Elara Engineering’s 2024 Summer Internship Program provided five talented students the opportunity to contribute to our firm’s success as they worked side-by-side with our engineering experts and operational leaders on a variety of endeavors across our engineering teams.
As members of Elara’s multidisciplinary engineering design teams, our interns completed field surveys at various sites, executed engineering calculations for a variety of projects, and utilized AutoCAD (2D) and REVIT (3D) drafting/modeling software to support the preparation of engineering drawings. Elara’s Building Performance Group intern also supported numerous building infrastructure studies which included preparing utility and energy analyses.
Our summer interns also attended weekly presentations conducted by our Principals, Associate Principals, Team Leaders, and various firm Engineers intended to introduce the group to a wide variety of topics relevant to the industry. Discussion topics and activities included “A History of Elara”, “Elara Services & Processes”, “Brookfield Zoo: A Case Study”, “Insights from Elara’s Principals”, and technical presentations covering Elara’s various disciplines and markets. The summer intern program culminated with an end-of-summer tour of an Elara project currently in construction, presentations by each of the interns to Elara leadership covering a technical topic each student chose to learn about throughout the summer including “The Future of AI in the MEPFP Industry” and “Heat Pump Technology”, and a lunch celebration to acknowledge each intern’s hard work and success.
We congratulate all five of our 2024 summer interns and wish them great success in the school year ahead.
Elara is pleased to offer internships for aspiring engineers each summer with additional opportunities to engage students throughout the year. Resumes for internship consideration can be submitted to employment@elaraeng.com.
“During my work term at Elara Engineering, I gained hands-on experience in building performance and sustainable energy engineering. This experience deepened my understanding of engineering infrastructure, introduced me to energy analysis and modeling software, and reinforced my commitment to sustainable system designs.”
-Abimael R., University of Dayton, Master’s in Renewable and Clean Energy Engineering Major
“Interning at Elara allowed me so many opportunities to experience the engineering process. Through talking to professionals in the business, visiting sites, and hands-on learning I believe I’ve earned a great appreciation for all the hard work that goes into the design of the many little details of a building. Being a part of that process was so cool to experience and seeing my work being used for a project was really special!”
– Alison M., High School Student, Aspiring Engineer
“Interning at Elara Engineering provided me the opportunity to get an insight into how an engineering firm functions. This Summer I participated in many different phases of working with a client — from the preparations of a proposal all the way to seeing the construction of an Elara generated design drawing. Being able to participate in this extensive process really helped me better understand how different types of engineering disciplines work and interact with each other to reach a set goal.”
– Holly M., University of Illinois at Chicago, Electrical Engineering Major
“Interning at Elara has provided me with a plethora of opportunities to experience different facets of the work done in HVAC and sustainable design. Seeing numerous project phases through to completion, as well as collaborating with other teams and markets throughout the summer, I’ve learned not only from experienced engineers, but passionate ones – eager to share their expertise.”
– Ryan K., Northwestern University, Mechanical Engineering Major with Minor in Data Science & Engineering
“My summer interning at Elara was incredibly enriching and insightful. I had an opportunity to work alongside all members of the HILS team as I participated in projects from the start to finish, traveled on-site to create detailed reports, and preformed vital system calculations, ultimately allowing me to gain invaluable industry experience. I am very grateful to have contributed to Elara’s mission of providing customized, sustainable, and innovative solutions.”
– Sheel P., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Mechanical Engineering Major
