vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Research
and Development (8723F)
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Internship advice...continued
Meet the challenge
This summer is no time to be ordinary. Last year's Fellows found that taking that extra step let them make their marks with their internship projects.
•	Seek out responsibility in your position regardless of how intimidating it may seem at first.
•	Askfor more challengingwork if you're ready for it.
•	Go above and beyond your normal effort to learn.
•	Always accept any extra projects or learning opportunities offered. Working with different people and being willing to try new things enhances the experience.
•	Complete whatever preparation you're assigned, such as reading background information, so that you will be well-informed Then you can ask insightful questions and
make meaningful suggestions on daily processes.
Communicate
Fellows said that maintaining good communication among intern. Project Advisor, and Mentor was vitai to having a successful summer
•	if you have specific interests in mind going into the internship, let your Project Advisor know, and he or she will do his or her best to guide you down that path.
•	Be proactive and take initiative, but make sure to keep constant clear lines of communication with your Project Advisor and Mentor
•	Ask questions early and often of your EPA hosts and of the internship program manager. Don't worry, no one will mind - it's better if they hear about something little that
can be quickly addressed, rather than something big that's more complicated to resolve.
Enjoy yourself
Last but not least, GRO summer internships are not "all work and no play" The Fellows had a little advice to help an intern enjoy the experience of spending the summer in a
new place.
Always take a camera with you, because you never know when it might come in handy!
Take part in the culture of your internship location; attend festivals, concerts, and other events in the community.
Don't forget to explore the area andtravela little if you have thefree time.
^nA _	SEPA
GRO Forum
Environmental Protection Agency Greater Research Opportunities Undergraduate Student Fellowships
issue 1,2009
where are they now? Catching up with GRO Alumni
(continued on next page)
Megan Skrip
Megan Skrip's 2006 summer internship at EPA's Region 2 laboratory in Edison,
NJ took her - and her chest waders - from coastal plain streams to high-gradient
streams, to headwaters in the Catskilis and even to the mighty Delaware River.
Megan studied water quality impairment
in streams and lakes by assessing benthic
macroinvertebrates and fish species
assemblages. During her internship,
she came to a new appreciation of the
watershed perspective in land management.
"I witnessed firsthand a gradient of stream
degradation in New Jersey and New York,"
she said, "and I couldn't help but be
fundamentally changed by the alterations
I saw, finally seeing clearly the connection
between a waterway and the landscape it
drains."
Megan's summer was memorable for
many reasons, including her adventures in
field work. One event, which Megan calls
"The Day of the Ticks," occurred when she
and her GRO Mentor, aquatic biologist jim
Kurtenbach, were sampling tributaries of the
Toms River in southern New Jersey. It wasn't
just the interesting streams they visited that
stuck with Megan about that particular day.
As she put it, "I learned a valuable logistical
lesson if you're going to change from
sneakers to waders at roadside in south
Jersey, do it without putting your feet on the
ground!" Megan found that even the briefest
step on the grass in stocking feet was one
step too many. "I later found dozens of ticks
in my waders and on my ankles," she said.
"There were so many in fact that we had to
put my waders in one of the lab's freezers to
get them all!"
Despite that particular adventure, Megan didn't lose any of her passion for field work,
and, more broadly, ecology and the environment "I spent a lot of time outdoors
growing up, observing and interacting with nature, and learning how we can ail protect
it and use resources wisely," she said "1 had
always wanted to work in the environmental
field, so working at the EPA for a summer was
actually a bit of a dream come true." Megan
said that being a GRO Fellow gave her the
opportunityto explore areas of environmental
work with which she had limited experience
or knowledge. As a result, she said, "I came
to appreciate the challenges and demands
of environmental regulation and more fully
comprehend the role of bioassessment in
environmental protection. In addition, while
I had considered myself environmentally
conscious' prior to my internship, personally
working in degraded habitats heightened my
consciousness to a greater degree."
Megan graduated from The College of New
Rochelle (CNR) in May 2007 with a B.S. in
biology and environmental studies, and a
minor in chemistry. CNR was founded in
1904 as the first Catholic college for women
in New York State; its main campus is located
in New Rochelle, NY, 16 miles north of New
York City. At CNR, Megan was a member
of the Honors Program and received the
President's Award upon graduation, the
highest honor for a CNR School of Arts and
Sciences graduate.
Megan is currently in the final year of
a Master's program in ecology at the
State University of New York College of
Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-
ESF) in Syracuse, NY.

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Megan Skrip...continued
"I entered grad school interested in avian responses to landscape
variability, with ideas solidified by my work at the EPA," Megan
explained. "My grad work encompasses landscape and population
ecology, focusing on the dynamics of ruffed grouse and wild turkey in
NY in response to habitat features."
Megan's choice of SUNY-ESF came about due to a chance encounter
during her GRO internship. One day, she accompanied a USGS
scientist to get some nets out of storage, and they struck up a
conversation that eventually led to a discussion of graduate schools.
Following up on the scientist's recommendation of SUNY-ESF with
some online research, Megan found that not only did SUNY-ESF have
an excellent academic reputation, but it directly appealed to her own
interests. She said that it has been a "ma rvelous" fit for her as a grad
school.
After earning her Master's, Megan will begin workonaPh.D.in ecology
atSUNY-ESF. By pursuingthese advanced degrees in ecology, Megan
said, she hopes "to broaden my empirical thinking and further develop
my research skills and analytical abilities." Her professional goal is
to have a career that combines ecological research and scientific
writing. Megan said, "By conducting research in the field of ecology
i m i
©pM IbMM
T	'• * II' ¦§ •

Megan locates individual birds
within the habitats she is
studying via radiotelemetry.
Here, she uses a receiver with
antenna to pick up a radio signal
from a small transmitter placed
on a bird.
and writing oh current findings for both scientific and public
audiences. I hope to contribute to increasing both scientific and
public understanding of environmental conflicts and complex
ecological interactions."
While she doesn't yet know if she will choose academia,
government, or the private sector for her career, Megan credits
her GRO Fellowship experience with providing valuable insight
into career choices, and knows it will help her make informed
decisions: "I talked and worked with many EPA employees in
Edison during the course of my internship, learning about their
jobs and views on environmental issues," Megan said. "I also
worked closely with my mentor, gaining insight into his work
in the field and its implications: I left my internship with ah
expanded skill set and broader perspective oh my own goals, as
well as valuable real world experience in the field,"
Megan urges GRO Fellows to interact with EPA staff and other
interns and to take advantage of the many learning opportunities
they will find during their summers at EPA. including volunteering
on other projects if their schedules allow. "Even brief encounters
or small contributions to another's work can make lasting
impressions." she said. Megan suggests asking coworkers and
supervisors aboutgraduateschools. whatthey like (and don't like)
about their jobs, and their take on current environmental issues.
You'll find that getting others' perspectives can fundamentally
influence how you view your own goals." she noted. But most of
all. Megan said. "The GRO summer internship is an incredible
opportunity—make the most of it and enjoy it!"
GRO Internship Projects
Summer 2009
Charisse Carter
Analysis of BMP Implementation in
the Coosawattee River Watershed
Atlanta, GA
Betsy Huyser
Sustainable Reuse and Alternative
Energy at Superfund Sites in the Pacific
Northwest and Aiaska
Seattle, WA
Tyler O'Dell
Process intensified Synthesis of Organic
Compounds
Cincinnati, OH
Brandi Clark
Impact of Water Chemistry on
the Corrosion of Drinking Water
Distribution System Materials
Cincinnati. OH
Nathan Jones
Watershed Plan Assessment
Denver, CO
Adam Olszewski
Helicopter Monitoring Program
Edison, NJ
William Shipman III
Adverse Heaith Effects of
Particles in a Human Epithelial
Cell Model
Chapel Hiil, NC
Naveed Davoodian
South Fiorida Wetland Mitigation
Banks: Are They Meeting Design
Goals?
West Palm Beach, FL
Todd Massari
Measuring Benefits of Shellfish
Restoration
Narragansett, Rl
Joshua Pierce
Responses of Marine Crustacean
Populations to Human Stressors in
Laboratory and Fieid Environments
Narragansett, Ri
Lan Tran
The Evaluation of Aquatic
Communities to Assess Biological
Conditions in Rivers, Streams and
La kes
Edison, NJ
Nadine Dodge
Impacts of Climate Change on
Water Infrastructure
Boston. MA
Jonathan McKinney
Ecological Effects of Biofuel Piant or
Microbial Species
Corvallis, OR
Annie Putman
New England Aquatic Habitat Survey Using
Underwater Sonar Mapping
North Cheimsford, MA
Updates from 2007-2008 GRO Fellows
Joseph Ifokwe
Finishing his senior year at the University of North Texas, Joseph has decided
to go to medical school following his graduation. It seemed to offer the best
opportunities to combine biomedical research with hands on patient contact,
he said, Joseph has been admitted to several medical schools, and is deciding
between the University of Texas Houston Medical School and the University of
Louisville School of Medicine. Looking evenfurther ahead, he plans to pursuean
MPH in Environmental and Occupational Health, to satisfy his ongoing interest
in environmental topics.


I .,**-¦
'

Valerie Horstman
Val s senior design project is a huge part of her senioryear at Calvin College. She
and three other students are designing a pretreatment process to improve the
cost effectiveness and resource efficiency of desalination processes for brackish
water, which is found in coastal estuaries and in areas of high evaporation. A
lot of these types of areas don t have any other sources of clean water, Val
said, so its really cool to be part of the much larger project of bringing clean
water to people around the world. Her team is entering the project in the
Environmental Design Contest at New Mexico State University, sponsored by
WERC, A Consortium for Environmental Education and Technology Development.
Val is also considering graduate school Options, namely Masters programs in
environmental engineering or urban planning (focusing on urban mass transit).
Iff:	.. -	, -
Jay Feitshans
Jay is seeking another internship this summer, and has applied for one in
environmental health with the Centers for Disease Control, and for one with the
World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. He has found that being in
an environmental science degree program opens up many opportunities, and is
looking forward to getting deeper into public health policy. Jays senior seminar
project team at Albright College is evaluatingthe ecological, geological, and social
success of a 1 year old environmental park and wetlands system in Reading, PA.
Jay also volunteered during spring break to rebuild homes in Texas damaged by
Hurricane Ike in 2008.
%



During his 2008 internship with EPA Region 4, Atlanta, GA, GRO Fellow Jay Feitshans
discusses his project, the Hitchcock Woods Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Project,
with Doug Rabold, the Executive Director of Hitchcock Woods, in the bed of the Sand
River near Aiken, SC.
Making the most of a GRO internship
At the end of their internships lastyear. the 2007-2008 GRO Fellows shared some advice
to help future interns get the most out of a summer internship at EPA. Here are some
of their suggestions.
Broaden your horizons
Past interns found that approaching the summer with a willingness to have new
experiences was very enlightening.
•	Always keep an open mind Many things can happen during your internship -
especially when doing field work - that are unexpected and unplanned
•	Always be open to learning new things and meeting new people, because you can
gain a great deal from both.
•	Get as much field experience as possible, to pursue goals outside of your comfort
zone, and to really engage with people of different backgrounds.
•	Take every opportunity offered, especially for trips out of the office or lab, because
you may iearn the most during those trips, such as seeing the practical meaning of
the work you do in the office or lab.
Experience EPA
GRO interns have the chance to be "on the inside" at EPA at a time when environmental
issues are at the forefront. Last year's Fellows found that the Agency and its personnel
had a lotto offer.
•	Try to experience every aspect that EPA has to offer, from office work to lab work
to field work. These areas vary greatly and exposure to all will help you in making
future career choices.
•	Get to know EPA employees - someone you meet this summer could prove to be
a very beneficial connection in your future.
•	Ask people about their jobs and their research: the more you learn about their
experiences, the more it will help you improve your understanding of possible
future directions for yourself.
•	Take advantage of all the resources at your disposal while you are at EPA.
•	Everybody at EPA is willing to help you in anyway possible: you just have to ask.
(continued on next page)

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