Summer Research

The Center for Career Exploration and Development is launching a new internship fund to support students with financial need. Students applying for summer internships can apply to this scholarship fund, which provides up to $5000 of funding. Applications open January 21 and are due no later than April 1. Details about the program can be found here.

• Susan Allen: IC Ecotox Lab

  • Are you interested in how pollutants get into our environment, what concentrations they are found in, and if they are harming local aquatic species? If so, the IC EcoTox lab may be right for you! We are conducting research now on tire wear particles and forever chemicals (PFAS/PFOS). Our work includes both field work and lab work, as well as outreach in the local community. Summer research positions are typically filled by students who have been working in the lab for at least a year.

• Jake Brenner: Forest stewardship on Ithaca College Natural Lands (ICNL)
  • Help Ithaca College mitigate its greenhouse gas emissions by doing field and lab research on tree carbon! Fieldwork includes measuring ~1,000 trees in 41 plots scattered throughout 560 acres of forest.
  • Build your strength and get your hands dirty while maintaining ICNL's 5 miles of recreation trails! on Ithaca College Natural Lands (ICNL). 

  • Carry on the legacy of fellow IC alums! Summer student interns are generously supported by the Oscar Raymond Mayer '19 Endowed Memorial Fund. 

    Important notes for all applicants:

    • No prior experience is required; all are welcome to apply.
    • Fieldwork takes place in adverse conditions (weather, insects, etc.) and remote areas with minimal services.
    • Recipients of the ORMEMF Summer Student Intern award should plan to meet the Mayer family and participate in the annual reporting.
    • For sake of worksite safety, students must work in pairs on all fieldwork tasks for the duration of the summer. Students are encouraged to find a partner before applying, but any student can be paired with any other student after application.
    • These positions are administered through the School of Humanities and Sciences Summer Scholars Program, and students should apply through that call for applications.
    • Questions in the meantime are welcome (Jake Brenner, jbrenner@ithaca.edu)

• Paula Turkon: Aquaponics Research
  • Aquaponics research during the summer of 2025 entails a mix of lab analysis, maintenance and system development, and outreach. Lab work includes monitoring of nutrients in fishtanks and growth experiments. Maintenance and system development depends on what is completed during Spring 2025 but will include completion of the attachment of a new fishtank and solids lift overflow system to remove waste as well as preparation for the 2025-26 academic year research. Outreach activities include processing harvest and marketing of produce for the IC Food Pantry and the development of educational outreach for grade-school and introductory college-level students.