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Interns are powering progress in energy, tech, and industry. * Published August 07, 2026 By: Staff Writer Tamla Olivier, recently featured on the cover of Career Communications Group Women of Color magazine, sent summer interns off with well wishes and career advice. As president and CEO of Baltimore Gas and Electric, which serves 1.3 million electric and 700,000 natural gas customers in central Maryland, Olivier highlighted the growing importance of electrical grid capacity. In a social media photo essay, she recognized the impact interns made at BGE and Exelon, noting that many former interns have built meaningful careers within the company and the broader energy industry. Olivier emphasized that this year's interns are already contributing to BGE's mission of delivering affordable solutions in a rapidly evolving energy sector. She praised the interns' curiosity, new ideas, and eagerness to learn, observing their growth as they tackled new challenges and learned from experienced colleagues. Olivier encouraged them to remain curious, ask questions, and explore careers in energy. She also expressed gratitude to the mentors, managers, and teammates who supported the interns, stating that their guidance and investment will have a lasting impact. The Aerospace Corporation announced it has been ranked #1 in Yello + WayUp's Top 100 Internship Program list. The company credited this achievement to the interns, mentors, and program leads who contribute to the program's success. Mary Barra, chair and CEO of General Motors, shared a video from a "Rapid-fire" Q&A session with this summer's 562 interns from 140 universities. She encouraged early-career professionals to be confident in their achievements and reminded GM interns to stay connected with their families. Life at Meta shared that their summer interns shipped code in week one, built AI tools, protected user privacy at scale, and competed in hackathons, building things they didn't see coming and making Meta better. Noblis shared that their 48 summer interns showed up, dove in, and made an impact from day one. From AI and cybersecurity to environmental science and aerospace engineering, their 2026 interns proved that the future of science and technology is in great hands. The National Energy Technology Laboratory shared that it was a busy summer for interns. Among this year's class is a student from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who has been assigned to the Hybrid Performance facility at NETL-Morgantown. She is one of more than 40 interns at NETL as part of the Mickey Leland Energy Fellowship (MLEF) program. MLEF participants are mentored by U.S. Department of Energy scientists and engineers while completing a research project. NETL is also hosting nine students through the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship program. This summer's NETL interns represent 38 academic institutions and 23 states. Ahead of National Intern Day, BAE Systems recognized 500 interns from 175 colleges and universities across 24 states, noting their contributions in engineering, operations, finance, and other fields. The United States Patent and Trademark Office also celebrated its interns, who gain hands-on experience, mentorship, and exposure to public service, including a recent visit to the Capitol for a panel on intellectual property. Caterpillar Careers featured eight interns in a "pass the phone" challenge, highlighting the variety of roles available within the company.

Vast appoints Former Slingshot Aerospace CEO Melanie Stricklan as special programs SVP. * Melanie Stricklan will lead Vast's newly established special programs division * The new division is focused on space-based capabilities for defense and intelligence missions * The unit will combine Vast's commercial platforms, engineering expertise and advanced manufacturing capabilities Former Slingshot Aerospace CEO Melanie Stricklan has been named senior vice president of special programs at Vast. Stricklan will lead the newly established special programs division, which will develop space-based capabilities for the national security enterprise, including the defense and intelligence communities, the company said Wednesday. What will Stricklan lead at Vast? Vast's new division will support both classified and unclassified efforts, combining the company's commercial platforms with its engineering and advanced manufacturing capabilities. The company said the unit will produce U.S.-built systems for national security missions using the speed and cost structures of commercial development. Vast CEO Max Haot said Stricklan brings more than two decades of experience spanning advanced technology, national security and commercial space. "She is joining Vast at a pivotal moment as we develop in-house, high-performance technologies with direct applications for the U.S. defense and intelligence communities." Vast's move into the national security space comes as government and industry leaders prepare to discuss the sector's evolving priorities at the Potomac Officers Club's 2026 Air and Space Summit on July 30. The event will bring together senior Air Force, Space Force and NASA leaders to examine emerging technologies and programs shaping the future of air and space capabilities. Register now! What is Stricklan's background? Stricklan co-founded Slingshot Aerospace in 2016 and led the space intelligence and autonomous systems company for a decade. She served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years, where she gained extensive experience holding leadership roles in advanced space systems development and testing, acquisitions, operations and national security. She most recently served as chief innovation and advancement officer at Space Foundation, where she grew Space Workforce for Tomorrow into a nationwide coalition for the space industry. Stricklan has also served on the Aerospace Department External Advisory Committee at the University of Texas at Austin for more than five years and as a member of the White House's National Space Council Users' advisory group. What is Vast? Founded in 2021, Vast develops commercial space infrastructure and technologies for activities including microgravity research, in-space manufacturing and human spaceflight. The Long Beach, California-based company is developing its Haven series of commercial space stations and plans to launch Haven-1 in 2027. Vast has raised $500 million in financing to advance development of its Haven space stations, grow its workforce and expand its facilities. The company is also pursuing government opportunities, including NASA's private astronaut mission program and the Commercial Low Earth Orbit Destinations initiative. The company has also added senior leaders with experience in government and national security. In June, former Aerospace Corp. President and CEO Steve Isakowitz joined Vast as an adviser, bringing experience from NASA, the U.S. Space Force and other government organizations.

A rare property investment opportunity is growing in the El Segundo-Torrance corridor. Featured image credit: van ha. It's easy for minds to drift to Downtown LA, West Hollywood, or the Westside when considering commercial property investment in Los Angeles. They're pretty reliable markets. Yet, some of the most compelling commercial investment activity in the area right now is happening in the often-overlooked South Bay, specifically El Segundo and Torrance. In these communities, life sciences, the aerospace industry, and institutional capital are meeting to create a perfect storm that is reshaping the landscape. Innovation with deep roots. This may come as no surprise to any investors who have already been paying attention to the South Bay. Over the years, the area has developed a reputation as a hotspot for the high-skilled technical industry. In just the last few decades, industry giants like Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon (now RTX), L3Harris, and the Aerospace Corporation have moved into a corridor comprised of El Segundo, Torrance, Redondo Beach, and Manhattan Beach. You'd be hard-pressed to find a greater concentration of engineers, scientists, and research experts anywhere else in the greater Los Angeles area. These factors have created the ideal incubator for thriving life sciences and biotech activity in the region. In El Segundo, you'll find notable global organizations like Grifols, AstraZeneca, and Illumina, undoubtedly valuing the proximity to the LAX airport, the city's highly-skilled workforce, and the local government's penchant for tax incentives and rapid permitting. Torrance, on the other hand, is home to the LA Biotech Center, a collection of wet labs offering accommodation to scientists from raw start-ups to established firms. It even includes operations devoted to specialized stem cell and biotechnology research. Institutional investors are already making moves. But perhaps the strongest indicator of reliability in this property investment corridor is the fact that institutional buyers are committing. In 2024, for example, UCLA Health acquired a 170,000-square-foot life sciences building near El Segundo to the tune of $55 million. What's more, they plan to drop another $90 million on upgrades to accommodate its Sports Medicine Institute. The project was zoned to allow for an additional 230,000 square feet of development. And whether or not UCLA Health continues with an expansion, it still points to the long-term potential these institutional giants see in the submarket. Meanwhile, the Aerospace Corporation unveiled a $100 million investment in its El Segundo-based engineering and technology campus. This serves to reinforce its stated commitment to maintain 2,800 employees, along with its core operations, in the city. New faces bringing new demand. That's not to say every name that moves into the South Bay is an industry icon. In 2024, Aerospacelab, a Belgium-based satellite manufacturer, leased a 34,700-square-foot Torrance compound to establish its U.S. headquarters and factory. They ultimately chose Torrance because of its proximity to the Space Force Base, Space Systems Command offices, and a concentration of aerospace contractors. In 2025, Heart Aerospace, a company backed by Bill Gates, leased commercial space in Torrance to begin work on a hybrid-electric aircraft. They were drawn by the same advantages that had attracted Aerospacelab. For those considering property investment within this corridor, it's worth noting that the constant influx of science and technology tenants continues to build demand for lab, R&D, and flexible industrial spaces. And these are the types of commercial investments that have shown resilience, even when a market as a whole has struggled. The potential of the El Segundo-Torrance corridor. The El Segundo-Torrance corridor offers a rare opportunity for the right investors. Between its reliable STEM talent base, growing institutional influence, supportive local government, and competitive pricing relating to more popular LA submarkets, it's got a lot to attract someone who has the funding to elevate a building to what these cutting-edge companies need. Life sciences are expected to see reduced new supply across the nation in 2026, making a submarket like El Segundo-Torrance stand out even more for property investment. Sure, there will always be Downtown office towers. And, in recent years, the fast-approaching 2028 Olympics has been driving some interesting commercial deals that will last long after the games end. Yet, the South Bay's unassuming but steady growth into life sciences and advanced technology continues rendering it an often overlooked and undervalued submarket by all but the most astute investors in Los Angeles.