Highlights from our Interns: What They Loved about their Internships

At Autodesk Research, we pride ourselves on creating an enriching and dynamic environment for our interns, offering the opportunity to work on real-world projects and contribute to our research. This summer, we hosted more than 30 talented individuals from diverse academic backgrounds and fields of study. Here’s a glimpse into what our interns enjoyed the most about their time with us.

Zhuoran Lu, AI for M&E, Purdue University

“The highlight of my internship has been collaborating with an incredible team of researchers with diverse backgrounds. Our project at Autodesk Research touches upon both human-computer interaction (HCI) and artificial intelligence (AI), fitting perfectly with my research background. My mentors provide valuable advice from different perspectives, significantly helping me progress in the project.

“Autodesk Research has a clear vision for long-term research. Such long-term plans, differing from only chasing the current hot topics year-by-year, are impressive. I think targeting long-term research builds the environment for innovation, allowing research here to figure out theoretical solutions and further develop impactful real-world solutions.”

Theoni Varoudaki, Neuroscience for Architecture, Penn State University

“The best part of my internship so far has been working with such an interdisciplinary team of researchers. My team consists of a computer scientist, an architect, a biomechanics expert, and myself, a neuroscientist. This matrix-like team organization allows my project to answer questions in all these completely different areas of research. As a result, the work is not just informed by various specialties, but it is truly at its core interdisciplinary.”

Jaimyn Drake, Robotics & LLMs Research, UC Berkeley

“The best part of my internship is the robotics team at Pier 9. The team is the perfect size, making it easy to get to know everyone and interact daily. They are always willing to help and check in, which is essential for an intern. The atmosphere feels more social than other larger or more ‘heads-down work’ type research groups. The diversity of projects and research avenues makes Pier 9 an even more exciting place to work!”

Irene Wong, Network Program intern, UC Santa Cruz

“The people! My project focuses on meeting with San Francisco residents and researchers to find more ways for them to collaborate and connect. This allowed me to meet a variety of researchers in fields ranging from Robotics to Media and Entertainment and learn from entrepreneurs in the Residency Program. It’s inspiring to see many of them take initiative to solve real-world problems. I learned so much that I would never have had the opportunity to learn otherwise.”

Argyrios Delithanasis, Industrialization of Construction

“The best part has been working with a global team of Researchers passionate about automating the construction industry. The culture at Autodesk is enriching, with multiple events and strong networking opportunities. I had the chance to build on my technical skills in coding, machine learning, and 3D modeling, while also learning new tools with my mentors’ support. Working in an environment dedicated to cutting-edge research has been incredibly fulfilling and inspiring.

“I was surprised by the dedication from the team to push and test new ideas for the construction sector. It’s inspiring to see how committed Autodesk is to driving technological innovation in an industry that traditionally lags behind in tech adoption.”

Our interns not only contributed significantly to their respective projects but have also gained invaluable experience and skills. Thanks to all our interns for an incredible summer and here’s to a great school year! Learn more about interning at Autodesk.