Research on the Move: Deniz Coral-Irwin’s Internship at Metro Transit

Seeking to gain some work experience outside the world of academia, Deniz Coral-Irwin–who completed her program as a graduate student in Department of Anthropology in the summer of 2024–spent a summer as a research intern at Metro Transit, the Twin Cities primary public transportation operator. During her time there, she applied her academic skills to the fast-paced, collaborative environment of non-academic research. Her experience offered her a new perspective on how research can shape public service.

What were your main job responsibilities?

As a research intern at Metro Transit, I worked closely with the senior researcher and developed a series of internal (employee-facing) and external (customer-facing) surveys. My responsibilities included survey design, overseeing the data collection, survey analysis, and presenting the research findings to multiple stakeholders. 

I was also a part of the user experience testing group that focused on the intranet of the Metropolitan Council. For this group, I conducted informational interviews and usability testing sessions for user experience. We collectively analyzed the sessions and presented our findings to two different groups of stakeholders at Metro Transit.

In addition, I led a survey project about the rider’s experience of the light rail transit. For this project, I collaborated with the Department of Equity and Inclusion, led three other interns, designed the survey questions and protocol, and did intercept surveys on the light rail. This project is ongoing, and I look forward to analyzing the data and presenting it to the stakeholders.

How did you find your internship? Do you have any tips for others seeking similar opportunities?

I used LinkedIn and other job-searching websites to find internship opportunities. I invite those who seek similar opportunities to reach out to people on LinkedIn who work at organizations they are interested in and ask for informational interviews. Even if the internship seekers may not find an internship opportunity on the spot, they will at least have an idea about the responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities that come with the job.

What are your top takeaways from your internship experience? How has it helped inform your future plans?

I am a final year graduate student at the Department of Anthropology (about to defend my thesis). I wanted to have work experience outside of academia before graduating. I specialize in qualitative and ethnographic research and was able to use my academic skills during my summer internship at Metro Transit at the Metropolitan Council.

At Metro Transit, I am surprised by how the flow and rhythm of academic research differ drastically from non-academic research. While I am used to considering every little aspect of research, I find non-academic research more focused and fast-paced. In this regard, non-academic research is not “perfect” in an academic sense and gravitates more towards responding to the needs of the organization or the stakeholders who requested the research (in my case, surveys). 

I also appreciate the collective aspect of conducting non-academic research, which allowed me to be in a productive space with other researchers and stakeholders and create the research together. Last but not least, I was very motivated by seeing how much people in Metro Transit are passionate about public transportation and care about the public well-being.

This story was edited by Regina Ramos-Francia Ylizaliturri, an undergraduate student in CLA.