Our summer internship program, now in its 49th year, has ushered through hundreds of interns seeking meaningful learning experiences. Coming from all sorts of backgrounds, our interns get the unique opportunity to work among peers from different schools, as well as our own scientists and employees. They dip their toes in the freshwater community together, learning by completing their own projects and assignments. Development department intern James Halpin interviewed the summer 2021 interns and shares a little bit about them (and himself) here.
Originally from West Grove, Pa., Jacqueline Carroll (Jacquie) is a rising junior of the University of Rhode Island Wildlife Conservation and Biology program. Through her internship with Stephanie Bernasconi and Mark Peipoch of the Ecosystems Ecology Group, Jacquie is looking to gain both field and lab experience that can better prepare her for both graduate programs and field jobs. When she’s not studying or looking over lab samples, Jacqui enjoys getting out in nature with walks around White Clay Creek, especially with friends. She is looking forward to getting back to the Delaware beaches and potentially the Firefly Music Festival (particularly for Tame Impala and Omar Apollo), assuming her school schedule allows her to.
Returning for a second summer internship with the Entomology Group is Lindsay Colgan from West Grove, Pa. Lindsay is a rising senior in biological sciences at the University of Pittsburgh with supplemental minors in both chemistry and secondary education. She is returning to learn and better understand how the Stroud Center organizes common missions and success between the various labs and teams (while further developing her own lab skills in the process). When she’s not identifying insects in the lab, Lindsay is also working virtually with a lab in New Zealand looking at toxoplasmosis in Hector’s dolphins as part of the Vira I. Heinz Scholarship for Women in Global Leadership or exploring the outdoors with her beagles (either on land or by water). Lindsay is looking forward to taking a vacation to the Outer Banks with her “crazy” (adventurous) extended family.
Samantha Cotten is graduating this fall from the University of Delaware with a double major: one in insect ecology and conservation and another in wildlife ecology and conservation. Before she does, the Seaford, Del., native is working with the Entomology Group for the summer to further develop her knowledge of freshwater entomology. When she’s not studying and applying what she has learned in the field and in the lab, Samantha enjoys spending time outside with her dog, especially on beaches. In her free time, Samantha will be making earrings, paintings, blankets, and resin creations based on insects for her own company, Entobrushology.
The day after graduating from West Chester University with a Bachelor of Science in biology with a concentration in ecology and conservation, Brittany Cox started her summer 2021 internship with the Stroud Center’s Entomology Group. Brittany drives each day from her home in Pottstown, Pa., to the Stroud Center to gain valuable experience conducting research in the field and in the labs needed to develop a solid foundation for a career in the biological sciences. When Brittany isn’t in the lab or collecting samples in the nearby waters, you can find her playing games on her new personal computer (not a laptop, a desktop supercomputer) or expanding her cooking and baking palettes. Brittany is planning on getting back to the Outer Banks with family.
Originally from Kennett Square, Pa., Elaina (Lainey) Haas is a rising senior at Colorado State University majoring in fish, wildlife, and conservation biology with a concentration in conservation. Lainey is an intern with the Entomology Group looking to gain experience and skills for future graduate studies. She hopes her experience with the Stroud Center will help her decide what to focus on in the future. Now that she’s defended her undergraduate honors thesis on the effects of climate change on bird migration, Lainey is often doing yoga while listening to Phoebe Bridgers and Neil Young or hiking the closest mountains. Lainey is looking forward to finally seeing extended family and friends she missed last summer, particularly her grandparents and her older sister who now lives in Oregon.
Depending on the day of the month, temperature, and what’s on the menu, James Halpin will tell you he’s either from Delaware County, Pa., or mainland China. James graduated from Penn State University with a bachelor’s in food science and technology in 2014. After a handful of misadventures, he recently began a Master of Environmental Education. After seeing the Stroud Center’s comprehensive library of resources for students and teachers in and out of the classroom at the 2021 Pennsylvania Environmental Education Conference, James jumped at the chance to intern for the development and communications team to see where all of the magic comes from and share the news. When he isn’t writing e-mails or completing random tasks, James is looking to make use of the Stroud Center’s waders with the Stroud Center’s citizen science crew.
Joining the Stroud Center’s Entomology Group for an internship this summer, Patrick Hodgson is a rising junior studying chemistry at Lebanon Valley College (LVC). Patrick hopes that through his experience this summer he can gain some valuable insight as to what an environmental science profession will look like for his future career. In addition to thinking about the future, you can find Patrick in the kitchen conducting baking and cooking experiments when he’s not conducting the LVC Pride of the Valley Marching Band as the Drum Major. This summer, Patrick plans to read through J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic The Lord of the Rings novels.
After a previous career in finance, Lois Howell of King of Prussia, Pa., is working toward a Master of Applied Statistics at West Chester University. Before she graduates in 2022, Lois has been working with the Stroud Center’s Information Services Group to apply her skills as a data analyst and explore future career prospects that align with the Stroud Center’s work. Thus far, Lois is enjoying her Stroud Center experience and hopes to continue working on water data analysis and other climate justice issues through a Ph.D. program in environmental economics in the future. When Lois isn’t working, you’ll most likely find her tubing, swimming, biking, and hiking with friends and her Great Dane puppy, Langston. This summer, Lois is looking forward to a camping trip in Shenandoah National Park and Asheville, N.C., with friends.
Sylvie Randall is an intern with the Microbiology Group for the second consecutive summer. A native of Media, Pa., Silva is a rising senior at Washington College in Maryland studying biology and since last summer has switched her focus from public health to environmental microbiology. When she’s not in the lab, Silva can be found reading mystery novels either at home or backpacking on the Appalachian Trail. Silva is looking forward to seeing friends and family (some visiting from London) out and about public spaces again in addition to a brief summer vacation down by the Delaware beaches.
A new graduate from West Chester University with a Bachelor of Science in biology and a concentration in ecology and conservation, Adam Ream is spending his first summer out of college with the Stroud Center’s Entomology Group. Originally from York, Pa., Adam is looking to gain experience for future jobs and graduate school work focused on his interests in botany and entomology to explore what parts of their respective fields he would like to pursue most. When Adam isn’t collecting and identifying stream species from the nearby streams or digging through research in botany and lichen community composition (the subject of a research project paper from last summer), you may find him at the gym, riding his bike, and even practicing kayaking to prepare for future white water adventures. Adam is looking forward to more social gatherings with friends and a family rafting trip in Ohiopyle, Pa.
Though she calls Berkeley, Ca., home these days, Luisana Rodriguez is no stranger to Pennsylvania (a significant portion of her childhood was based in State College). The rising senior studying Earth science and computational math at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is working with Diana Oviedo Vargas and the Watershed Biogeochemistry Group this summer to further develop the skills necessary to build her confidence. When not in the lab, Luisana enjoys dancing and creating watercolor art for friends based on their favorite colors, landscapes, and animals (though she prefers drawing dragons). Luisiana is looking forward to attending her first music festival to see some of her favorite artists such as SZA, Freddie Gibbs, and Madlib.
From Bensalem, Pa., just outside of Philadelphia, Johanna Stubenhofer is a rising senior in public relations at Temple University spending her summer as an intern with the Stroud Center’s development and communications team. In her time with the Stroud Center, Johanna is looking to gain valuable video editing experience to supplement her writing skills for future career prospects and personal productions about her future travels and social issues that too often go unnoticed and ignored. When she isn’t filming and producing, you’ll likely find her studying Asian cultures and languages through international dramas, anime, K-pop, and historically based Chinese music to supplement her language abilities in Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. Johanna is looking forward to Temple’s campus opening again so she can finish school in person and start exploring the world.
From Landenberg, Pa., just down the road from Stroud Center, Luke Talham is spending his freshman summer with the Stroud Center’s Entomology Group. A marine science major studying at the University of Tampa, Luke sees the internship as a great opportunity to experience and learn what a career in conservation might look like and all the possibilities he could pursue. When Luke isn’t looking ahead to his post-graduation future or running for his university’s track and cross country teams, he’s outside enjoying nature with his friends and family. He’s looking forward to more opportunities to meet up with friends and family in restaurants and other public spaces before and after their nature trips.
From Lancaster, Pa., Regan Wilton is spending her final undergraduate summer at the Stroud Center’s Entomology Group before she graduates from Messiah University this December. Regan will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in biology that concentrates on organismal biology (particularly plant conservation and botany) and chose to spend her summer at the Stroud Center because of its incredible internship program, its reputation, and the unique entomological experience it offers in the lab and in the field. She chose the Entomology Group to gain insight into insect impacts on plant conservation and to practice using dichotomous keys to identify unknown insect species found in the Stroud Center’s stream studies. When Regan isn’t in the lab, you’ll find her reading outside or on backpacking or kayaking trips with friends. This summer, Regan is looking forward to seeing her favorite artists such as The Bleachers, San Fermin, and Dayglow in concert.
And let’s not forget Jeff … Jeff Manner is an undergraduate student at the University of Pennsylvania majoring in both biology and Earth sciences. He is a fly-fishing fanatic, once living out of a tent in Idaho for four months so that he could easily go fishing every morning. This is the fourth summer that Jeff has interned with the Fluvial Geomorphology Group, so we spared him from being interviewed again!
