Research Internships
Volunteer Internships provide qualified college students and adults with professional skills in various areas of museum operations and education. While we are not able to offer a stipend, we feel that our internships are credit-worthy should your school allow you to use it in that way. High school students fulfilling an “internship” for their school should consider job opportunities listed in volunteering.
For a more detailed job description and application information for any of the internships listed below contact: Lois Kuter, Volunteer Coordinator, at kuter@ansp.org or 215-299-1029.
Go to Internships for intern opportunities outside the sciences.
Current Research Internship Opportunities:
Botany Department
Internships of variable duration are offered for undergraduate students. Interested individuals will work with staff members to design an internship of appropriate focus given the student's interests and goals. Opportunities are available to gain curatorial knowledge and skills as well as to work with curators on research projects. From time to time, paying internships of other sorts may be available at the herbarium. For information about additional paid and unpaid internships contact the Botany Department.
Flora of Pennsylvania Intern
Application Deadline: February 15, 2012
The Flora of Pennsylvania Internship is a year-long remunerative opportunity available in collaboration with the Morris Arboretum. The internship starts in June 2012 and includes six hours of graduate credit at the University of Pennsylvania.
Location
Time is split between the Botany Departments of the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. The Morris Arboretum is located in northwest Philadelphia. Facilities include botanical laboratories, greenhouses, and an extensive outdoor living collection of trees and shrubs. The Academy of Natural Sciences, in Center City Philadelphia, is the oldest natural history museum in the United States, including a herbarium of more than 1.5 million specimens. Facilities available at the Academys include the Laboratory for Molecular Systematics & Ecology. The Intern will work under the supervision of Dr. Tatyana Livshultz at the Academy and Dr. Timothy A. Block at Morris Arboretum.
Internship Duties
The internship provides work experience in all aspects of managing collections in a major herbarium and an opportunity to contribute to a modern state flora program through a research project on some aspect of the flora of Pennsylvania. Duties include curation of botanical collections at The Academy of Natural Science , and participation in the Pennsylvania Flora Project at the Morris Arboretum (www.paflora.org).
As a member of the internship group at the Morris Arboretum, the Pennsylvania Flora Intern will participate in workshops, seminars, and field trips designed to demonstrate the varied aspects of management and operation of a public garden. The appointment includes a stipend plus University of Pennsylvania benefits package, including medical and dental insurance, two weeks paid vacation, sick leave, and tuition coverage for an additional 6 graduate credit hours.
Requirements
Applicants should have an undergraduate degree in botany, or biology with course work in botany.
To Apply
All applicants must complete the Penn online application process. Go to www.hr.upenn.edu/Jobs/Default.aspx. Click on the link to staff positions. Click on the Search Postings button in the left column. In the school/center box, select Morris Arboretum. Select Pennsylvania Flora Internship from the list of openings. Follow the instructions to complete the application. Print and sign a copy of the completed application and send to the address below.
Also, send a letter of application including statement of interest in the internship, official college transcript(s), and have three letters of recommendation sent to:
Pennsylvania Flora Internship
Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania
100 East Northwestern Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118
For more information, call or email:
Dr. Timothy A. Block
(215) 247-5777, ext. 130
block@exchange.upenn.edu
Environmental Biogeochemistry Intern
The Biogeochemistry Section of the Academy's Patrick Center for Environmental Research has an opening for a laboratory intern. This is a part-time, temporary position from approximately May/June to September.
Tasks:
Assist in various aspects of the BioGeochemistry Section projects and laboratory maintenance (i.e., glassware and laboratory cleaning). These include field work in wetland and streams, sediment and plant collection as well as water/sediment quality analysis for various chemical and biological parameters. Literature searches and reference database entry will also be a focus of the work. Compile data/information for reports, spreadsheets and graphic analysis. Dependent on the qualifications of the applicant there is an opportunity to complete an independent research project with direction by the EGS Section Head.
Qualifications:
Applicants must have junior or senior college level courses in chemistry, geology, and biology in majors such as environmental sciences, natural resources, or related discipline. Training and experience in a chemistry/water quality laboratory are a plus. Excellent oral, written and computer skills necessary. Database management and spreadsheet experience desirable.
Send resume and letter of interest to by April 15th to:
Office Manager
Patrick Center for Environmental Research,
BioGeochem Intern,
Academy of Natural Sciences,
1900 Ben Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103-1195.
See the Biogeochemistry Program at the Patrick Centers for Environmental Research for more information on our research.
Marcellus Shale Research Interns
Research interns are needed to assist with the Marcellus Shale surface water impact assessment project in the upper Susquehanna Basin late spring and summer of 2011. Ideal candidates would be engaged in both the field work portion (requiring overnight stays) as well as the laboratory work at the Academy to analyze and process data and specimens collected. Internships would be unpaid but will provide great hands-on experience and we will be happy to cooperate with students able to arrange to get credits from their college or university for this experience. Applicants should have some experience in ecology and environmental sciences and be highly motivated and interested in experiencing ecological research firsthand. For more detailed information about this opportunity and its specific requirements contact Lois Kuter, Volunteer Coordinator, at kuter@ansp.org .