Odum Internship

The 2024 application will open in December 2023. 

Overview

Dr. Eugene Odum, regarded as one of the founders of ecosystem ecology, launched his scientific career at the Huyck Preserve in the early 1940s as one of the first Research Fellows at the Huyck Preserve's biological research station. In honor of his legacy, the Huyck Preserve offers an internship for undergraduate students who are interested in conducting ecological field research. Interns work with scientific professionals, conduct and present original research, and gain valuable environmental education experience through involvement in our high school summer program.

Covid-19 Notice: 2023 Odum Interns will be required to show proof of full Covid-19 vaccination (two weeks past last vaccination of the series including at least one booster) before starting the internship and to follow all Covid-19 protocols in place during the internship. Protocols will be sent with letters accepting students into the program, and updates will be shared before the start of the program. The Huyck Preserve follows federal, state, and local guidelines for Covid-19 and reserves the right to cancel the program if this is deemed necessary.

Internship Summary

• This is a full-time, residential internship lasting eight weeks from mid-June to early August.
• Four highly qualified undergraduate students will be selected each summer.
• The internship is unpaid; however, housing and equipment are provided.
• Arrangements for college credit must be made with the applicant’s home institution.

About the Internship

Summer 2023 interns will perform their own independent research project under the direction of Senior Research Fellow (SRF) Walter Carson, Ph.D. Dr. Carson has spent the last 25 years studying the ecology of the Eastern Deciduous Forest Biome and tropical forests in Panama, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. He is currently
an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Interns will also interact with other visiting researchers performing their own research projects at the Huyck Preserve. Find the list of some of our recent researchers here. The upcoming program will be held from approximately June 17 to August 11, 2023.

Learn more about Dr. Carson's research expertise and background here.

Previous Senior Research Fellows have included:

• Dr. Jonathan Titus, Retired Professor of Biology from SUNY-Fredonia
• Dr. Susan Beatty, Emerita Professor of Biology and Past Provost for The Sage Colleges (Troy and Albany, New York); Emerita Professor of Geography, University of Colorado, Boulder (Boulder, Colorado)
• Dr. Seth Bigelow, Forest Ecologist, Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center
• Dr. George Robinson, Associate Professor of Biology at University at Albany, SUNY
• Dr. Eddie Watkins, Assistant Professor of Biology at Colgate University​
• Dr. Radka Wildova, Plant Ecologist, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at U. Michigan 

Interns from previous years have come from Colleges and Universities such as Allegheny, Bard, Bates, Binghamton, Brown, Colgate, Cornell, Fordham, Hamilton, Macalester, Skidmore, Soka University of America, SUNY ESF, University of Chicago, University of Michigan, University of Richmond, UMBC, and Vassar. 

Application or program questions may be directed to Anne Rhoads, Ph.D., Huyck Preserve Executive Director: anne@huyckpreserve.org.

Odum Internship Application