As the summer comes to a close, UL Research Institutes’ Fire Safety Research Institute is reflecting on and celebrating another successful cohort of summer interns. Spanning research, engineering, and research amplification, each intern had the opportunity to contribute to meaningful projects, develop their skills by working alongside our fire safety experts, and bring their fresh perspectives and ideas to the table. Meet our 2026 interns and learn more about their work this summer.

Gavin Barsley is an engineering intern on the research team located at the Delaware County Emergency Services Training Center research facility. Gavin has served as a volunteer firefighter since 2021 and currently serves with Citizens Fire Company #1 of Palmyra, Pennsylvania. As a recent high school graduate, Gavin is preparing to begin his mechanical engineering degree at Shippensburg University.

Throughout his internship, Gavin has had the opportunity to assist in the preparation of large-scale experiments, including furnishing, instrumenting, and preparing the structure for a controlled burn. Additionally, he’s supported ULRI’s fire safety engineers in collecting data, capturing photos and videos, and cleaning and organizing instruments and components.

“The most valuable skill I’ve developed is learning how to apply my knowledge to hands-on problems. It’s been rewarding to witness and learn about these experiments, as it’s bettering my understanding of how fire burns and how we as firefighters can be better prepared.”

—Gavin Barsley
Engineering Intern
UL Research Institutes | Fire Safety Research Institute

Maya Bond is a marketing intern on the marketing and communications team, where she supports the amplification of research projects relating to firefighter health and safety, as well as education and training programs. A rising senior at American University, Maya is pursuing her degree in international studies, with minors in marketing and Spanish.

Drawn to interning at a mission-driven organization, Maya was excited to explore an internship in the nonprofit sector. Throughout her internship, Maya had the opportunity to develop her marketing and communications skills through developing marketing plans, working cross-functionally with other amplification teams, and revising her copywriting skills.

“Throughout my internship, I was pleased to learn that everyone at ULRI was so friendly, that everyone in the office was warm and welcoming, and that everyone on my team was invested in my success. It’s been a nice glimpse into what my next chapter looks like, and I’m excited to start my professional journey!”

—Maya Bond
Marketing Intern
UL Research Institutes | Fire Safety Research Institute

Ashlyn Bonner is a marketing intern on the outreach and engagement team, where she supports ULRI’s fire safety public education efforts and amplifies current campaigns. As a recent graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Ashlyn is a returning intern bringing her expertise from her degrees in psychology and English, as well as her previous experience with ULRI.

Ashlyn is most enthused by internships that challenge and develop her professional capabilities. Throughout her internship, Ashlyn has refined her writing skills, enabling her to adapt core messaging for different audiences. She’s also had the opportunity to develop content across ULRI’s fire safety websites, social media, and newsletters. As a returning intern, Ashlyn was also trusted to spearhead monitoring media mentions of ULRI’s Fire Safety Research Institute, prepare researchers for interviews, and support media relations.

“I wasn’t expecting my internship to be as hands-on as it was, and I was also pleased with the quantity and quality of the tasks I was assigned. This communicated just how trusted I was to support the team and share findings from my work.”

—Ashlyn Bonner
Marketing Intern
UL Research Institutes | Fire Safety Research Institute

Will Hart is a research intern at UL Research Institutes’ Fire Safety Research Institute, where he analyzed firefighter incident reports from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. As a rising senior at James Madison University, Will is pursuing a degree in computer information systems with a minor in entrepreneurship. Will is a co-founder of MacroMate and PropPilot, where he develops software and data-driven products.

Throughout his internship, Will developed software to systematically label and categorize NIOSH incident reports, improving dataset consistency and searchability. This enables an analysis of these firefighter trauma incidents at a level that has not been accomplished before.

“This internship helped me gain a lot of perspective on the research process. At the ULRI Research Symposium, I found it interesting to see how everyone approaches their respective research projects. It both energizes and challenges me to think creatively about how I approach my research and data analysis.”

—Will Hart
Research Intern
UL Research Institutes | Fire Safety Research Institute

Victor Jeong is a research intern, and his work focuses on lithium-ion batteries and the risks they pose. A senior at the University of Maryland, College Park, Victor will graduate with a degree in fire protection engineering in December.

Victor was drawn to an internship at ULRI’s Fire Safety Research Institute because of the abundance of research opportunities and established researchers. Through his internship, Victor had the opportunity to conduct an overview of the overpack literature, configure a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer gas panel, 3D-scan and upload combustible EV materials into a database, and collaborate with manufacturers and industry professionals to analyze damaged, defective, and recalled lithium-ion batteries.

“As a researcher, learning how to systematically and efficiently approach problems was a valuable skill I gained this summer. I’m looking forward to a graduate program where I can collaborate with leading researchers to improve safety standards across the globe.”

—Seungjun (Victor) Jeong
Research Intern
UL Research Institutes | Fire Safety Research Institute

Sydney O’Clery is a multimedia design and video production intern, where she supports the digital media production team with shooting content and editing videos. A rising senior at Hofstra University, Sydney is pursuing her degree in film and television production.

As a returning intern at ULRI’s Fire Safety Research Institute, Sydney brings her skills and expertise in production in the fire service and fire research industries. Throughout her internship, Sydney has edited testimonial videos that highlight the hands-on training toolkits, assisted in filming interviews and b-roll for future Fire Safety Academy courses, and showcased her intern cohort through a highlight video.

“It’s been incredibly rewarding being trusted by my team to independently handle the full editing process of a video. Developing the skill of accepting and applying critiques has been so valuable, and our extensive review process has helped me understand what to look for in different stages of an edit.”

—Sydney O'Clery
Multimedia Design Intern
UL Research Institutes | Fire Safety Research Institute

Jameson Pinthiere is a research intern at ULRI’s Fire Safety Research Institute, where he supports fire modeling, materials, and fire dynamics research. A rising senior at UMD, Jameson is pursuing his degree in mechanical engineering and is passionate about applying engineering principles to real-world challenges.

Jameson was drawn to the scope of research conducted at ULRI and was interested in work focused on public and fire service safety. Throughout his internship, Jameson gained hands-on experience with the operation of gas sensors and instrumentation that required careful handling. In addition, he conducted analysis to characterize charring depth and local mass in multiple wood samples used during flame spread experiments.

“The most rewarding part of my summer has been the autonomy I’ve been graced with on projects. My supervisor’s trust in me to fix steps in his delicate process has been incomparable.”

—Jameson Pinthiere
Research Intern
UL Research Institutes | Fire Safety Research Institute

Elio Raimundo is an engineering intern on the research team located at the Delaware County Emergency Services Training Center research facility. Elio earned his associate’s degree in mechanical engineering at Prince George’s Community College and is currently pursuing his mechanical and fire protection engineering degrees at UMD.

Throughout his internship, Elio has had the opportunity to assist in the preparation of large-scale experiments, including furnishing, instrumenting, and preparing the structure for a controlled burn. Additionally, he’s supported ULRI’s fire safety engineers in collecting data, capturing photos and videos, and cleaning and organizing instruments and components.

“The most rewarding part of my summer has been learning how to build and install the different instrumentation we use in experiments. This experience, alongside the connections I’ve made, is what I’ll remember the most from this internship.”

—Elio Raimundo
Engineering Intern
UL Research Institutes | Fire Safety Research Institute

Yuval Ravin is a research engineering intern, where his work supports firefighter health and safety research. An undergraduate student at Arizona State University, Yuval is pursuing his degree in mechanical engineering and is also a volunteer EMT and firefighter with the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad (MD).

After learning about internships at ULRI’s Fire Safety Research Institute, Yuval thought it was a great opportunity to work at the intersection of his interests in engineering and public safety. Over the course of his internship, Yuval has had the opportunity to contribute to the Fire Dynamics and Firefighting Tactics in Multi-Story Residential Structures experiment series by helping design and assemble sensor equipment, as well as ideate, develop, and implement a quick-release mounting and housing system for the sensors. He also spearheaded a project to design and build an 8-channel thermocouple tree testing device, which allows ULRI’s fire safety researchers to connect multiple thermocouples and verify they are functioning properly before integrating them into the larger sensor instrumentation system.

“The most rewarding part of my summer has been being able to work directly with the engineering team as a genuine, hands-on contributor. Working alongside my team, I was included in project discussions and learned how to approach a challenge that needs to be solved, and develop a solution that considers how the system can be scalable and sustainable, rather than simply solving the immediate problem at hand.”

—Yuval Ravin
Research Engineering Intern
UL Research Institutes | Fire Safety Research Institute

The Fire Safety Research Institute is grateful to witness and support the efforts of our interns not only during the summer but also throughout their careers. The internship program develops young professionals as they contribute to our mission to address unresolved safety risks in the world. We’re proud that over the years, many of our interns have successfully continued their careers at ULRI’s Fire Safety Research Institute after graduation.