SACNAS – Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science


The Basin Resilience to Extreme Events (BREE) program offers undergraduate interns a unique opportunity to work in research teams including faculty, post-doctoral associates and doctoral candidates. BREE research aims to understand what makes some parts of the Lake Champlain Basin and its watersheds resilient to extreme weather events as others fail to recover and rebound. Extreme events are becoming more common as a response to the warming climate in Vermont. The research, which will inform public policy and support economic and workforce development, is divided into the following teams: social systems, ecological systems, climate and integrated assessment modeling.

Research areas include:
• Lake and Stream Ecology
• Climatology
• Water Chemistry & Microbiology
• Soil Nutrients
• Land Use Management
• Environmental Policy & Management
• Computer Programming

Interns will join one of our research teams, while working with other interns, doctoral candidates, post-doctoral associates and staff scientists. The small research group setup that our internship uses, provides interns an experience similar to that of graduate school and industry work which prepares them for the workforce. We also offer professional development workshops to further prepare interns for the next step in their career.

During the 10-week program, interns will develop an independent research project that will feed into the broader BREE research. The final project will be presented at the Symposium that takes place at the end of the internship. Some of our interns have also presented their BREE research at their home institution and national meetings over the years.
Our competitive financial package for interns includes a $4,500 stipend, on-campus housing and travel expenses. We also offer academic and financial support for interns that would like to present their BREE research at national meetings.

Undergraduate Research Video

If you are interested in applying, check our application website to learn more about eligibility and application procedure. We update the application website regularly so make sure to visit it for the most current information.

Contact Information:
VT EPSCoR Center for Workforce Development and Diversity (CWDD)
Saint Michael's College
One Winooski Park Box 137
Colchester, VT 05439
802.654.3270
cwdd@smcvt.edu