Field Environmental Biology Program (Student Internship)

FIELD ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY PROGRAM 

Hands on field work … Paid tuition and housing… 6 credits/summer…and get paid $2,500/summer!! 

UNDERC-East: Spend the summer studying northwoods ecology and conducting your own research in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  

UNDERC-West: Spend the summer studying the ecology of an intermountain valley in Montana, learn how Native Americans lived and how this created their environmental awareness, and conduct your own research (Pre-requisite - UNDERC-East). 

UNDERC-South: Spend the summer in an exchange program with the University of Puerto Rico and conduct rain forest or marine research (Pre-requisite - UNDERC-East). 

Time to apply for UNDERC-East, -West and -South for summer of 2010!  These programs promote understanding of field environmental biology and how field research is conducted through 9 – 10 weeks in the wilds.  It begins with a first summer at UNDERC-East in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and then the opportunity to participate in -West in Montana or -South in Puerto Rico.  UNDERC-East is open to 20 sophomores/juniors from the University of Notre Dame or Saint Mary's College, and up to 12 sophomores/juniors from other colleges/universities.  From the UNDERC-EAST students, 8 will be selected to continue on with UNDERC-West and up to 4 for UNDERC-South.  Each summer, you receive six-credits along with tuition, housing, travel between Notre Dame and the site, and a $2500 stipend.  

• UNDERC-East (May 17 – July 23): more than 7500 acres with abundant wildlife (including wolves, black bear, deer) and includes lakes, streams, wetlands, and forests that have been protected for nearly a century.  Course modules include bird/mammal ecology, amphibian/reptile ecology, insect ecology, aquatic ecology and forest ecology.  Each student designs and completes an independent field research project under direction and assistance of faculty or graduate students.  Projects have ranged from fish and small mammal ecology to forest ecology and local Native American plant use.
• UNDERC-West (June 4 – August 13): more than a million acres on the Flathead Reservation with abundant wildlife (including bison, elk, mountain lion, and grizzly bear) and includes grasslands, montane forests, streams and lakes.  Course modules include geology/environmental history during the trip west, wildlife and grassland ecology, mountain ecology, stream ecology and Native American ecology.  Again, each student conducts an independent research project in collaboration with a faculty advisor.  Projects have ranged from fish and wildlife habitat relationships to invasive plants.
• UNDERC-South is an exchange program with University of Puerto Rico at its rain forest or marine research centers.

 

Applications are available online (http://underc.nd.edu) or outside Room 097, Galvin.  Further information can be obtained at the UNDERC website (http://underc.nd.edu), from Dr. Michael Cramer, UNDERC-East Assistant Director (mcramer@nd.edu) or Dr. Gretchen Gerrish, UNDERC-West Assistant Director (ggerrish@nd.edu). Application deadline is Friday, November 6, 2009 and notification of acceptance will be provided by Friday, December 4, 2009.  Acceptance is based on past academic performance and a statement of purpose.  Preference is given to students pursuing a career in environmental sciences.  Applicants are expected to be present for the duration of course.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009