Internship Options

Scholars will analyze data to understand past and current trends in evolution and extinction, explore multiple practices that create resilient ecosystems, better understand preservation and restoration techniques to ensure the health of all ecosystems through each sustainability department. 

• Oceans & Earth Systems - Work one-on-one with a scientist to investigate human causes and natural and environmental changes, understand, and advance knowledge of our blue planet while tackling the most pressing challenges in climate and sustainability. 

• Earth & Planetary Sciences - Work one-on-one with a scientist to explore the Earth and other planetary history, structure, and geological processes. 

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

• Social Sciences- Work one-on-one to better understand how the behaviors and choices made by individuals and organizations affect the world’s ability to achieve sustainability goals.

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.

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.

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.