Meet the Interns

Ryan Mandel, Data Visualization Intern

Summer, a time for grilling, leisure activities, sunsets, and internship opportunities! This summer is no different with our four new interns already busy with some pretty significant projects. We spoke with our 2020 summer interns, Blaed, Ryan, Lauren, and Hunter, to learn more about what attracted them to the Oregon Department of Energy and their work interests.

Blaed Creighton holds the Information Technology Support Intern position and was our first candidate on the job. Blaed is a fulltime student at the Oregon Institute of Technology and was attracted to the position because he would eventually like to work with the state. Blade added, “I saw this internship as a way to gain valuable experience as an IT professional as well as well as a way to gain experience working with the state to hopefully be able to move into a full-time position once I graduate.”

Lauren Collar, 2020 BER Intern

Next on the scene was our Data Visualization Intern, Ryan Mandel. Ryan joins us from Gonzaga University and is focusing on EV consumer data during his assignment with ODOE. Ryan shared his internship goals with us, “My main goals for the Data Visualization Internship are that I am able to gain real world experience in the world of data, apply what I have learned in school to help make a difference for an organization whose values align with my own, and make connections with my co-workers as best as I can during the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope that the EV dashboard that I eventually publish will have a lasting impact on ODOE and will encourage those who view it to make the change from ICE vehicles to EVs. Any difference that I can make in helping save our environment and reducing greenhouse gases will be a success for me.”

Lauren Collar is currently a research assistant with the Sustainability Institute at Willamette University and is applying her skills to the 2020 Biennial Energy Report this summer with our Energy Efficiency & Conservation Section. Lauren shared her thoughts on the position, “I was attracted to the BER internship position because I am passionate about clean energy and sustainability. This role appeared to be a great opportunity to gain more experience developing research and data visualization/analysis skills in the energy field.”

Hunter Lohrenz, Appliance Standards Intern

Most recent, Hunter Lohrenz also joined the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Section as their Appliance Standards Intern. Hunter offered insight into why he was interested in this unique regulatory internship, “I was interested in the Appliance Standards Intern position because I have been drawn to the field of sustainable energy throughout my time as a chemical engineering student at OSU. I was also very interested to learn what working in a state agency entailed, so this internship’s ability to provide insight on that as well was a significant factor that led me to pursue it.”

ODOE values all our team members and celebrates the special contributions and mentorship opportunities interns add. ODOE extends a big thank you to Blaed, Ryan, Lauren, and Hunter for spending some of their summer with us!