As a Regional University Transportation Center (UTC), the Southern Plains Transportation Center (SPTC) is committed to strengthening the UTC program’s legacy of invaluable contributions to transportation education and workforce development by executing a comprehensive strategy of innovative programs that encourage K-12 students, college students or adult learners to become transportation professionals. An important element of SPTC’s workforce development effort is the Transportation Regional Internship Program (TRIP).

SPTC students who are legally qualified to participate in the internship program (citizens, permanent residents, etc.) may apply. Students from other schools may be considered.

For additional information, potential applicants should contact SPTC Workforce Development and Outreach Coordinator, Dr. Michael Molina at mmolina@ou.edu. Please copy
SPTC Program Manager Olivia Dailey at Olivia.dailey@ou.edu and SPTC’s Project Coordinator Kim Johnson at kimberly.a.johnson-1@ou.edu in your e-mail.

Blake Grimmett

Farris Shawareb

Dylan Muse

Corrosion of steel reinforcement is one of the leading causes of deterioration and premature failure of reinforced concrete infrastructure. This summer internship project investigates the corrosion resistance of metallic reinforcing bars wrapped with electrospun nanofiber coatings. This research will be presented as a poster at Oklahoma Transportation Day 2027.

Reuben Robinson

Evan Andrews

Evan was employed by Poe & Associates Inc. as an intern for the Summer of 2025 and 2026. Over the course of the last 2 summers Evan was exposed to a lot of different aspects in the field and office. Over the course Evan had the opportunity to explore the many different services that this company provides and gain useful knowledge that can be used throughout his career.

Keagan Brooks

As an intern for Poe & Associates in the summer of 2026, Keagan Brooks had the opportunity to review plan sheets, organize acceptances, and establish backlogs for various OTA ACCESS projects. He was especially involved with the Construction Management team here at Poe and Associates. He learned how to best flow through assorted documents to check for inconsistencies and ensure that every item has been paid for and those contractors reimbursed.

Xander Griffin

Xander was brought on as an intern in the summer of 2026, where he joined the bridge team. He was exposed to the entire suite of Poe & Associates offerings during this internship, spending time on several structural-focused projects.

Meet the Interns (More coming soon!)

Julia Robbins

Caiden Thomason

Grace Lowery

Vannak Koiy

Victor Bormon

Jael Lopez

2026 Internships

Nayyar Kibria

During this internship at ENF Products LLC, Nayyar worked on developing an electromagnetic spinning machine designed to produce biodegradable nanofibers. The nanofibers were researched for biomedical applications, including supporting bone and tissue regeneration. Nayyar also worked with Arduino microcontrollers to assist with the machine’s controls and prototyping.

Dara Dversdall

Dara was one of six interns employed to learn more about the transportation field and all the different services Poe & Associates has to offer.Through the course of 12 weeks Dara also got to collaborate with her fellow interns on smaller projects for the company, as we learned the different services the company offers and use the knowledge that this internship has provided for the rest of her career.

Sidra Akel

Sidra was a 2026 summer intern employed by Poe & Associates. She was hired as a returning structural engineering intern. One of her main focuses was going into depth of structural engineering in various projects and seeing what it takes to complete these projects.

Radian Phornchanna

Cooper Ridgway

Standard Engineering’s 12-week Summer Internship Program provided students with hands-on experience across multiple engineering and construction disciplines while reinforcing concepts learned through their academic coursework. Interns completed

structured rotations in Geotechnical Engineering, Construction Materials Field Sampling, Construction Materials Laboratory Testing, Construction Management, and Building Envelope. Throughout these rotations, students participated in subsurface material sampling, laboratory testing, construction material inspections, and engineering

documentation under the supervision of experienced industry professionals. Interns also shadowed project managers on Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and

Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) projects, attended construction meetings, and gained practical knowledge of project coordination, scheduling, and communication. Building Envelope rotations provided additional exposure to specialized inspections, quality

assurance, and construction standards. During the final two weeks, interns returned to a department selected through a collaborative evaluation of their interests, performance,

and professional development opportunities. Additionally, interns completed OSHA 10 and First Aid certifications to strengthen their understanding of workplace safety. Overall, the program connected classroom instruction with real-world engineering applications while developing technical skills, professional communication, problem-solving abilities, and an understanding of the construction process from initial investigation through project completion.

Taraneh Dastouri

Taraneh Dastouri worked as a doctoral graduate research assistant at Texas Southern University’s at the Center for Transportation Training and Research (CTTR) for the past three years on SPTC funded projects Inland Ports and Blocked intersections.

Myles Henson

Bio coming soon

Gracie Dover

Reid Gracey