When it comes to real-world experience and innovation, it’s hard to beat an internship at IU’s Global Network Operations Center (GlobalNOC). Just ask Nikhil Srirangam, a computer science graduate student at IU’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering who interned at GlobalNOC this summer. 
 
“My time at GlobalNOC was a remarkable experience,” he said. “I had the privilege of being guided by some of the most exceptional people in this field. Working within this dynamic team has led to the realization of remarkable projects, highlighting the strong spirit of innovation that defines GlobalNOC.” 

Now in its twenty-fifth year, GlobalNOC is the nation’s largest research and education network operations center. From the start, GlobalNOC has been shaping the future of network services and supporting some of the most advanced networks in the world, including Internet2 and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s enterprise network, N-Wave. 
 
With more than 100 full-time employees supporting dozens of networks around the world, GlobalNOC is an ideal training ground for students to build application development skills alongside mentors in the industry. Every summer, GlobalNOC hosts a paid summer internship program for undergraduate and graduate computer science students.

This year, four interns worked under the mentorship of senior team members Aryan Deora and Andy Lazar, with oversight from Brian McGough, manager of the service management systems and user interface teams.“As a manager, I enjoy helping the next generation of software developers grow skills under the watchful eyes of a really talented set of individuals—Aryan and Andy—while our full-time, professional staff get to lead and mentor along the way,” McGough said.  
 
The structure of the internship program is a win-win for everyone involved. The GlobalNOC benefits by having a burst of resources dedicated to projects its full-time staff don’t have time to work on, and the interns get real-world training under the guidance of industry-leading software engineers, boosting their marketability after graduation. 

Each summer, the interns are exposed to (and learn about) network technologies and how they're applied to real-world operational networks. In addition, this summer the interns helped overhaul the GlobalNOC Database—its most used, most important application. (Read more about the product here.) The goal was to align the database with modern web application standards, offering a more intuitive user interface. Simultaneously, GlobalNOC is integrating advanced tools for super users, amplifying their productivity. 

“I've found the intern program to be exceptionally beneficial for our team,” Deora said. “Our interns’ involvement didn't just bring in fresh perspectives, but also significantly accelerated our timelines, trimming weeks off our product-release dates. Beyond their technical prowess, the interns’ enthusiasm and fresh energy have been invigorating for the entire team. The intern program, in essence, has been a game changer for us at GlobalNOC.” 
 
It's been a game changer for the students too. The internship can provide a direct career path into GlobalNOC, where many former interns are now staff members, and several have been promoted to leadership positions, notably Aryan Deora. 
 
“This internship has helped me grow exponentially, both personally and professionally,” said Archana Narayanan, also a Luddy graduate student in computer science. “In addition to my work, the kind of insights provided by my mentors, Aryan and Andy, were invaluable. Their guidance, along with the support of my manager, Brian, encourages me to pursue my goals and explore my passion.”