An engineer sits in the bed of a large black pickup truck and uses a telescope to observe a field experiment in the distance on a sunny day. The truck is parked on a gray gravel dirt road in a sandy desert, with mountains and blue sky in the background.
Image courtesy of CHAOS Industries

Year: 2017

School: Scripps College

Project: Unsupervised machine learning in STOQS

Advisor: Mike McCann

Currently: Engineer

From MBARI intern to systems engineer: How one internship sparked a career in ocean engineering and beyond.

Former MBARI intern Rachel Kahn is now a systems engineer at CHAOS Industries. There, she develops advanced radar systems for early threat detection, leveraging her foundation in ocean acoustics developed through her PhD and the data science skills cultivated at MBARI.

Meet the engineer

After earning a PhD in ocean engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, with a focus on ocean acoustics, Kahn transitioned into defense technology, applying expertise in signal processing and data analysis to complex real-world challenges.

At CHAOS Industries, her work spans:

  • Signal processing algorithm development
  • Data analysis and visualization tools
  • Wireless communications systems

An early start at MBARI

Kahn joined MBARI as an intern in 2017, working with Mike McCann and the software engineering team behind the Spatial Temporal Oceanographic Query System (STOQS)—a powerful platform for accessing and visualizing oceanographic data.

“I implemented unsupervised machine learning tools that allowed users to identify patterns in large oceanographic datasets,” explained Kahn, who worked to build new capabilities into the system.

“At MBARI, I contributed to a team and learned how important collaboration is to me.”

—Rachel Kahn

Launching a career

The internship proved to be a pivotal moment.

“MBARI was the first time I saw how engineers and scientists collaborate to do oceanographic research,” she said, noting that the experience also opened the door to new experiences—including time at sea—and ultimately shaped her career path. “It inspired me to pursue my PhD in ocean engineering.”

An engineer wearing a blue hard hat and orange life vest hoists a scientific instrument into position over a large pool of green water. The instrument has a yellow plastic housing and is attached to a silver metal frame. The engineer has her back to the camera and is holding a gray rope and bundle of blue cables connected to the instrument. In the background are office buildings, with clear blue sky in the distance.
Following her MBARI internship, Rachel Kahn pursued a PhD in ocean engineering at MIT and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Image courtesy of Rachel Kahn

The skills gained during that summer continue to resonate. As Kahn noted, “The software engineering fundamentals I learned at MBARI helped me get my current job more than seven years later.”

What made MBARI different

For Kahn, MBARI stood out for its collaborative, interdisciplinary environment.

“Before MBARI, I mostly worked independently on projects,” she recalled. “At MBARI, I contributed to a team and learned how important collaboration is to me.”

The experience offered exposure to a wide range of disciplines, helping connect technical skills to real-world applications.

A moment that stuck

Two engineers wearing black wetsuits and scuba gear dive in an aquarium exhibit. In the foreground is a mottled green fish. In the background are large fronds of golden-brown kelp and assorted fishes and seaweeds.
Rachel Kahn’s mentor, Senior Software Engineer Mike McCann, is a volunteer diver at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. He invited Kahn to join him for a dive in the Aquarium’s iconic Kelp Forest exhibit. Image courtesy of Rachel Kahn

One of the most memorable experiences came during a research cruise aboard MBARI’s now-retired flagship, R/V Western Flyer.

“It was incredible to watch deep-sea biology in real time from the ROV control room,” she said. “One of the pilots let me fly the ROV Doc Ricketts for a few minutes. That was unforgettable.”

Why MBARI matters

For many students, internships like MBARI’s are the gateway into ocean science.

“Most universities don’t have marine science programs, so internships like this are often the only way students get exposure to the field,” said Kahn.

By opening that door, MBARI helps connect talented, motivated students to careers they might not otherwise discover.

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