Baylor University Summer Internship

Spencer Budden, Class of 2014

Baylor University Summer Internship

Summer 2013

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab

MIS Internship at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab

My name is Spencer Budden and I am a rising senior majoring in Management Information Systems and International Business with a focus area in Spain. This summer I interned in the Business Communication Systems Department (BCSD) of The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (JHUAPL). JHUAPL, located in Laurel Maryland, is a not for profit university affiliated research center (UARC)sponsored primarily by the Department of Defense (DoD), with contracts from DoD, the intelligence communities, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Applied Physics Lab (APL) employs over 4,500 employees with 140 experimental facilities and an annual budget of $480 million. APL was created in 1942 during World War II as part of the U. S. Government’s desire to mobilize the nation’s science and engineering expertise within academic universities. APL’s major strengths are systems enginerring and applications of advanced technology. While more than half of the technical staff are engineers, the rest possess computer science, MIS, and math degrees. APL conducts programs in basic and applied research for a variety of projects, customers, and missions. Theseinclude Special Operations, NASA missions, and weapons development. As in any major corpration, this takes funding, contracts, and financial planning, which is where I come in, as a Business/MIS major.

This is my second summer at the lab. Last summer I worked in Asymmetric Operations Department (AOD) which specializes in Special Operations Technology and Cyber Warfare.I worked in the AOD business group doing advanced Cost Savings Analysis. It resulted in a brief to the AODDepartment Head. I submittedmy findings and recommendations which drove some cost savings for several departments. This summer APL moved me into a more technical role in BCSDwhere I prepared an analysisof APL’s current financial planning process. I used information frommy Baylor business and MIS courses in information technology to make recommendationson how the Financial Planning Group could streamline their system. I was invited to present my analysis and recommendations to the Chief Financial Officer Mr. Nick Langhauser, who decided to fund and implementthe new process I proposed. I am a strong advocate of JHUAPL and their mission to support national needs. They are a hard working organization at the forefront of the defense of this nation. I was glad to contribute whatever small effort I could, to advance the mission of this dedicated team.