March 17, 2026

The 2026 Spring Internships are open at the UW Sensors, Energy, and Automation Laboratory (SEAL) in the UW Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seattle. 
SEAL is a great place to get involved in campus research and design new technologies that help our local community. We provide an extensive online training program for our students to help them participate in campus research.
Strong students are given opportunities to publish their work, win international-grade research awards, join or create start-up companies, and receive letters of recommendation for graduate school or career advancement. Many of our students transition into paid positions based on their performance. 

Students are expected to commit 10 to 15 hours per week. Hours are flexible and can include telecommuting, evenings, or weekends. Project availability changes depending on student interests and lab needs.

Students also gain hands-on experience using AI and large language models (LLMs), from data analysis to building AI-powered systems. They also develop AI fluency and build a personal AI Skill Portfolio that showcases the tools they have created and the workflows they have improved with AI. No prior AI experience is required.
Highlighted projects are listed below:
  • UW Industrial Training and Assessment Center (UW ITAC) – Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: Travel to small- and medium-sized manufacturers across the Pacific Northwest to conduct real energy assessments. You’ll work on energy savings, waste reduction, smart manufacturing, decarbonization, and electrification. Great for students interested in sustainability, mechanical engineering, and industrial systems. Learn more.
  • Ionospheric Physics and Communication Resilience: Study how natural and artificial events in the upper atmosphere affect electromagnetic signal propagation, with applications in national security, aerospace safety, and global connectivity. You’ll work on real-time disturbance monitoring and signal analysis. Great for Physics, EE, and Data Science students.
  • RF and Antenna Engineering: Design, simulate, and optimize antenna systems for ionospheric research, wireless communication, and near-field sensing. Active work includes sphere antenna optimization, Wilkinson power divider tutorials, base station antenna design, and charger-antenna coexistence studies. Tools: HFSS, COMSOL, CST, MATLAB. Great for EE (electromagnetics), Physics, and RF Engineering students.
  • Gas Leak Detection: Detect and localize leaks in compressed-air and gas systems using vibration sensors and machine learning. You’ll work on ML classification, signal processing, embedded firmware, and field deployment at manufacturing facilities. Tools: Python, embedded systems, ML frameworks. Great for CS, EE, ME, and Data Science students.
  • Plasma Propulsion and Flow Control: Advance aerospace flow control and propulsion through electrohydrodynamic (EAD) thrusters and dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) actuators. You’ll work on thrust characterization, power supply design, plasma diagnostics, and flight-weight system integration. Tools: power electronics, plasma diagnostics, MATLAB. Great for A&A, EE (power), ME, and Physics students.
  • Cold Plasma for Medicine: Build safe, tunable plasma devices that accelerate tissue repair and target cancer pathways. You’ll work alongside clinicians on HV pulse generation, discharge control, dosimetry, and benchtop assays. Tools: power electronics, COMSOL plasma modules, optics/thermal sensing, Python. Great for EE (power/controls), BME, Physics, and Pre-Med students.
  • LLM/AI Radiation Safety Companion: Design offline LLM-powered assistants that provide radiation safety guidance during emergencies. Tools: LLMs, Python, prompt engineering. Great for students interested in AI/ML and automation.
  • Gamified Software Design: Design apps that use game mechanics to motivate research productivity, then study their impact. Tools: web frameworks, UX design, data analysis. Great for CS, HCI, Psychology, and Design students.
To join SEAL and support our research efforts, click the links below and fill out an application:
  2. Visit our website for a list of open projects.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY – We accept applications throughout each quarter on a rolling basis.