Growing up, a summer experience at Camp NASA at Virginia Air & Space Science Center in Hampton sparked David Morgan's interest in technology. From that moment, his future path was clear: to pursue engineering technology and a career in aerospace.
Reflecting on his Humanities Internship Academy supported internship experience at the in Summer 2024, Morgan said it brought back fond memories.
“It reminded me of my childhood at the NASA Langley camp in Hampton, and it felt like a full circle moment being able to experience that again during this internship.” The Old Dominion 91Ƶ Mechanical Engineering major was surprised to learn that he was a rare type of student within the Monarchs Humanities Internship Academy (MHIA) program — one who is majoring in a STEM field, minoring in humanities.
Morgan is pursuing a double minor in History and African American and African Studies.
Dr. Elizabeth Zanoni, who, as Internship Coordinator in the History Department, oversaw Morgan’s internships, describes him as “an interdisciplinary rock star.”
“He is the poster child of how an interdisciplinary academic experience prepares one to excel professionally in many arenas.”
Morgan sought to explore how his majors in engineering technology and history could intersect in a meaningful way.
This approach blends emerging technologies such as 3D scanning and modeling, CAD software, and drone technology, to preserve historical research and enhance storytelling. This combination of skills and experiences not only allowed Morgan to receive internship support from the MHIA but it also earned him multiple work-based learning experiences. Those experiences include a previous internship at the ODU Special Collections and 91Ƶ Archives.
“He secured his internships at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum and the ODU Special Collections and 91Ƶ Archives due to his academic training in the humanities and STEM fields,” said Zanoni, who Morgan points to as a major source of encouragement and support.
“These internships, in turn, helped Dave apply that interdisciplinary training to the professional world of museum studies and archives management,” Zanoni said. “Employers want young professionals with a diverse, robust toolset, and his humanities-focused internships have prepared him to uniquely contribute to several fields and industries.”
Morgan’s most recent MHIA-supported internship took place in summer 2025 with the , a non-profit focused on archaeology, preservation, and education. It was the result of nearly a year of collaborative planning.
All students who receive financial support from the MHIA do an internship ePortfolio that documents and reflects on their work-based learning experiences. As a student who has received support from the MHIA for three internships, Morgan’s ePortfolio allowed him to reflect not only on what he’s done but also on how he’s grown throughout the three experiences. With plans to graduate in Fall 2025, Morgan continues to use his humanities-based internships to pursue a career in aerospace that expands beyond traditional engineering and lab settings.
“I plan to specialize in aerospace, and gaining hands-on experience with drones in the field will be extremely valuable for that path,” Morgan said. “I am eager to see how my technical background can contribute to the preservation and study of historical sites while also gaining insights that will support my future in aerospace engineering.”
His advice for other aspiring and present MHIA students?
“Don’t be hesitant to either ask questions or look for opportunities that are outside your realm of focus,” said Morgan. “Even now, I always keep looking for the next internship for that future thing that I can do either next summer or in the fall, just to kind of expand my experiences. So just always keep on the lookout for different opportunities.”
- Learn more about David Morgan’s MHIA internship work by exploring his .
- Explore MHIA’s current .