Frist Center celebrates HOD intern Alex Lithgow
This spring, the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation hosted its first-ever Human and Organizational Development (HOD) intern. Senior Alex Lithgow spent the semester working as the Communications & Advocacy Intern alongside Frist Center Communications Coordinator Claire Barnett.
Lithgow attended HOD class on Mondays and spent Tuesday through Friday at the Frist Center, beginning in January. Thursday, April 16 was her last day. Following spring break in early March, Lithgow (and all other undergraduate students) were asked to leave campus to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As a result, Lithgow successfully adapted to working remotely.
During her tenure, Lithgow contributed to several mission-critical projects, such as assembling sensory-friendly kits and expanding a data representation display. Most significantly, she developed a Neurodiversity-Friendly event guide for offices and organizations to refer to.
“Alex was an asset to our team, and we will miss both her excellent contributions and her upbeat personality,” said Barnett. “She has set a high bar for future HOD interns to meet.”
This sentiment was echoed by Frist Center Associate Director Dr. Dave Caudel and Program Manager Colette Rybinski.
“I so thankful for the experience I had interning for the Frist Center this past Spring. I met so many wonderful people and I know I gained invaluable knowledge about neurodiversity and autism,” said Lithgow. “I believe that the mission of the Frist Center is very important and I was glad to have been able to play a small part.”
Lithgow will graduate from Vanderbilt next month. As the coronavirus pandemic goes on, she intends to complete a remote business research internship with Frist Center Deputy Director Tim Vogus and spend time working on her art.
“We just want to thanks Alex for her work, and wish her the very best going forward,” added Barnett. “We’re certain she will have a positive impact wherever she ends up.”