Notre Dame Power & Propulsion (ND P&P) at the University of Notre Dame is pleased to announce its 2026 undergraduate summer internship cohort. The incoming interns—Dalton Leitz, David Scully, Luke Tocco, and Caitlyn Zito, all rising juniors at Notre Dame, studying mechanical or aerospace engineering—will be paired with staff and industry mentors to gain real-world engineering experience in design, testing, and analysis at the White Field and Ignition Park facilities.
ND P&P’s work centers on translational research, using knowledge and discoveries regarding the fundamental sciences to inform technological applications. A University research center, ND P&P partners with industry and government in the development of advanced technologies for conventional and high Mach air-breathing propulsion, energy generation, advanced thermal management, and energy storage solutions.
The immersive internship program spans 10 weeks, during which students work closely with both a staff member at ND P&P and an industry mentor, and attend formative events such as professional development workshops and weekly Lunch and Learns.
“A valuable takeaway for the students in this program is the exposure to real-world applications—being able to work alongside both engineering and business professionals to see how prototyping actually happens,” said Mark Ross, the Research Liaison Program Manager at ND P&P. “That experience is immediately transferable and valuable to our interns after graduation, whether they go on to graduate school, industry, or other professional schools.”
In addition to their on-site work, interns will have the opportunity to present their work to industry partners at the end of the program, as well as to participate in Notre Dame’s Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium and Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition.
“The university environment is a unique place for this sort of internship, since students are able to work with faculty on their applied research and at the same time have the opportunity to engage with their wealth of knowledge on the science behind the devices,” Ross added.
ND P&P has a long history of undergraduate involvement, as undergraduate students were instrumental in some of the facility’s early work, collaborating alongside faculty, graduate students, and staff. This mutually beneficial relationship has remained a key part of the ND P&P environment, with the internship program growing to include industry partners—connecting talented students to career opportunities at a critical stage in their academic training.
Scully, a sophomore studying aerospace engineering in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, said he is interested in the design and testing of aerospace systems and is discerning how to apply this interest professionally.
“I hope to finish the internship with not only an enhanced skill set, but a better understanding of where I want to direct my career,” Scully said. “Without the standard demands of the academic year, I am looking forward to dedicating my full attention to our research, learning from the experienced team at ND P&P, and seeing a project through from start to finish.”
To learn more about the internship program, please visit the Notre Dame Power & Propulsion website.
Contact
Erin Fennessy / Writing Program Manager
Notre Dame Research / University of Notre Dame
efenness@nd.edu / +1 574-631-8183
research.nd.edu / @UNDResearch / linkedin.com/company/undresearch
About Notre Dame Research
The University of Notre Dame is a private research and teaching university inspired by its Catholic mission. Located in South Bend, Indiana, its researchers are advancing human understanding through research, scholarship, education, and creative endeavor in order to be a repository for knowledge and a powerful means for doing good in the world. For more information, please visit NDR's website or NDR's LinkedIn.