Spencer Budden, Class of 2014
Baylor University Summer Internship
Summer 2013
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab
MIS Internship at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab
My name is Spencer Budden and I am a rising senior majoring in
Management Information Systems and International Business with a focus area
in Spain. This summer I interned in the Business Communication Systems
Department (BCSD) of The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab
(JHU APL). JHU APL, located in Laurel Maryland, is a not for profit
university affiliated research center (UARC) sponsored primarily by the
Department of Defense (DoD), with contracts from DoD, the intelligence
communities, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Applied Physics Lab (APL)
employs over 4,500 employees with 140 experimental facilities and an annual
budget of $480 million. APL was created in 1942 during World War II as part
of the U. S. Government’s desire to mobilize the nation’s science and
engineering expertise within academic universities. APL’s major strengths are systems enginerring and
applications of advanced technology. While more than half of the technical staff are engineers, the rest
possess computer science, MIS, and math degrees. APL conducts programs in basic and applied
research for a variety of projects, customers, and missions. These include Special Operations, NASA
missions, and weapons development. As in any major corpration, this takes funding, contracts, and
financial planning, which is where I come in, as a Business/MIS major.
This is my second summer at the lab. Last summer I worked in Asymmetric Operations
Department (AOD) which specializes in Special Operations Technology and Cyber Warfare. I
worked in the AOD business group doing advanced Cost Savings Analysis. It resulted in a brief to
the AOD Department Head. I submitted my findings and recommendations which drove some
cost savings for several departments. This summer APL moved me into a more technical role in
BCSD where I prepared an analysis of APL’s current
financial planning process. I used information from
my Baylor business and MIS courses in information
technology to make recommendations on how the
Financial Planning Group could streamline their
system. I was invited to present my analysis and
recommendations to the Chief Financial Officer Mr.
Nick Langhauser, who decided to fund and implement
the new process I proposed. I am a strong advocate of
JHUAPL and their mission to support national needs.
They are a hard working organization at the forefront
of the defense of this nation. I was glad to contribute
whatever small effort I could, to advance the mission
of this dedicated team.