17 June ICC's Davis, McMillen selected for prestigious Dept. of Defense for Research & Engineering summer internship June 17, 2025 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Recent Itawamba Community College graduates Sara Davis of Smithville and Analyse McMillen of Pontotoc are having the opportunity of a lifetime as participants in the Summer Internship Consortium Experience in Indianapolis, Ind. The paid 11-week internship with the Department of Defense for Research & Engineering (OUSD R&E) allows Davis and McMillen to get security clearance, DoD accessor training and exposure and is an opportunity to network with industry contacts in technology. They will collaborate with industries to evaluate future technologies relating to space, land, water and air with several opportunities to travel to Washington, D.C. The experience affords students an opportunity to utilize their STEM skills doing research in emerging technologies for the U.S. government as well as addresses the need from the federal government’s recent release of a strategic plan for advancing STEM education and cultivating STEM talent. According to Bradley Howard, ICC’s Computer Science division chair and STEM cosponsor, the federal government’s plan highlighted the importance of work-based learning opportunities alongside the academic setting in a student’s professional development and career readiness. Both Davis and McMillen were active members of ICC’s STEM Club, and Davis was one of four students who researched and prepared narration for its new planetarium recently. “This internship will be a shining achievement that employers will be able to recognize and appreciate,” Davis, who was an aviation management major at ICC, said. “It will put me on a fast track to achieving my career ambitions.” She plans to transfer to Delta State University to earn her degree in Commercial Aviation. McMillen, too, is appreciative. “This internship is a wonderful opportunity to further my education, achieve my professional aspirations and cultivate my soft skills, such as adaptability, analytical thinking and collaboration. A career in cybersecurity requires education in cyber defense and operations. The Department of Defense SPICE internship will assist me in obtaining and improving the skills needed for a career in cybersecurity.” She plans to transfer to Mississippi State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity and a minor in data science. Davis and McMillen are two of 14 students chosen nationally from both community colleges and universities to participate in this impressive internship. This is the first year that the opportunity was opened to community college students. The intent of the SPICE internship is to incorporate interns into the world of joint experimentation methodologies and technology assessment techniques used to gather necessary information for innovative prototypes as well as help to build a trilateral relationship between government, industry and academia across the United States. According to information about the internship, “STEM talent development is of critical importance to the country’s national security. The first cohort of SPICE was launched in June 2024, providing a work-based learning opportunity for STEM students. Its goals include providing interns with a unique opportunity to assess novel technologies, introduce them to the Prototyping and Experimentation enterprise and familiarize them with the critical intersection of government, industry and academia that enables the acceleration and innovation of joint warfighting capabilities.” Since its inception, the program has evolved to align with the Federal Strategic Plan for Advancing STEM Education and Cultivating STEM Talent. Upon completion of the current cohort in August, approximately 30 students from 10 academic institutions across six states have been provided with the unique experience of this internship. Graduates of the program come from a diverse range of educational, professional and life experiences which have significantly contributed to the learning environment. The kick-off event last month in Indianapolis involved allowing the interns to adjust to working with the DoD,” said Howard, who along with Heather McCormick, STEM cosponsor and Mathematics division chair, attended. It included a private tour of AJ Foyt Racing, a tour of Dallara USA with virtual racing, a meal in a private suite on the Indy 500 raceway and the opening T-REX Mid-Planning Conference meeting where students sat in on strategic engagements with industries and DoD leaders as they planned for testing technologies this summer at Camp Atterbury, Ind. The program is hosted by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Prototyping & Experimentation with applicants invited by the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Research & Engineering. Related Articles ICC's Salinas selected for prestigious Delta Scholars Program Itawamba Community College sophomore Diana Salinas of Golden has been selected for the prestigious 2021 Delta Scholars Program. The Delta Scholars Summer Institute is a 10-day immersion program during which students will work to identify an issue of inequality or injustice in which they are interested and develop a proposal for a project that will promote dialogue and change around that issue in their own communities or the state of Mississippi. Salinas and the other students will spend the first portion of the program at the Shackouls Honors College at Mississippi State University, where they will engage with faculty and guest lecturers from a range of disciplines to learn about issues currently challenging the people and the economy of Mississippi, including food insecurity, public health, education and more. Substantive lessons designed to teach students about the workings and impact of different systems in the Delta will be intermixed with skills-based workshops designed to give students the planning, research and advocacy skills necessary to begin developing their independent projects. During the summer conference, which is scheduled for June 7-18, students will take ... ICC's Morgan, Pounds selected for prestigious Delta Scholars program Sophomores Katherine Morgan of Hatley and Anna Pounds of Golden are the first from Itawamba Community College to be selected for the Delta Scholars Program. The Delta Scholars Summer Institute is a 10-day immersion program for approximately 12 undergraduates committed to improving the living experience of residents in the Mississippi Delta. Working in conjunction with the Harvard Law School Mississippi Delta Fellow, the Institute will be at the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors college on the campus of Mississippi State University. The institute will feature informational meetings with academics, policymakers and non-profit organizations in the Delta. Scholars will be mentored by the Harvard Delta Fellow and by faculty advisers who conduct research that focuses on food security, education and economic development in the region. As scholars learn the history of an issue from multidisciplinary perspectives, they will also learn how to advocate local public officials, nongovernmental agencies, business leaders and state representatives in support of an approach that helps remedy the issue. In the fall or spring of their junior year, Delta Scholars ... ICC's Baggett, Evans selected as finalists for prestigious transfer scholarship Itawamba Community College sophomores TayaRenea Leigh Baggett of Hamilton and Chloe Evans of Plantersville have been selected as semifinalists for the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Baggett is majoring in music education with emphasis on trumpet. Her activities and honors include Phi Theta Kappa, choir, chamber choir, brass ensemble, band, Honors College, President’s List, recipient of the Dean’s and Linda Kay Gilreath Endowed Scholarships and former member of CenterStage. She is a member of St. James Catholic Church where she is in the choir. Baggett’s parents are Christie and Joseph Hesse. Evans’ activities and honors at ICC include Band/Indianette, Indian Delegation president, Lead Orientation Leader, Student Government Association At-Large representative, Phi Theta Kappa vice president of leadership, Sigma Kappa Delta president, Honors College, Chieftain staff writer, Fashion Tribe graphic designer, Baptist Student Union and Wesley Foundation. She is also the recipient of the Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholarship. Her parents are Brad and Melissa Evans. The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is a highly-selective scholarship for the nation’s top community college students seeking to complete their bachelor’s degrees at for-year ... ICC's Salinas selected semifinalist for prestigious Cooke scholarship Itawamba Community College sophomore Diana Salinas of Golden has been named one of five semifinalists from Mississippi for the prestigious Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. This year’s 406 semifinalists were chosen from a pool of more than 1,500 applicants attending 398 community colleges in 44 states and the District of Columbia, according to an announcement from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. Salinas is majoring in computer science at ICC, where she is vice president of the Student Government Association, president of the Computer Science Club, Diamond Girl, member of the Honors College and vice president of leadership and regional reporter for Phi Theta Kappa. Her honors include Hall of Fame, Dean’s and President’s lists, SGA Scholarship, Dean’s Scholarship, All-Mississippi Academic Team and NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars. Her community and church activities are translating, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and tutoring. She plans to transfer to the University of Mississippi. Her parents are Gabriela Cortes and Santos Vazquez. The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship recipients will be announced in April. In addition to financial support, selected Cooke Transfer ... ICC's Dean, Ward selected as prestigious Coca-Cola 2022 Academic Team Scholars Haley Dean of Saltillo has been selected as a Gold Scholar on Coca-Cola’s 2022 Academic Team, and Ely Ward of Mooreville, Silver Scholar. The last time that ICC had Gold and Silver Scholars was in 2016, according to Robin Lowe, Phi Theta Kappa contact adviser. “We are excited to have, once again, two Coca-Cola Scholars this year. These students remind us that the power of resiliency overcomes the toughest obstacles, and they are leaving a lasting legacy to inspire future ICC students.” Dean is majoring in mechanical engineering at ICC, where she is the vice president of scholarship for the Phi Theta Kappa Upsilon Sigma Chapter; member of the Honors College, Baptist Student Union, Science Club and Indian Delegation; president of the Student Government Association and a previous Orientation Leader. Dean is also a Supplemental Instructor and a student worker in the Telecommunications and Information Services Department. Along with her team, she was named a finalist in the Community College Innovation Challenge sponsored by the American Association of Community Colleges and National Science ... 12 sophomores selected as members of ICC's prestigious Hall of Fame Twelve Itawamba Community College sophomores have been selected as members of the prestigious Hall of Fame for 2022-23. They include and Kelly Barnett, Anthony Reece Cantrell, both of Amory; Lori Leachman of Bruce; Emma Grace Allen, Hayden Campbell, both of Fulton; Emory Reinhard of Mantachie; Eli Harlow of Pontotoc; Lexi Tabbs of Red Bay, Ala., Madison Collins of Shannon; Noah Jones of Smithville; and Jamarious “Jay” Salters and Mae Young, both of Tupelo. At ICC, Allen’s activities have included Indian Delegation president, Orientation Leader, Food Pantry representative, Resident Assistant and a member of the Baptist Student Union Leadership Team, The Global Experience, Fashion Tribe, STEM Club, The Wesley Foundation, Phi Theta Kappa, Honors College, Science Club and Wesley Foundation. Among her honors are Dean’s List, Freshman and Sophomore Homecoming Maid and first runner-up in ICC’s Most Beautiful Pageant. A pre-med (biology) major, Allen is also involved in college ministry and youth group at Bethel Baptist Church. She is the daughter of Dr. Jay and Belinda Allen. Barnett, who is majoring in Business and Marketing Management Technology, is a member ... Comments are closed.