Internships & Research Opportunities
Student Research
Using the knowledge and skills from coursework, laboratory and field experiences to carry out a research project, internship, or service learning project can be transformative and is the type of experience that can set you apart when applying for employment or grad/professional programs. The faculty of the department cannot overemphasize the value for personal and professional development that these types of experiences hold.
Marlena Warren
Independent research project: Trail Preference of Margays (Leopardus wiedii) in Ecuador
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Natasha Vanderhoff
Funded by: EPIC
Maya Fisher and Louise Persson
Independent research project: Anti-oxidant enzyme analysis in muscle of Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Gretchen Bielmyer-Fraser
Funded by: EPIC
Lacie Smith
Independent research project: Efficacy of fenugreek supplementation on hormone production in healthy men
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kara Conway
Janel Palomo
Independent research project: Vibrio vulnificus in the Timucuan Preserve
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Andy Ouellette
Funded by: The National Park Service, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and the Timucuan Trail Parks Foundation
Tyler Duplaga
Independent research project: Scenic Vistas of the Timucuan Preserve
Faculty mentor: Dr. Nisse Goldberg
Funded by: The National Park Service, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and the Timucuan Trail Parks Foundation
Sean Zweygardt
Independent research project: Does color matter? Function of color polymorphism in Gasteracantha cancriformis in Northeast Florida
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Natasha Vanderhoff
Kelsey Cooper
Independent research project: Monitoring Brown Pelicans Pelecanus occidentalis in Jacksonville
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Natasha Vanderhoff
Other student research projects presented at the Association Of Southeastern Biologist conferences
- Harden, B. and E. N. Vanderhoff. Flight initiation distance in green and brown anoles. Presentation, Association of Southeastern Biologist. Montgomery, AL April 2017
- Cotter, J, and E. N.Vanderhoff. Anthropogenic sound pollution and Northern Cardinal calls. Poster Presentation, Association of Southeastern Biologist. Charlotte, NC April 2016
- Zweygardt, S. and E. N. Vanderhoff. Does color matter? Function of color polymorphism in Gasteracantha cancriformis in Northeast Florida. Poster Presentation, Association of Southeastern Biologist. Charlotte, NC April 2016
- T. W. Knowles , B. S. Arbogast, E. N. Vanderhoff, and A.-M. C. Hodge. Mammalogy at Wildsumaco Biological Station: the first five years. Poster Presentation, Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mammologist. Jacksonville, FL, June 2015
- Vanderhoff, E. N. and J. Brehm. Avian Dispersal of Non-native Plants in the Southern United States. Poster Presentation, Association of Southeastern Biologist. Knoxville, TN April 2015
- Vanderhoff, E. N. and J. Brehm. Preliminary Investigation of Camphor Seed Dispersal: the Role of American Robins (Turdus migratorius). Poster Presentation, Association of Southeastern Biologists. Spartanburg, South Carolina, April 2014
Botany Students
Service Learning Projects: Growing Food for a local Food Pantry
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Nisse Goldberg
Botany students are growing plants for the Food Pantry plots of the Arlington Community Garden. Heirloom varieties of lettuce, tomato, pepper, eggplant, and broccoli have been grown. Once the plants have been started from seed, they are transferred to the Food Pantry plots and maintained by volunteers. To date, over 500 lbs of produce have been harvested from the program.
Botany Students
Service Learning Project: Air Potato Roundup
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Nisse Goldberg
Botany students have been leading the Air Potato Roundup for Jacksonville University. Air potato is an invasive vine and the annual event is a way to educate the public of the plant and how it can spread. Volunteers come to harvest the potatoes and also pull down the vines growing up the trees. Over 3,000 potatoes were collected from the 2012 roundup. -This can be very tiring, as is demonstrated by the picture.
Internships & Career Preparation
Preparation for a job or graduate program requires relevant experience. Laboratory and field courses as part of the JU Biology and Marine Science programs provide these types of experience. However, it is recommended that you also obtain additional experience in a field that interests you by either doing independent study or research under the mentorship of a JU faculty member, and/or obtain experience via an internship, volunteer opportunity, or summer job. Internships in research labs, field stations, hospitals, museums and industry are available on a competitive basis.
Download the internship packet for information and fillable form.
Internship, volunteer, and research opportunities
These are only some of the internship, volunteer, and research opportunities available. This list is to get you going; don't hesitate to contact the Career Management for more.
- St. Johns River Water Management District
- Ocean Exploration Trust: Science & Engineering Internship Program
- Perry Institute for Marine Science (Jupiter FL; Bahamas)
- Mote Marine Laboratory (Sarasota FL)
- American Society for Limnology and Oceanography Student opportunities, mostly for applying to grad school, but some undergrad opportunities are also listed
- Society for Conservation Biology
- Columbia University, HUGE list of summer opportunities
- NASA Space and Aeronautics Internship Project
- Additional NASA opportunities
- The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation Marine Lab Internship
- Pelican Harbor Seabird Station
- Florida Wildlife Hospital
- Archibold Biological Station Environmental Education
- Dolphin Research Center
- The National Park Service
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Turpentine Creek Exotic Cat Internship and Horticulture internships
- U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency Student Opportunities
- Microbiology at Virginia Tech
- Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control
- U.S. Department of Agriculture
- National Institutes of Health Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution Summer Internship
- REU Chesapeake Bay (Sea Grant Maryland)
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Penn State College of Medicine
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
- Harvard Summer Research Program in Ecology
- Mayo Clinic Clinical Research Internship Study Program (Jacksonville)
- Volunteering at UFHealth
- Association of Zoos and Aquariums Job postings (including internships)
- AGI Geoscience & Public Policy Internships
- St. Johns River Water Management District Student Employment Program (including Jacksonville)
- Smithsonian Office of Advancement Internship
- The HACU National Internship Program
- National Museum of the American Indian Internships
Local Clinical Laboratory Science Programs & Internship
- St. Vincent School of Medical Technology
- Mayo Clinical Laboratory Science Program
- Undergraduate Biomedical Research Internship (U-BRI) with the Mayo Clinic, Florida
Marine Science Internship Opportunities
The Nautilus Science and Engineering Internship Program
The Nautilus Science and Engineering Internship Program aims to train undergraduate and graduate students studying ocean science, engineering and video/film in the at-sea environment. Intern positions entail 2-5 week periods working aboard E/V Nautilus as Data Loggers, ROV Pilots, or Video Engineers.
Mote Marine Laboratory: Marine Science Education Summer Program Internship
Mote Marine Laboratory, located in Sarasota, FL, is seeking summer interns for it's Marine Science Education Program internship. Interns play a critical role in delivering camp programs to inspire a new generation of marine scientists, conservationists and enthusiasts. Camps are offered for students ages 2-18. The internship is an intensive 12-14 week commitment, running from late May-mid August.
Duties include: developing, teaching and evaluating marine science activities, supervising/lifeguarding snorkeling and other water-based activities; organizing education spaces; daily set-up and break down of camp activities
Qualifications
- Pursuing a degree in education or (marine) science
- Strong communication skills
- Enjoy working with children
Contact khofeldt@mote.org for inquiries.
Fellowships, Scholarships, & Grants
- Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship
- Coastal Management Fellowship
- Florida Sea Grant
- Coastal Management Fellowship
- List of Internships and Fellowships
- Smithsonian Graduate Fellowships
- Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA) (please search for Vembu Subramanian Ocean Scholars Award or Data Challenge)
- Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTM Research Reserve) Summer Internship- Adventures in the Estuary summer camps