This is the second post in a series of short interviews with IMT's terrific interns. Today we're talking to Andrea Levin, IMT's Finance Intern for Summer 2013. Andrea is from Chevy Chase, Md., and is entering her senior year at Cornell University. Because she did such a great job for us last year, this is Andrea's second summer interning at IMT.
This is the second summer you've worked at IMT. What did you work on then, and what are you focusing on now?
Last summer I worked on quantitative research for residential homes. Specifically, I worked to organize the data used in the IMT and University of North Carolina's Center for Community Capital study, Home Energy Efficiency and Mortgage Risks. I also helped the communications team with social media outreach and making additions to the new website.
This summer my focus is on energy efficiency finance policy, both on the commercial and residential side. I do a lot of research on different financing methods for energy efficiency.
What are you majoring in at Cornell, and do you have any career plans?
I am majoring in Applied Economics and Management with a focus on environmental and resource economics. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what career path I want to take when I graduate, but hopefully I will be able to find a job that allows me to combine my interests in school with what I have learned while working at IMT.
Tell us about the highlight of your internship so far.
It has been really exciting and rewarding to come back for a second summer at IMT. I have enjoyed researching about new and innovative energy efficiency financing methods and sharing my findings with the rest of the staff. I love learning new things, and I am grateful that IMT gave me the flexibility to explore this research in more detail.
Do you find yourself thinking about energy efficiency more, thanks to your work for IMT?
I have been lucky enough to grow up in communities that are environmentally conscious. Working at IMT has furthered my understanding of how we as a society can strive to save the environment through energy-efficient practices. Thanks to IMT, I will definitely continue to think about energy efficiency and try to make choices that reflect what I have learned.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself (non-energy-efficiency related).
I hope to study abroad this spring semester in Seville, Spain.