Please explain what you will be doing in your internship this summer.
Photo courtesy of Aahil Singh ’26
This summer, I worked on a research paper on transportation with Professor Josh Davidson. My focus has been on measuring and improving the accessibility of transportation networks to make them more equitable for different demographics. In particular, we considered the concept of an “intercity bus” (think of a bus running from Cleveland to Chicago or Boston to New York) and how likely it would be to take one instead of flying. Improving the current infrastructure surrounding intercity buses.
What influence did Oberlin have on pursuing this internship?
Oberlin is very active in student involvement in the faculty hiring process, so I had the opportunity to meet Professor Davidson during a research presentation in 2022, before he officially joined Oberlin. Having already taken some quantitative classes in statistics, mathematics, and computer science, I was curious to see how concepts from these fields are combined in his work and how it applies to urban planning and transportation research. I was fascinated by the impact it was having. Although I haven’t been able to take classes with him since he started school, Oberlin’s intimate size made office hours very accessible and helped us stay in touch throughout the school year. . Our continued relationship allows us to discuss research topics that are open to further analysis, and this project investigating intercity buses was born.
How does pursuing this internship align with your life and career goals after college?
Photo courtesy of Aahil Singh ’26
I am potentially aiming to attend graduate school in economics or data science, so pursuing this internship is perfectly aligned with my post-university goals. I’ve always loved looking at problems from a quantitative lens, and this summer’s data science job deepened that passion. The interdisciplinarity of this field not only honed my technical skills, but also strengthened my determination to use data to tackle complex economic problems and brought me closer to my career aspirations.
How has your liberal arts education and mindset shaped the way you approach science and research?
Oberlin College’s liberal arts education, with its emphasis on interdisciplinary thinking, has deeply shaped the way I approach science and research. My research this summer substantiated this idea. In my research, rather than looking at the concept of “accessibility” to transportation systems (in this case, intercity buses) purely through the technical lens of data analysis, I have sought to I integrated insights from to inform my analysis and methodology. . This approach not only enriched my research but also allowed me to address the problems I was researching in a more holistic and innovative way.
If you’re interested in a summer internship, contact our Career Exploration and Development team to learn more about exploring your career interests, gaining real-world experience, and building your professional network.
