Students Gain Real World Experience
The Center for Environmental Studies internship and grant program provides funding for students to work at unpaid internship and research positions in non-profit environmental organizations during the summer. Thanks to our endowed program, we can support about 20 students each summer. Brief descriptions of these positions, in the students’ words, follow below.
Carbon Mitigation Potential of Solar Ovens in Nicaragua
Gordon Bauer ‘14
This internship was supported by the Miranda Heller 1978 and Jerry Tone 1977 Environmental Studies Fund.
I spent the summer in Nicaragua studying the carbon mitigation potential of solar ovens distributed by a non-profit organization, AMSONAC. I found that the fuel saving potential of the ovens was great, but many remain unused due to design flaws and the preference for cooking over a fire. This research project combined my interest in science with cultural exchange and showed me the importance of cultural norms in adopting new methods.
Student Garden Manager
Lucy Bergwall ‘15
This internship was supported by the Thomas C. Black 1890 Fund for CES.
This summer I served as one of two managers for the Williams student gardens and the Mt. Greylock Regional High School garden. At both locations we completed general garden maintenance and vegetable production as well as a number of projects to improve the infrastructure, permanence and organization of the plots.
Exploring the Epoxidation and Acrylation of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters
Jeff Brewington ‘14
This internship was supported by the Miranda Heller 1978 and Jerry Tone 1977 Environmental Studies Fund.
This past summer I participated in research at Williams College with Professor Christopher Goh. Working with unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters, I spent the majority of the summer creating epoxidized and then acrylated methyl oleate.
Ultimately the final goal of our research was to polymerize these acrylated methyl oleate chains.
African People and Wildlife Fund
Talia Calnek-Sugin ‘15
This internship was supported by the W. Conant Brewer Internships for CES.
I spent my summer on Tanzania’s Maasai Steppe as the environmental education intern at the African People and Wildlife Fund. I helped run week-long environmental summer camps, introduced children to composting, launched an initiative to construct buildings from eco-bricks (trash-filled plastic bottles), and taught basic English and computer literacy.
Netiya
Eirann Cohen ‘15
This internship was supported by the John Hallowell Ohly, Sr., 1933 Memorial Fund.
I spent the summer interning with Netiya, a Jewish organization based out of Los Angeles. Netiya networks with other faith-based institutions in the area on the issue of food sovereignty. The emphasis is on providing just food relief that empowers recipients, rather than creating dependence.
Svalbard: Transience, Immigration and Recreation in an Arctic Wilderness
Ben Corwin ‘15
This internship was supported by the John Hallowell Ohly, Sr., 1933 Memorial Fund.
This summer I spent several weeks on the Svalbard archipelago (Norwegian territory at around 80 degrees N). I came back to conduct research on the interactions between institutions, immigrants, and wilderness. This time on Svalbard I interviewed members of various immigrant groups as well as a number of long and short-term residents to learn about the recreation patterns, differences between ethnic groups, and their place in the community for work and play. I gained insights into what drives modern immigration to a wilderness, what limits recreation among immigrants, and the various interactions between immigrants, transients, and the wilderness.
Mohawk Forest Teen Environmental Leadership Internship
Bethany Dixon ‘15
This internship was supported by the Bernard M. Schuyler Memorial Internship.
Bethany Dixon interned with the teen leadership program at Mohawk Forest Apartments in North Adams, MA. Teens developed and implemented environmental projects of their choice at Mohawk Forest, focusing on local food, trash and recycling, and health and fitness.
Composite Summer Intern
Amber Ellis ‘15
This internship was supported by the John Hallowell Ohly, Sr., 1933 Memorial Fund.
I had the pleasure of interning with Maryland Community College’s micropropagation lab this summer. The lab specializes in rare wildflowers of Southern Appalachia, especially orchids and lilies. Along with micropropagation, the internship included working on a flora mapping project with the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy on some newly acquired lands.
Growing at GRuB
Sara Gould Finkle ‘14
This internship was supported by the Thomas C. Black 1890 Fund for CES.
This summer I worked as a farm intern at Garden Raised Bounty (GRuB) in Olympia, Washington. GRuB’s motto is Good Food for all People, and I hoped to learn about how a nonprofit could provide both food and farming skills to a diverse group of people. As a farm intern, I primarily helped to care for the crops and maintain the farm. However, I also got to work with the high schoolers in GRuB’s year-long youth program, to work with volunteers at the weekly drop-in hours, and to interact with customers at the farmers market each
week. Coming out of this summer, I am interested to continue exploring farming and education with youth.
Needham Solar Array
L. Bryson Gilbert-Bono ‘16
This internship was supported by the Bernard M. Schuyler Memorial Internship.
Last summer I interned for the Department of Public Works in Needham, MA. Under Williams alum Hank Haff (the Town Project Manager), I helped the construction division with their implementation of a Solar Photovoltaic Array at the Town’s capped landfill. Our team finished a final draft of a Request for Proposals from independent solar developers looking to install a Solar Farm on the Town’s land.
The Dairy Case
Allison Graebner ‘14
This internship was supported by the Miranda Heller 1978 and Jerry Tone 1977 Environmental Studies Fund.
Last summer I had the pleasure of working with Professor Sarah Gardner and filmmaker Dave Simonds on a documentary about dairy farming in New England. The feature-length film showcases all types of dairy farms – everything from conventional family farms to organic farms to new artisanal dairies. By weaving together interviews with farmers, scientists, government officials and others involved in the dairy industry, it explores the challenges that face dairy farmers and the future of the New England dairy industry. The feature-length film is expected to be completed this year.
Mystic Seaport Garden Internship
Annie Hayner ‘15
This internship was supported by the W. Conant Brewer Internships for CES.
During summer 2013, I interned with the Mystic Seaport gardens, which include nine primary gardens on the grounds of a museum. Besides doing outdoors work and learning about organic practices, I also completed a project creating a computerized map of the grounds, with the goal of providing better interpretation of the plantings for visitors.
Climate Summer Report
Tara Miller ‘15
This internship was supported by the Bernard M. Schuyler Memorial Internship.
This summer, I was an intern with the Better Future Project’s Climate Summer program. With five other students, I biked 1,200 miles around Vermont and New Hampshire to raise awareness about climate change and support local campaigns against fossil fuel infrastructure.
A Fork in the Road: Producing Calendars of Local Food in New Hampshire and Maine
Allie Rowe ‘16
This internship was supported by the Scheffey Fund for Environmental Studies.
This summer I worked for Hilary Dana Walrod ’01, with her project, ‘A Fork in the Road.’ The project uses visual communication to encourage the consumption of foods produced locally or regionally. I conducted research for two calendars displaying the seasonal availability of food grown in New Hampshire and Maine.
Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit at Mount Sinai Medical Center
Meghan Rowe ‘14
This internship was supported by the Thomas C. Black 1890 Fund for CES.
This summer I interned at the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit at Mount Sinai Medical Center. My projects included researching and writing grants to help launch a new Climate Change and Health program and writing a literature review, focus group and interview moderator’s guide, and formulating IRB forms for the Caño Martín Peña Comprehensive Development Plan Health Impact Assessment.
Yes, It Might Rain: Recipes, Stories, and Sketches from Seattle
Piper Sallquist ‘15
This creative endeavor was supported by the John Hallowell Ohly, Sr., 1933 Memorial Fund
My CES internship resulted in a hand sketched cookbook titled: “Yes, it might rain: Recipes, Stories, and Sketches from Seattle”. Over 7 weeks this summer, I attempted to put to paper the quirks, communities, and particular spirit of Seattle’s relationship with food.
Kandersteg International Scout Center
Hannah Smith ‘15
This internship was supported by the Thomas C. Black 1890 Fund for CES.
Over the past 3 months I have been blessed with the opportunity to work at the Kandersteg International Scout Center in Kandersteg, Switzerland. Thealpine environment provides the optimal backdrop for young scouts to contemplate how we all utilize (and in turn protect or harm) our countries of origin.
Environmental Defense Fund
Claire Swingle ‘16
This internship was supported by the Mellon Fund.
I worked on several projects while interning at the Office of Economic Policy at the EDF, including a social cost of carbon project and an article on migrating stocks in the North East Atlantic. I leave my 11 weeks with incredible memories, and confirmation that I want to pursue environmental non-profit work.
Climate Summer
Caroline White-Nockleby ‘16
This internship was supported by the Scheffey Fund for Environmental Studies.
This summer I participated in Climate Summer, a program where young people spend the summer traveling exclusively by bicycle to spread the word about climate issues and help build the climate justice movement. My team travelled through the Western Massachusetts to build a campaign opposing the development of fracking in the Pioneer Valley.
Megamenu Social