Team: Ecological
Project Title: Lake biogeochemistry
Physical Location: University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 2
Faculty: Andrew Schroth and Jason Stockwell
Mentor: Graduate student Wilton Burns and research technical Saul Blocher
Research Description:
The lake biogeochemistry group is working to understand the processes that affect the timing and intensity of summer cyanobacteria blooms in Lake Champlain. A key focus of the BREE grant is the role of extreme weather events on the nutrient dynamics that lead to these harmful blooms. Interns will help deploy a sensor network in Lake Champlain and assist in weekly water sampling and laboratory prep work. Independent research projects will be carried out using water quality data from the sensors. Interns will interpret nutrient concentration data to determine seasonal nutrient dynamics and impacts of extreme events. We are looking for undergraduate students to join our team that are interested in working with big data, participating in a demanding but rewarding summer field season, and taking a hands-on approach to learning about the biogeochemistry of Lake Champlain. Manual labor in sensor deployment is required and interns should be prepared for weekly field sampling in a variety of weather conditions.
Specific Skills/Experiences Desired:
Interest in nutrient cycling and lake biogeochemistry, experience with computer programming a plus but not required, ability to swim, comfortable on small research vessels.
Structure:
These positions will involve a mix of laboratory and field work on Lake Champlain. Primary mentor will interact with interns on an almost daily basis, with tasks given on days when face-to-face interaction is not possible. Biweekly Ecology group meetings will feature a primary mentor (grad student/post doc) and/or one of the faculty advisors giving a ~20 minute research talk that illustrates how their research fits into the larger context of BREE. This will be followed by intern group updates on how they have spent the previous two weeks in their respective labs. Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).
Team: Ecological
Project Title: Biogeochemistry/ Environmental Microbiology
Physical Location: University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 2
Faculty: Carol Adair, Andrew Schroth, Julia Perdrial
Mentor: Brittany Lancellotti & dustin Kincaid
Research Description:
The watershed group is interested in how nutrients move through terrestrial ecosystems within the Lake Champlain Basin, as these processes have significant impacts on the Lake’s water quality. Riparian areas are of specific interest because of their ability to sequester and transform nutrients prior to entering waterways. To better understand how nitrogen is transformed within riparian soils, we have installed monitoring/sampling networks in four different riparian sites that track fluctuations in physical soil properties. We will collect soil water samples to analyze for nutrient concentrations and measure greenhouse gas fluxes from the riparian soil sites.
We will link these data with the soil monitoring data to better describe the biogeochemical processes occurring within these sites.
Specific Skills/Experiences Desired:
Prospective interns will have a genuine interest in biogeochemistry and experience working in a laboratory setting. Interns should be willing to complete fieldwork in a variety of weather conditions and have experience working with Microsoft Excel. Experience coding in R or similar program would be ideal.
Structure:
The mentor will interact with interns on an almost daily basis to provide instruction and training on all laboratory and field procedures. A significant amount of time will also be dedicated to understanding the implications of our work/results. Interns will gain more independence with time management as the summer progresses, but will still be given specific tasks and deadlines. Interns will be in both a laboratory and field setting. Interns will also collaborate with the groundwater team to complete event-based sampling campaigns, or other field/laboratory tasks. Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).
Team: Ecological Team
Project Title: Watershed and Soil Biogeochemistry
Physical Location: University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 2
Faculty: Andrew Schroth, Carol Adair
Mentor: Postdocs Erin Seybold & Dustin Kincaid
Research Description:
Student interns will participate in ongoing research that seeks to understand the influence of soil biogeochemical processes in riparian wetlands on water quality and promoting resilience to extreme events. Interns will collect and analyze water and soil samples in combination with high-frequency sensor data from riparian wetlands (in agricultural and forested watersheds) to understand how carbon and nitrogen is processed and retained in riparian wetland environments over a range of hydrologic conditions, from the spring snowmelt period into the summer growing season.
Interns will collect samples from multiple and varied water sources in the wetland (groundwater, stream water) and analyze them for carbon, nitrogen, and other key elemental concentrations; learn to maintain and gather data from a network of cutting edge soil sensors; utilize samples collected during snowmelt period/prior to their arrival to get a head start on their projects (while also continuing their sampling over the course of the summer internship);and assist with field sampling, sensor maintenance, laboratory analyses, data analysis, and presentation of results.
Specific Skills/Experiences Required:
The most important qualification is a desire to learn new skills and an interest in working in diverse settings (field, lab, office). Student interns will be required at times to spend long days outside and should be able to engage in physical labor (carrying heavy back packs, augering holes in soil). Other preferred skills include proficiency with Microsoft Excel, R, or Matlab, and experience working in field or laboratory settings.
Structure:
Interns will interact with their mentor on an almost daily basis. When daily interactions with are not possible, clearly defined tasks will be given ahead of time.
This project will provide an opportunity to experience a combination of lab, field, and office work. Interns will be in the field approximately once per week to collect samples, and will be responsible for running these samples in the lab, as well as conducting preliminary analyses of the data. In addition to routine sampling trips, there may be the opportunity to assist on other field sampling campaigns to learn additional field skills.
Interns will participate in bi-weekly meetings with the entire Ecology group, where they will report on their research and hear from other interns and postdocs/faculty about other aspects of BREE research. These meetings will also be an opportunity for students to interact with their faculty advisers. Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).
Team: Integrated Assessment
Project Title: River suspended sediment monitoring and machine learning
Physical Location: University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 1
Faculty: Donna Rizzo and Mandar Dewoolkar
Mentor: Postdoc Scott Hamshaw
Research Description:
Intern will participate in ongoing research in understanding the relationship of suspended sediment concentration and river discharge during storm events through the use of high-frequency monitoring and machine learning. This will include developing relationships between suspended sediment concentration and turbidity, streamflow and rainfall, separating data into separate events, and comparing data from the multiple monitoring locations.
Intern will also participate in ongoing, cutting-edge research into identifying patterns in the suspended sediment and discharge data from storm events, and testing the application of machine learning and deep learning methods for visual pattern recognition. Interns will be responsible for designing and conducting a study to determine how different people interpret the patterns in the data by conducting tests both online and with other intern groups.
Specific Skills/Experiences Desired:
Proficient in Microsoft Excel. Experience with water quality sampling, GIS, or basic programming (Matlab, Python, or R) desired.
Structure:
Intern will interact with the mentor on an almost daily basis, with tasks given to the intern on days when face-to-face interaction is not possible. There will be biweekly group meetings that feature a primary mentor (grad student/post doc) and/or one of the faculty advisors providing a ~20 minute research talk that also illustrates how their research fits into the larger context of BREE. This will be followed by intern group updates on how they have spent the previous two weeks in their respective labs. Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).
Team: Social
Project Title: Rewilding & Development Scenarios
Physical Location: University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 1
Faculty: Asim Zia and Chris Koliba
Mentor: Postdoc Elizabeth Doran
Intern #1
Research Description:
The BREE project is looking to build on the existing Adaptive Land Use and Land Cover Agent Based Model (ALL ABM) to accommodate a set of rewilding and development scenarios. In practice, rewilding involves the reintroduction of native species, like beavers, to a landscape where they have been removed or exterminated. Development trends in the study area indicate an increase in parcel subdivision and associated forest loss. The ALL ABM is being used by the BREE team to understand and predict the likely future land cover types and distribution within the study area watershed under different scenarios of extreme events and policy assumptions. The intern, therefore, will work to envision the rewilding and development process in the model environment. The land use and land cover models are then incorporated into an integrated modeling framework to understand nutrient dynamics and downstream water quality impacts within the Lake Champlain Basin system. The intern will be expected to pursue data in support of this effort along with the following activities:
- Collect and analyze relevant literature and expert insight related to rewilding practices relevant to the study area;
- Develop a GIS raster layer where rewilding is possible and more likely to take place for inclusion in existing model cascade;
- Compile information related to the ecosystem services and value implications of development and rewilding scenarios; and,
- Assist in parameterization and narrative development for rewilding and development scenarios.
Specific Skills/Experiences Desired:
Environmental science or ecology background preferred; modeling experience or interest in modeling is required; GIS experience required; programming proficiency or interest preferred.
Structure:
Prospective intern should plan to interact with their primary mentor multiple times per week in addition to weekly meetings with their faculty advisor. Additional open work sessions and overall program meetings and activities will also have mandatory attendance. Work will primarily occur in an office setting, however opportunities to join other teams for field work are possible. Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).
Team: Social
Project Title: Best Management Practices Survey Support
Physical Location: University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 1
Faculty: Asim Zia and Chris Koliba
Mentor: Postdoc Elizabeth Doran
Intern #2
Research Description:
Lake Champlain and many other freshwater systems across the world are experiencing increasing effects of harmful algal blooms (HABs) due to high level of nutrients from anthropogenic activities. To better understand the implications of adopting particular practices designed to control nutrients, the BREE project is looking to conduct a survey of experts (using the DELPHI method) studying the practices. The survey will seek to understand both the efficacy and the controlling factors. The BREE team will use the information developed to understand and predict the likely impact of adoption of such practices within the study area watershed under different scenarios of extreme events and policy assumptions. The intern will be expected to pursue data in support of this effort along with the following activities:
Intern will also participate in ongoing, cutting-edge research into identifying patterns in the suspended sediment and discharge data from storm events, and testing the application of machine learning and deep learning methods for visual pattern recognition. Interns will be responsible for designing and conducting a study to determine how different people interpret the patterns in the data by conducting tests both online and with other intern groups.
- Support development and moderation of the web-based platform on which the survey will be conducted;
- Assist with communication to expert networks related to participation in the survey;
- Develop and report real-time summaries and engagement action plans for feedback by the rest of the project team; and,
- Develop and support analysis of survey findings.
Specific Skills/Experiences Desired:
Social science background preferred; strong analytical skills required; proficiency with data analysis software a plus; programming proficiency preferred; experience with social media moderation a plus but not required.
Structure:
Prospective intern should plan to interact with their primary mentor multiple times per week in addition to weekly meetings with their faculty advisor. Additional open work sessions and overall program meetings and activities will also have mandatory attendance. Work will primarily occur in an office setting, however opportunities to join other teams for field work are possible. Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).
Team: Social
Project Title: Survey and analysis of institutional networks in the Lake Champlain Basin
Physical Location: University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 1
Faculty: Chris Koliba
Mentor: Postdoc Patrick Bitterman
Research Description:
Governance actors (e.g., institutions, organizations, and individuals) in the Lake Champlain Basin interact in what are commonly called “forums” or “venues” of action. The BREE Social Systems Team is analyzing how the groups and actors that participate in these venues are connected via social and ecological networks. If we understand how and where key actors interact, we can make policy recommendations that may improve human well-being and environmental quality.
As part of our team, you will play a vital role in helping us to collect and analyze data to better understand these important institutional networks. You will aid in the design and implementation of data collection tools (e.g., surveys) to measure the interactions among groups and institutions in the basin; use statistical methods to analyze the results; interact with key individuals and organizations that directly impact water quality in the Lake Champlain Basin;and your work will contribute to an increased understanding of Basin governance.
Tasks will include:
- Primary data collection to identify the “forums” or “venues” where governance actors interact
- Assist in the development of a survey instrument to measure the characteristics of governance actors and their relationships with each other
- Aid in the implementation of the survey instrument via direct contact with subjects
- Assist in statistical analysis of descriptive and network data
- Review academic literature in project-relevant areas
- Collect and manage geospatial data related to water governance jurisdictions to link social networks with ecological processes
- Attend public meetings, take notes, and prepare reports to obtain knowledge of group functions
- Identify, collect, and review public datasets related watershed governance
Specific Skills/Experiences Desired:
- Background (coursework or direct experience) in contemporary environmental issues, land use policy, environmental law, or planning
- Basic knowledge of climate change and its implications for humans
- A willingness and ability to communicate with human subjects in a professional manner
- Interpersonal skills and interest in interacting with local and regional planners and managers
- Desired computer skills (any specific skills and experience should be noted in the application)
- Ability to gather, organize, and enter data (e.g., in Excel or similar software)
- Experience with, or willingness to learn, data analysis and programming in R
- Experience with, or willingness to learn, spatial analysis in ArcGIS or QGIS
- Interest in learning and applying data analysis (qualitative and quantitative) skills
Structure:
The majority of the work will occur in an office setting, with opportunities to travel for institutional meetings (e.g., town committee meetings, legislative hearings), data collection, and focus groups. Daily mentoring and support will be provided by postdoctoral mentor, and interns will meet with supervising faculty at least once per week (or more frequently, as needed). Team meetings occur frequently and include brief reports and discussion of team-wide projects and logistical/social connections. Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).
Team: Social
Project Title: Climate Change Resilience through Hazard Mitigation and Water Quality Governance (Local, Regional and State Scales)
Physical Location: University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 2
Faculty: Dr. Richard Kujawa and Dr. Clare Ginger
Mentor: Dr. Richard Kujawa and Dr. Clare Ginger
Research Description:
The purpose of this summer 2019 internship will be to examine local and regional efforts in Vermont to increase resilience to climate change by looking at policy development and implementation. This will include the following tasks:
- Analyze data from interviews with regional planners to assess the nature of technical assistance provided to Vermont towns for flood resilience and water quality in the context of climate change
- Develop and implement tools to investigate local perceptions of technical assistance from regional planning commissions and state agencies in selected Vermont towns
- Collect and interpret for selected towns’ data to characterize local capacity to adopt and implement policies to promote flood resilience and improved water quality
- Assess current status of state resiliency planning and support for towns in the context of extreme events (e.g., the status of redesign of state disaster assistance via the Emergency Relief Assistance Fund)
- Contribute to social sciences team efforts underway during summer 2019, as assigned
Activities will include web-based research on regional and local governance; continued development and analysis of existing data (using collaborative tools in the Google Suite and Microsoft Excel); primary data gathering and analysis of individual and group interviews, observation of public meetings; and archival/media research. Training and support for spreadsheet database management and content analysis will be provided.
Specific Skills/Experiences Desired:
- Coursework or prior experience in environmental or land use policy, law, planning, or management
- Basic knowledge of climate change, extreme events, and implications for human settlements
- Curiosity about social dimensions of environment and natural resource management
- Computer skills for using the internet and spreadsheets to gather, organize, and enter data
- Interest in learning and applying data analysis skills
- Interpersonal skills and interest in interacting with local and regional planners and managers
Software Skills and Knowledge:
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word and Excel)
- Google Sheets
- Training in HyperResearch will be provided as needed
Structure:
- Interns’ daily work occurs at 23 Mansfield Avenue EPSCoR office on the University of Vermont campus. Interns may also use the Bailey Howe Library at the University of Vermont as a research site. Work occurs primarily in an office environment. Some field experience will likely be part of the internship (may include individual and group interviews, phone interviews, archival work at the State Archive and other appropriate work).
- Faculty mentors work closely with the interns with weekly meetings to set goals and report on progress. Additional meetings or work sessions will be scheduled as needed.
- Mentors and interns interact via email on a regular basis. Daily supervision contact will be provided by post-docs/BREE staff located at 23 Mansfield.
- Team wide/IAM intern meetings may also be held at the request of the team leads for Social System and IAM. Meetings will include brief reports and discussion of team-wide projects, tasks that are broader than this Kujawa/Ginger internship, and logistical/social connections.
- Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).
- Availability for cross-team collaborations will also be considered when appropriate.
Team: Climate
Project Title: Hydroclimatology
Physical Location: University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 1
Faculty: Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux and Arne Bomblies
Mentor: Caitlin Crossett and Alan Betts
Research Description:
A goal of the hydroclimatology team is to determine how heavy precipitation events arise within the Northeast US. The hydroclimatology intern will perform analysis on past heavy precipitation events within the Northeast US to determine how their frequency, intensity, and main meteorological modes have changed over time. By knowing how heavy precipitation events have emerged in the past, one can make better predictions of how they may look from a climatological perspective in the future.
Analysis will use the ERA5 climate reanalysis dataset to classify heavy precipitation events within the Northeast US, and to determine the primary meteorological patterns associated with these heavy precipitation events.
Specific Skills/Experiences Desired:
Comfortable coding in MATLAB, Python or a similar computer programming language. Comfortable working with climate data and analyzing meteorological maps. Must have a working knowledge of synoptic/mesoscale meteorology and a background in statistics.
Structure:
The intern will have weekly meetings with their mentors and bi-weekly meetings with faculty advisors. The climate team will meet weekly to discuss larger project goals. The intern will work from the 23 Mansfield Avenue EPSCoR office and no fieldwork is associated with this project. Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).
Team: Social
Project Title: Modeling Feedback Cycles in the Lake Champlain Basin
Physical Location: University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 1
Faculty: Asim Zia
Mentor: Kevin Andrew
Research Description:
The Lake Champlain Basin is a complex system containing many interacting decision-making individuals and organizations. The Deep Agent-Based Model (Deep ABM) is a model using deep machine learning to investigate potential behavioral trends within this system in response to changing economic and ecological situations. Findings from the Deep ABM will be used for characterization of landowner agents in the BREE Integrated Assessment Model. The intern will assist in the development of the environmental feedback protocols being used by the model to inform agent decision-making.
Work will include:
- Collection and analysis of historical data concerning the reaction of regulatory agencies to ecological distresses and economic pressures
- Parameterization and queueing of model runs
- Statistical analysis of model behavior and accuracy over runs
Specific Skills/Experiences Desired:
A background in computer or data science is preferred, but not mandatory; some knowledge of statistical analysis and urban planning; experience or interest in computer programming is preferred.
Structure:
The intern will multiple times a week with their mentor and with their faculty advisor weekly (or more as needed). Additional large-group and working meetings will occur throughout the course of the program. The majority of work will occur in an office setting, on the University of Vermont campus; however, occasional opportunities for optional off-campus activities are possible. Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).
Team: Integrated Assessment Modeling
Project Title: Prioritizing Phosphorus Pollution Interventions
Physical Location: University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 1
Faculty: Prof. Asim Zia
Mentor:Dr. Jory S. Hecht, Postdoctoral Associate
Research Description:
Lake Champlain and many other freshwater systems across the world are experiencing increased harmful algal blooms (HABs) due to the combined impacts of nutrients from anthropogenic activities and climate change. Decision-support tools are needed to prioritize investments to reduce the phosphorus pollution that causes these blooms. The BREE project is currently developing an optimization model to support policymakers and stakeholders in making these decisions. This model aims to identify portfolios of interventions that offer the best “bang for the buck” under different budgets and future climate scenarios. These interventions may range from prescribing changes in fertilizer and manure applications to the construction of vegetated buffers along waterways to retain phosphorus running off into streams. One major focus of the research will be characterizing the performance of structural intervention measures during extreme weather events, when phosphorus loads entering Lake Champlain often spike. However, we will also examine the potential impacts of policies and programs that could enhance the adoption of pollution control measures.
Duties:
- Research the cost and effectiveness of different pollution interventions through Internet-based literature review, data analysis and interviews (may include site visits with experts)
- Contribute to the intellectual development of the optimization model
- Assist with a crowdsourcing (Delphi) forum to solicit best management practice (BMP) knowledge from experts around the world
Specific Skills/Experiences Desired:
Background in decision science, hydrology, water resources, water quality or environmental management, experience with literature review and data analysis (with Excel and/or R statistical software) are preferrable. An understanding and interest in human-environment relations. Please describe any prior research experience in your application essay.
Structure:
The intern will multiple times a week wiThis intern will be based in a University of Vermont office setting with other Integrated Assessment Modeling and Social Systems team interns. They will interact with their primary mentor multiple times per week in addition to having weekly meetings with other members of the Integrated Assessment Modeling and Social Systems teams, including the faculty advisor. Although work will primarily occur in an office setting, occasional opportunities to join other teams for fieldwork are possible. Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).
Team: Integrated Assessment Modeling
Project Title: Simulating Climate Change Impacts on Lake Champlain’s Water Quality
Physical Location: University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 1
Faculty: Prof. Asim Zia
Mentor: Dr. Jory S. Hecht, Postdoctoral Associate
Research Description:
Lake Champlain and many other freshwater systems across the world are experiencing increased harmful algal blooms (HABs) due to the combined impacts of nutrients from anthropogenic activities and climate change. Simulating the effects of climate change on watershed hydrology, nutrient transport, and lake water quality requires the development of a chain of models known as an Integrated Assessment Model. This IAM also contains land use, governance and macroeconomic models that enable it to consider the effects of water-quality management decisions and ongoing changes in society on HABs. This coming summer, we will begin to explore the effects that different sequences of weather (e.g., dry years followed by wet years, or wet years followed by dry years) have on HABs in Lake Champlain, and determine which types of sequences are plausible now and in the future. In addition, we will assess the effects of error propagation through the IAM modeling chain.
Duties:
- Analyze lake water quality output data
- Prepare and analyze climate input data
- Assist with literature review
Specific Skills/Experiences Desired:
Data analysis with Excel is desirable but not necessary. Knowledge and/or interest in water resources, chemistry, and environmental management/engineering preferred. Please describe in your application essay any prior research and programming experience and statistics courses you have taken.
Structure:
You will be based in a University of Vermont office setting with other Integrated Assessment Modeling and Social Systems team interns. You will interact with your primary mentor multiple times per week in addition to having weekly meetings with other members of the Integrated Assessment Modeling and Social Systems teams, including your faculty advisor. Although work will primarily occur in an office setting, occasional opportunities to join other teams for fieldwork are possible. Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).
Team: Center for Workforce Development and Diversity and Ecological
Project Title: Science Education and Outreach and Watershed Hydrology and Water Quality
Physical Location: St. Michael’s College and University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 2
Faculty: Dr. Beverley Wemple, Dr. Don Ross, and Dr. Arne Bomblies
Mentor: Veronica Sosa-Gonzalez, Janel Roberge, and Daniel Demers, PhD student
Research Description:
The student who fills this position will have a unique opportunity as a hybrid intern for both the Center for Workforce Development and Diversity (CWDD) and BREE’s Ecological Team.
This individual will support the CWDD, a division of VT EPSCoR that works to prepare the next generation of STEM professionals, in the preparation and execution of the VT EPSCoR High School Program Training Week. This includes logistic support, and leading activities with the participants, including talks, fieldwork and data analysis.
During periods prior to and following this Training Week, this intern will be expected to process water quality samples for Total Suspended Solids (TSS) in the Water Quality Laboratory at Saint Michael's College and support the Ecological Team in equipment installation, sampling, and field work specific to the sub-team studying watershed hydrology and stormwater modeling. The intern in this position will present their work on a combination of science education and water quality topics
Specific Skills/Experiences Desired:
Interest in science education is a must. Ability to multi-task and speak to a group of high school students and teachers. Clear driving record and ability to drive a College-owned vehicle, including a 12-passenger van. Applicants should also identify any experience they may have with science education, field work, soil sampling and laboratory analysis of soil and water samples, and use of GIS software.
Relevant but not required coursework include hydrology, hydraulics, geomorphology, chemistry, mathematics, GIS, and surveying. Applicants must be able to lift up to 40 pounds and work in inclement weather.
Software Skills and Knowledge
Proficiency in the MS Office suite (Word, Excel, Power Point) and the Google Suite are desirable.
Structure:
Tasks are varying by day, but will include planning and execution of the High School training week. The intern will interact with at least one of their mentors on a daily basis and can expect to interact with their faculty at least once per week, but more as necessary. Laboratory and Outreach duties will be supervised by the CWDD staff; field and GIS efforts will be supervised by Daniel. Tasks will be assigned on days when face-to-face interaction of mentor with intern is not possible. There will be bi-weekly meetings with the entire Ecology Team that will have research talks that illustrate how their research fits into the larger context EPSCoR research. Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).
Team:Climate
Project Title: Climate statistics
Physical Location: University of Vermont
Number of Positions Available: 2
Faculty: Brian Beckage and Patrick Clemins
Mentor: Maike Holthuijzen
Research Description:
The major goal of the climate team is to use a regional climate model to assess the frequency, intensity, and spatial patterns of extreme events over the Lake Champlain Basin during this century over a variety of climate change scenarios.
Interns will be 1) working on statistical methods that will increase the accuracy of climate projections from a regional climate model, and 2) refining output from a regional climate model to better capture extreme events. Specifically, interns will help members of the climate team refine novel bias correction and downscaling methods using Bayesian spatial statistics, and will evaluate the efficacy of a bias correction method known as quantile mapping. Interns may be responsible for creating plots and conducting simple analyses to help detect trends in large climate datasets. Other tasks may include writing software to download, clean, and process output from climate models, and performing basic statistical studies and exploratory investigations to inform the climate team’s research. The intern will have the opportunity to create and present their own research based on work from the internship.
Software Skills and Knowledge
Competence in R or Python preferred. Must have taken at least one course in statistics.
Structure:
Interns will meet formally once weekly with mentor to assess progress and informally as needed to plan their current tasks and work through challenges. Interns will attend weekly meetings led by faculty members of the Climate Team. Work will be conducted in an office setting and will consist largely of data analysis and visualization using R or Python. This internship will provide an opportunity to vastly improve data science and software development skillsets. There will be no field work for this position. Interns will be required to participate in all CWDD activities (e.g., potential outings to stakeholder groups, and professional development opportunities).