The University of Michigan’s IAESTE (International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) Local Committee had an outstanding showing at the annual IAESTE United States National Conference held in Washington, D.C. The group, which took a delegation of 18 Michigan students and IAESTE interns to the conference, captured three awards – Local Committee of the Year, Highest Membership, and Employer of the Year.

The Local Committee of the Year award, the most prestigious of the three, is awarded to the local committee that excels in the following areas: membership recruitment, job placement, fundraising, national conference attendance, leadership, and internship applications. IAESTE Michigan received the Highest Membership award for recruiting 70 members of IAESTE United States, more than any other local committee in the country. Menlo Innovations of Ann Arbor received the Employer of the Year award, given annually to the IAESTE employer most dedicated to and supportive of IAESTE. Menlo Innovations has worked closely with the Michigan IAESTE committee and has hosted IAESTE interns from around the world for several years. The company, which develops software to help improve business efficiency, increased its commitment to IAESTE by agreeing to host six international interns for the next calendar year.

Under the leadership of IAESTE Michigan President Joy Wei, the IAESTE Michigan committee has been able to serve as a model for local committees nationwide. Upcoming events for the group include hosting the Midwest Spring Retreat in April and the Midwest Regional Conference next September.

IAESTE United States is a nonprofit organization that, through job placement in the U.S., sends American students abroad for paid technical work experience in more than 80 IAESTE member countries. Each job placed through the University of Michigan allows a U-M student to undertake an international paid technical internship. IAESTE United States is operated by student-run local committees at 28 of the top engineering universities across the country. IAESTE Michigan receives support from the College of Engineering, Student Leadership and Academic Services, United Technologies Corporation, Michigan Student Assembly, University of Michigan Engineering Council, and the Association for International Practical Training.