Diana Wells, an Oakland University graduate student from Oxford, recently was chosen to receive a Presidential Management internship. Wells currently works for the Social Security office in Chicago where she will participate in rotations in different areas within the office for the next two years.

"Diana has a very strong educational background and served an internship in the former Vice President's office, which gave her an advantage in gaining this internship," said Michelle Piskulich, who was Well's adviser and is an associate professor and director of the Master of Public Administration Program. She also is the chair of the Department of Political Science at Oakland. "I am very proud of Diana's success in winning this opportunity to gain experience as a federal employee."

Wells hopes to return to the Detroit area after her two years are completed and work in a Social Security field office.

The internship program is a "fast-track" program where students complete two years what many people take years to finish if they start from the bottom and work their way up, says Piskulich.

Wells graduated from Oakland University in May 2001 with a Master's degree in Public Administration.