My Internship Journey at Edwards Vacuum: A Step Toward Becoming an End-to-End Data Innovator

Over the summer, I had the incredible opportunity to intern as a Business Intelligence Analyst at Edwards Vacuum in Chandler, Arizona. Edwards, a leading manufacturer of cryogenic vacuum pumps with numerous applications in the semiconductor industry, offered me an enriching experience that significantly shaped my professional journey.

During my internship, I was tasked with developing a centralized pump test data visualization and insights solution for service technology centers worldwide. My primary responsibility was to create a centralized data repository from data scattered across different locations and countries. I then built real-time, interactive Power BI dashboards for senior management to track key performance indicators (KPIs) related to global operational efficiency. These dashboards provided live tracking of pump test data, enabling data-driven decision-making to enhance manufacturing efficiency.

To achieve this, I collaborated with product, quality, and digital innovation teams to gather visualization requirements and identify data sources. I utilized Azure Synapse Analytics and Azure Databricks to build ETL pipelines, which ingested data into an Azure Data Lake. I transformed this data into a medallion lakehouse architecture, modeling it into relational and dimensional schemas. Using Microsoft Power BI, DAX, and Python libraries like Plotly and Pandas, I created visualizations that effectively communicated insights.

Throughout the internship, I honed my skills in data analytics, data engineering, and cross-functional collaboration. I gained hands-on experience with Python programming, PySpark, Microsoft Azure, Azure Databricks, SQL, and Microsoft Power Apps. Moreover, I learned the importance of collaboration across different time zones and how the precise use of technology can significantly improve manufacturing outcomes. Working with cryogenic pump data also provided me with valuable insights into the operation and rigorous testing of these pumps before they reach customers.

I am deeply grateful to my mentors at Edwards— Romi Dhillon , whose guidance and encouragement were constant sources of support; Chuck Minear and Alexander Khalil , who generously shared their extensive knowledge of manufacturing and operations; and our GM, Najwa Khazal , whose leadership was instrumental in helping me achieve my internship goals. I also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Wendy Wienhoff , Melissa Poole , and Anastasiya Ghosh from the University of Arizona, Eller College of Management for their continuous encouragement and support.

In summary, this internship played a pivotal role in advancing my long-term career goal of becoming an End-to-End Data Innovator. I am truly thankful to Edwards Vacuum for providing me with such a transformative opportunity.