Internship Options

Interns are assigned to a research project during the application process. The projects are ongoing research efforts and the intern is part of the research team.

• Biodiversity - Work one-on-one with a scientist to  understand past and current trends in evolution and extinction.

• Environment - Work one-on-one with a scientist in an environmental research group or the campus farm

• Geology - Work one-on-one with a scientist in one of the geology or geophysics laboratories

• Energy - Work one-on-one with a scientist or engineer in one of the energy resources groups

Biodversity interns ask questions about body size evolution with the Paleobiology research group. Paleobiologists study the relationship between environmental change and biological evolution over geological timescales through field studies, geochemical measurements and modeling, and statistical analysis of large datasets.

Biodiversity research  is centered around statistical analyses/computer coding (no prior experience required), and does not involve field work (i.e., you will not be going on a “dig”). The interns work 15-30 hours per week with a regular schedule that is determined with the supervisor. It is expected that some interns will be involved in other opportunities during the summer as well as have family vacations. Interns work during the week, Monday through Friday, between 8 am and 6 pm, and rarely on the weekends. An example schedule is Monday 10-4, Wednesday 10-4 and Thursday 1-4. Interns should plan to work on Thursdays to participate in the weekly activities with all interns.

Environment interns work with one research group, and often on just one project. The projects range from soil chemistry to ocean chemistry to ocean life to terrestrial bacteria to arsenic cycling to GIS analysis, depending on the positions available. Read the blog by recent high school interns to learn about recent projects. We also have social science projects some summers, that investigate how humans interact with the environment and resources as well as projects at the campus farm where interns support about organic farming. Students are assigned to their research group, and do not have a choice of where they are assigned. Interns learn that scientific research takes a long time, with many steps and some of the work is only on a computer while other research projects are only in the laboratory. Most interns do not have the opportunity to do their own research project since they are learning and helping their supervisors.

The interns work 15-30 hours per week with a regular schedule that is determined with the supervisor. It is expected that some interns will be involved in other opportunities during the summer as well as have family vacations. Interns work during the week, Monday through Friday, between 8 am and 6 pm, and rarely on the weekends. An example schedule is Monday 10-4, Wednesday 10-4 and Thursday 1-4. Interns should plan to work on Thursdays to participate in the weekly activities with all interns.

Geology interns work with one research group, and often on just one project. The project range from earthquake history using cosmogenic nuclides to seismology to preparing rocks for geochronology measurements to digitizing maps, depending on the positions available. We have projects that focus on Earth and now some on planetary science. Read the blog by recent high school interns to learn about recent projects. Mathematics, physics, and computer programming may be essential for some positions. Students will be assigned to their research group. Interns learn that scientific research takes a long time, with many steps and some of the work is only on a computer while other research projects are only in the laboratory. Most interns do not have the opportunity to do their own research project since they are learning and helping their supervisors.

The interns work 15-30 hours per week with a regular schedule that is determined with the supervisor. It is expected that some interns will be involved in other opportunities during the summer as well as have family vacations. Interns work during the week, Monday through Friday, between 8 am and 6 pm, and rarely on the weekends. An example schedule is Monday 10-4, Wednesday 10-4 and Thursday 1-4. Interns most likely will work on Thursdays to participate in the weekly activities with all interns.

Energy interns work with one research group, and often on just one project. The projects range from battery efficiency to crude oil interfaces, depending on the positions available. Read the blog by recent high school interns to learn about recent projects.  Students are assigned to their research group, and do not have a choice of where they are assigned. Interns learn that scientific research takes a long time, with many steps and some of the work is only on a computer while other research projects are only in the laboratory. Most interns do not have the opportunity to do their own research project since they are learning and helping their supervisors.

The interns work 15-30 hours per week with a regular schedule that is determined with the supervisor. It is expected that some interns will be involved in other opportunities during the summer as well as have family vacations. Interns work during the week, Monday through Friday, between 8 am and 6 pm, and rarely on the weekends. An example schedule is Monday 10-4, Wednesday 10-4 and Thursday 1-4. Interns should plan to work on Thursdays to participate in the weekly activities with all interns.