Suffolk County Community College education allows our students to compete and succeed against anyone,” said Suffolk County Community College Interim President Louis Petrizzo.

Suffolk County Community College’s Brookhaven National Lab interns are as unique as the national lab itself and the research they are performing. Here’s more about a few of the students who are now collaborating side-by-side with some of the nation’s premier researchers, scientists and engineers.

Patricia Moore, South Setauket, Suffolk graduation: May 2022

Twenty-eight-year-old Patricia Moore of South Setauket graduated from Ward Melville High School in 2010, passed on her admission to Rochester Institute of Technology because she was put off by the cost, and came to Suffolk for a semester before leaving because she was not sure what path to pursue. Fast forward four years.

Moore reentered Suffolk part time, worked in retail, started her own business and discovered that her time outside the classroom helped her develop. “The soft skills you develop as a good adult and employee are helpful in the academic environment,” Moore said. Now attending Suffolk full time, Moore is majoring in engineering and collaborating on the development and fabrication of Low-Gain Avalanche Detectors with her mentor at BNL.

 “I’m excited about being educated on Long Island,” Moore said.  “I didn’t know a lot of these resources and great opportunities were available to Long Islanders, and it’s interesting to see how many different people are involved in the many and varied projects and the scope of the work at the lab.” Moore is expected to graduate from Suffolk County Community College in May 2022.

Matt McCarthy, Smithtown, Suffolk graduation: May 2021

McCarthy, 25, graduated from Commack High School in 2013 and entered Suffolk County Community College. McCarthy left Suffolk to join the Marine Corps where he served for five years, earned sergeant’s stripes and was a Fire Team and Squad leader during two overseas tours to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Back home, McCarthy re-entered Suffolk in spring 2019 and is now majoring in IT Network Design and Administration.

At BNL, McCarthy will be interning at the National Synchrotron Light Source II facility in IT networking. “IT is a structured environment I really enjoy,” McCarthy said.  “I’m trying to pick up work experience and reinforce my resume. I hope to eventually land a job with Brookhaven, it would be fantastic to work in an environment like that.” McCarthy said he has been accepted to New York Institute of Technology and looks forward to earning a master’s degree.

“Suffolk prepared me very well,” McCarthy said, “I was shocked at the rigor and difficulty of my classes. I compare myself to my peers studying at different colleges and universities, and I am one or two steps ahead.”

Matthew Warner, Shirley, Suffolk graduation: December 2020

Warner, 30, married with a young daughter, attended Suffolk straight out of William Floyd High School (2009), but said he left after recognizing he was not focused and unsure of what he wanted to do. Warner returned to Suffolk and majored in Construction and Architectural Technology, and earned a certificate in drafting. Warner’s goal is to continue his education at Farmingdale State College and earn a master’s degree in architecture. Warner is collaborating on technical engineering at BNL. “I’m hoping there will be a career opportunity available at the conclusion of my internship,” Warner said,

James Bush, Shirley, Suffolk graduation: May 2021

Bush, 20, is a 2018 William Floyd High School graduate majoring in Electrical Technology. At BNL Bush interns in the Superconducting Magnet Division where he is studying high power current sources and techniques to disperse energy from magnets if they begin to overheat. “The internship is a great experience,” Bush said. “I never realized how competitive it was until I met everyone and the BNL staff. I’m excited about this opportunity, and perhaps working for BNL in the future.

Sam Woronick, Center Moriches, Suffolk graduation: May 2022

Woronick is a 2019 Center Moriches High School graduate now majoring in Cybersecurity and Computer Science at Suffolk County Community College. Woronick is doing IT at BNL that supports Quantum Free-Space Link.  Woronick is analyzing data from two software programs written for the Windows Operating System with a goal of providing researchers with better control by working to get the software to run in Linux.

“After earning my cybersecurity and computer science degree, I want to attend Stony Brook for my bachelor’s degree,” Woronick said, adding, “I’ll decide about a doctorate when I’m more knowledgeable about the field.”

Dan Krivickas, Hampton Bays, Suffolk graduation: May 2022

Krivickas, 20, a 2018 Hampton Bays High School graduate is an Engineering Science major at Suffolk County Community College. “I’ve always been interested in science,” Krivickas said. At BNL he is collaborating on Coherent Electron Cooling and creating three-dimensional computer models from two-dimensional drawings. Krivickas would like to go on to Stony Brook University, New York University or Stevens Institute of Technology in the future. 

“If I could get a position at BNL, it would be the best that I could accomplish,” Krivickas said. “The environment and people are phenomenal and I am excited to be working at the lab. It’s like a dream come true.”

“The programs at Suffolk have been a tremendous help,” he said,  “everything that I learned at Suffolk, translated over to my internship at Brookhaven National Lab.”

Will Daniels, Center Moriches, Suffolk graduation: May 2021

Daniels, 19, a 2019 Center Moriches High School graduate wants to become a professional researcher. At Suffolk, he’s majoring in physics and says “There’s no better way to do that than to work with researchers. I encourage my peers to apply for this internship. It can get you places. I’ve only heard success stories about past interns.” At BNL Daniels is collaborating on High Pressure Rinse Systems for Super Conducting Radio Frequency Cavities

Daniels says that after graduation from Suffolk County Community College he wants to earn a bachelor’s degree at Stony Brook University, majoring in physics.