By Emily Duran
IT Communications Intern

Div Mishra is entering his senior year as a Computer Science major at UB, looking to build his career as a software engineer at a large impact company. During Summer 2025, Div worked as a Software Engineering Intern for Ronald Ternowski, Assistant Director of UBIT Network and Communication Services (NCS).

Earlier this year, the NCS team began a project to move UB’s campus-wide network infrastructure data from an older system to a modern, open-source platform called NetBox. They created a summer internship position in the Network Applications group to lead this switch, allowing staff members more time to focus on other projects and operations.

“Hiring, training, and supervising an intern requires a decent amount of time and effort on the part of the department,” said Joe Pautler, Principal Technical Architect with UBIT.  “However, when it's done properly, the benefits for the department and intern far outweigh the ‘cost’ of doing it.” 

Div learned about the new opening through Bullseye, UB’s online job finder for students and alumni. Students can look for and apply to any UB internship positions using this platform or by attending job fairs.

Div had previous experience working with NCS as a student assistant for Joesph Pautler, Principal Technology Architect, replacing wired network switches. Student assistant positions in NCS are primarily for undergrads looking for work experience and training, as opposed to internships, which are more self-driven with minimal instruction. This previous experience helped Div stand out as an intern candidate. 

What made Div stand out to UBIT even more was his positive attitude, willingness to learn, and commitment to being a part of a team. Ron and his staff were looking for someone who wanted to learn scripting and networking, research and find solutions, and present and implement ideas with the help of supervisors. Div’s work ethic was a perfect fit for this position, as he excelled in working independently and in a team, taking initiative, making decisions, and knowing when to ask questions.

When Div first started, he explained that his supervisors and co-workers were very helpful and supportive during his training. “It can be a challenging process, but I think if students take initiative and ask questions during onboarding, they can establish a great starting point,” said Div.

Some of his daily responsibilities included researching solutions, working with engineers and application developers, and attending  webinars. Over the course of his time as an intern, Div worked on a wide range of projects, advancing his software engineering and problem-solving skills:

• Developed Python-based data pipelines able to process millions of objects
• Built high-performance API integrations
• Learned about large-scale databases (like the ones at UB), DevOps, OpenShift, and Bitbucket tooling
• Gained experience in working with the complexities of real-world data, writing scalable code, and understanding years’ worth of network data
• Practiced communication and documentation of technical ideas

The NCS team was continually impressed by Div’s work. “[He] is incredibly intelligent, creative, ambitious, and hard-working. He has come up with some very creative ways to migrate our existing data into the new system, and he made quick work of writing software to implement the migration,” added Joe Pautler.

Students looking for work experience on-campus should consider UBIT internships or student assistant positions. Find current listings on the UBIT website or Bullseye.

“This internship not only reaffirmed [my interest in the software engineering field], but I think it taught me how rewarding I find solving long-term infrastructure problems to be. I have come away with a lot more confidence in both my skills and direction,” Div added.

The UBIT Help Center is here to help with your technology needs at UB. Students can also reach out to the UB Tech Squad for help; they can meet you anywhere on North or South Campus.