Pitt provides payment and housing for summer interns, but not all accommodations

hey live in the dorms, they work with the professors and they know campus like the backs of their hands — but they’re not Pitt students. They’re summer interns.

Angelica Herrera, Llorr Robinson and Megan Hoffman are all from different universities around the country, but they’re all interning at Pitt through the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program. The REU is a collaboration between Pitt and Carnegie Mellon University and offers the interns who take part of the program a stipend, housing and laboratory accommodations. The National Science Foundation funds the program.

Pitt houses the REU interns in Pennsylvania Hall on Pitt’s campus, but does not provide the interns with free transportation on Pittsburgh Port Authority buses or gym access. According to University spokesperson John Fedele, the interns are considered University guests, so Pitt only issues them an access card to get into their rooms, not a full-fledged Panther Card. Fedele said the interns can sign up for a meal plan and can load Panther Funds on their access cards, but at an additional cost.

“It’s hard to get around without a bus pass,” said Angelica Herrera, a Johns Hopkins University senior who is interning in Pittsburgh this summer.

Herrera, who studies engineering and robotics, has been enjoying her time in the city when she is not in the lab working on algorithms that will advance data measuring techniques for adults with traumatic brain injury.

Herrera’s internship is in Bakery Square, which required her to purchase her own Port Authority bus pass to commute from Pitt’s campus. According to the Pittsburgh Port Authority website, a one-zone monthly pass costs $97.50 and a two-zone monthly pass costs $146.25. Herrera uses her bus pass at least 10 times a week.

“With the price per trip, it is definitely worth it,” Herrera said.

Hoffman’s internship is located at CMU in the Oakland neighborhood, but she still decided to purchase a bus pass.

“It is more convenient when I can’t predict my schedule,” she said.

Robinson takes the university shuttles, which are free to him, to travel to his internship.

“The more I travel, the more I learn, so any new chance or opportunity that I get to travel to a new place I take my chance,” he said.

For both Herrera and Robinson, this is their first time in Pittsburgh. Herrera said that Pittsburgh is much safer than Baltimore, while Robinson describes Pittsburgh as a slow city. Hoffman attended a six-week summer program at Carnegie Mellon four years ago, so to her, Pittsburgh is a little more familiar.

During her previous summer program, CMU provided Hoffman with a bus pass. Hoffman describes Pittsburgh as a welcoming community, she said. “The pass gave me access to the city. I have no perspective of Pittsburgh without it.”

Herrera and Robinson spend their time outside of the lab with other REU interns and some Pitt students.

Herrera has experienced art festivals and dancing in Pittsburgh, but often finds herself in other people’s kitchens and cars, as she doesn’t have a meal plan or free transportation. Robinson went to see a Pirates game this week, his first-ever baseball game. Hoffman has also become involved in the local Pittsburgh dance community.

Despite the lack of free transportation and meals while interning in Pittsburgh, Herrera said she’s enjoyed her time in Pittsburgh.

“It is a really good learning experience,” she said.