This summer, Corey Perry is learning about Duke from the ground up -- literally.
As an intern working in the Office of Information Technology's help desk, he has upgraded hardware in a Linux computer lab, helped students reset their passwords, and explored the underground tunnels beneath the residence halls on East Campus to understand the wiring that enables Internet access in each room.
Service technicians use the tunnels to repair wiring or hardware problems. "When a student's computer breaks down or they can't get Internet access, we check the patch cables," said Perry, a rising senior at N.C. Wesleyan College in Rocky Mount.
Perry is one of four interns spending this summer working in OIT as part of the INROADS program, which trains minority youth for careers in business and industry. The summer program targets African American, Hispanic and American Indian students with GPAs of 2.8 or higher. It has placed more than 4,500 interns in 400 companies around the world.
Duke has been a corporate sponsor of a INROADS program since 1998, said Monica Ziegler, a senior human resources representative and coordinator of the Duke program partnership. In previous years, interns have worked in the provost's office, Perkins Library, human resources, finance, auxiliary services and other units. This year's interns will be at Duke until mid-August.
This is Perry's second summer in the program at OIT. A double major in computer information systems and business administration, Perry said he feels at home at OIT -- whether it is helping students change their e-mail aliases or occasionally playing basketball with the help desk staff.
"I love the atmosphere," Perry said.
INROADS offers a good way for Duke to identify and recruit talented minority candidates, who are typically underrepresented in technology fields, said Vernon Thornton, IT manager of the help desk. The program also offers valuable experience for students interested in technology-related careers ranging from networking and telecommunications to web design.
"This is a good spot to determine what field you might want to go into because we get exposed to just about everything on the help desk," Thornton said.
OIT's other interns -- Cory Hinton in wireless communications, Samantha Raines in financial services and Barrett Slade in business support services -- all attend N.C. State University.
To learn more about the INROADS program, contact Ziegler at 684-5557 or by e-mail at mailto:monica.ziegler@duke.edu.
Cara Bonnett is the managing editor of news and information at OIT.