Meet Aisun Abedinzadeh, a Senior in SIS pursuing a major in Human Development & Family Science with a double major in Psychology. Read more about her internship at ARTISAN.
Where did you intern, and what was your role? What were your main responsibilities? How did you find this internship opportunity? What was a typical day like during your internship?
For the Fall 2025 semester, I chose to intern at ARTISAN, which stands for Accelerating Research Translation Integrated Student Ambassador Network. ARTISAN is part of the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact at GMU. ARTISAN is an initiative within NSF or the National Science Foundation. I found this internship opportunity through Handshake by filtering the options to on-campus jobs. Before I graduated, I wanted to gain experience in research, which is ultimately why I chose to intern at this site. My role as an ARTISAN Intern is engaging in research translation, highlighting the importance of research and technology translation to enable societal impact, and support educational experience through innovation and community engagement. My current responsibilities include researching existing resources available at GMU for undergraduate students to later expose students to resources they can become involved in with the existing research translation opportunities. As the semester continues and we collect more information, our team will organize and lead events, presentations, and activities to student groups about research translation for social impact purposes. This position mainly entails remote work. A typical day at this internship includes two meetings with the team to discuss updates and progress within the organization. After the meeting, my supervisor has set up “work hours/office hours,” where I am engaging in researching various organizations within George Mason and the state of Virginia that can benefit Mason undergraduate students. During these “office hours,” it is our set work hours, so my supervisor can reach me, if necessary, but the hours are flexible.
What skills did you gain or improve during your internship?
Some skills I have gained as an ARTISAN intern include better technological skills because of the remote nature of the job. I work closely with spreadsheets, communication channels, etc. Furthermore, I have gained skills in decision-making because I must find resources that not only benefit undergraduate students at Mason but also have research translation and practical impact for students. I have also enhanced communication skills as I must meet with my supervisor weekly and send progress reports. Before this internship, I was not aware of what research translation was. Through this internship, I have gained a foundational understanding of the concept through many discussions and research on the topic. Nonetheless, the most valuable thing I have learned through this internship is the importance of spreading awareness about academic success resources for students to enhance educational experiences and progress innovation at Mason.
How did your coursework help you succeed in your internship?
I am currently enrolled in HDFS 499, and through this internship course, I complete various assignments and work through my capstone project. My coursework in HDFS 499 allows me to reflect on my internship and collaborate with the lead team at my internship to gain a greater understanding of research translation and the goals of the organization and how we can best support the community at Mason. My previous coursework in classes helped me with my internship because I learned how to conduct research and write literature reviews. I am hopeful to pursue a graduate program at the Master’s or PhD level, therefore, this internship positively influences my career goals, as I am developing my experiences within the field of research.
What advice would you give to other students looking for internships?
My advice for students who are looking for their first internship early on in their undergraduate journey would be to intern in a field you don’t have experience working in, so you can gain and develop new skills in the workplace. For students who are eager to find an internship related to their career goals, I would recommend visiting Handshake frequently and attend Career Services as one of the features in this office includes aiding students find internships on or off campus. I would recommend my current internship to students who are interested in gaining experience in research, are looking for a remote job, and are interesting in working towards implementing academic success within the community.
If you could sum up your internship experience in one word, what would it be and why?
If I could sum up my internship in one word it would be informative. Thank you for taking the time to read my internship experience, and I encourage all students to engage in at least one or two internships in college!
October 02, 2025