Pennsylvania Sea Grant Welcomes 2026 Summer Interns

Pennsylvania Sea Grant Welcomes 2026 Summer Interns

Four undergraduate students will spend their summers focusing on aquatic invasive species, environmental literacy, research & natural history, and science communications

Pennsylvania Sea Grant is delighted to introduce four undergraduate interns, working with staff in Erie, Harrisburg, and Philadelphia for 10 weeks from June to August 2026. The interns are working in the areas of aquatic invasive species outreach, environmental literacy, research and natural history, and science communications.

This is the fifth year that Pennsylvania Sea Grant has offered the paid internship, with support through National Sea Grant’s Community Engaged Internship (CEI) program.

The overarching goal of this internship program is to broaden participation in marine and coastal professions by providing training and mentorship to the next generation of scientists, decision makers and citizens.

Interns engage in on-the-ground and virtual learning experiences, connect with professional mentors through Sea Grant’s Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, network with peers and professionals throughout the Sea Grant network, and complete projects that expand public understanding of coastal, marine or Great Lakes issues of environmental, economic and/or social importance.

“We’re excited to engage with undergraduate students whose fields of study or areas of interest focus on coastal, marine, Great Lakes, or watershed-related topics,” says Sarah Whitney, Pennsylvania Sea Grant Director. “This internship helps them be better prepared for their next academic or professional step and serves as a window into the variety of science focused career paths.”

Pennsylvania Sea Grant supports numerous graduate fellowship and internship opportunities. Visit our “Careers” page to learn more.

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Meet the Interns

Hannah is a rising senior at Penn State University at Erie, the Behrend College. She is majoring in Biology with a concentration in ecology, evolution, and behavior.

Hannah has prior research experience, having participated in field work involving the collection of Spotted Salamanders at Behrend. During this research project, her and her team— nicknamed the “Sally Squad”—set up harmless traps to contain the salamanders, and then studied their weight, gender, and the species’ overall population density after collection.

Hannah has prior research experience, having participated in field work involving the collection of Spotted Salamanders at Behrend. During this research project, her and her team— nicknamed the “Sally Squad”—set up harmless traps to contain the salamanders, and then studied their weight, gender, and the species’ overall population density after collection. She has also been involved with environmental research and science programs outside of school as a volunteer with Weed Warriors, an invasive plant removal and management program, and as an intern with the Erie Regional Science Consortium.

Hannah is working alongside Mark Lethaby, PA Sea Grant’s Natural History Museum Curator, at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center this summer. Her work involves studying Erie’s local species and biodiversity. She will also be helping to maintain the museum’s specimen collections, designing themed display cases, and putting together educational kits and tours for museum visitors. 

She cares greatly about specimen preservation and is excited about the opportunity this internship provides her to do valuable, hands-on work in this area. “I am passionate about the goal of any natural history museum,” Hannah said. “Preservation of scientific specimens is so important for understanding biodiversity and for creating impactful management plans.”

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Faye is a rising junior at Stevens Institute of Technology In Hoboken, New Jersey. She is a Science, Technology, and Society major with minors in Music Technology and Green Engineering.

Faye is involved in communications and media related organizations at school. She is an executive board member of Stevens’ Film Club, SITTV, for which she has helped lead media workshops, assisted in the production of student films, and documented school related events. She is also a member of SAVE, Steven’s Sustainability, Activism, Volunteering, and Engineering organization.

Faye is dedicated to conservation and sustainability. Outside of school, she has done volunteer work with the New Britain Civic Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring the water quality and wildlife of Covered Bridge Park and its pond. She also assisted in preparation for a sustainable fashion event in New York City, where she used recycled fabrics to decorate a venue that displayed upcycled garments. 

She is working alongside Kelly Donaldson, PA Sea Grant’s Communications Lead this summer. One of her main projects is to interview and write profile stories for Sea Grant’s current Knauss Fellows. She will also be creating visual content for Sea Grant’s website and social media platforms, as well as assisting in the writing of press releases and feature stories surrounding Sea Grant’s current work and projects. 

Faye is passionate about nature, writing, and media production, and she is grateful for the opportunity to develop those skills in a meaningful way. “I am excited to learn more about Coastal and Great Lakes education and to improve community knowledge of it,” she said.

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Sophia is a rising senior at Penn State University at Erie, the Behrend College. She is majoring in Biology with a concentration in ecology, evolution, and behavior.

Sophia is very involved in biology-related extracurriculars at Behrend. She is a teaching assistant for biology courses, an ambassador for the Behrend School of Science, and an active member of the biology club. She recently conducted research with the Behrend faculty to investigate a fungus infecting the American Chestnut. By doing qtPCR and looking at gene expression, she studied how the pathogen responds differently to host and non-host species. She is highly engaged in other areas of school as well— she is treasurer for her sorority Beta Phi Alpha and a member of the Behrend Honor Society. 

Sophia is assisting Sara Stahlman, PA Sea Grant’s Extension Leader, in Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) outreach this summer. One of her projects will be to develop case studies highlighting the steps natural resource managers have taken to report and respond to AIS. She is contributing to these studies by conducting interviews and evaluating the success of the management plans and actions taken. She will also be taking on other projects, such as helping plan and implement various outreach events regarding AIS spread and prevention, and assisting in AIS sampling. 

Sophia is passionate about improving ecological health and integrity. “My goal for this internship is to make a positive impact on my community’s knowledge of AIS,” she said. “I hope I can inspire the people I interact with to continue learning from and engaging with their local resources.” 

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Mia is a rising senior at Slippery Rock University in Butler County, Pennsylvania. She is an Early Childhood Education Major, with a concentration in International Education and minors in Spanish, Professional Spanish, and Global Education.

Mia is very dedicated to expanding her educational knowledge. She recently traveled to Scotland to learn about their outdoor education curriculum and how it is integrated into the country’s education system. She has also taken advantage of educational opportunities closer to home, like mentoring incoming students of Slippery Rock University’s Honors College and tutoring for Spanish courses. Her leadership in school is not only academic— she is also the President of Club Tennis. 

Working with Michelle Niedermeier, PA Sea Grant’s Education Lead, Mia is spending her summer creating a Great Lakes Literacy Education Exploration (GLLee). These online modules are designed to engage educators in Great Lakes topics and provide resources they can take back to the classroom. Mia aims to take a new approach to these modules by tailoring them to educators of younger students, between Pre-k to 4th grade. In addition to this project, she is helping to plan and implement Meaningful Watershed Educational Experiences (MWEEs) educator professional development workshops, to guide educators on how to incorporate NOAA’s MWEE framework and increase environmental literacy with their learners. 

She is excited not just for the opportunity to educate others, but to learn herself. “I want to become a more environmentally engaged educator and carry what I learn from this internship into the classroom,” Mia said.