September 2022 A Note from the Moderator
“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” — Isaac Newton
Randy K. Rowel, Director of the Chesapeake Student Recruitment, Early Advisement, and Mentoring (C-StREAM) Program
The August CRC Roundtable webinar focused on sharing a framework for growth within internships. Getting started in the environmental restoration workforce can be a daunting and twisting path. We spoke about how young scientists have been able to use their experience to better understand what a career in geosciences might look like. Beyond research experience, how do we make sure our interns have the soft skills to implement on their long-term career path?
The C-StREAM program uses the competencies framework, an innovative tool developed for the Penn State’s Student Engagement Network (https://www.engage.psu.edu), to ensure that students in the program are prepared to assume a leadership role and maximize their impact in the global challenges we’re facing. The competencies are as follows:
- Multicultural; Global and Domestic Diversity and Inclusion
- Civic Responsibility
- Ethical Behavior
- Knowledge Synthesis and Systems Thinking
- Professional Development
These competencies allow the internship positions to provide a deeper summer experience past the usual, by providing a type of design criteria that can be used to shape both the experiences and mentoring of our interns. They also provide valuable tools for assessment; interns complete pre and post surveys that assess their depth of understanding of the competencies and how they can be manifested in their day-to-day work.
Our August speakers shared their experiences and summarized their research, serving as a general representation of the high quality of the work by the entire cohort and its significant contribution to the restoration effort . Anna He is a student from Duke University who interned with the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office. Joseph Rivera Lopez is a student from the University of Puerto Rico who interned with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.
One of the unique features of the C-StREAM program is its support of the interns during the upcoming academic year, via continued mentoring and funding for professional development. We look forward to staying in touch with them in a substantive and truthful way, until each has been accepted into a graduate studies program (preferably at one of our member institutions) or into a professional position.