Internships

In the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences you won't just study science, you'll practice it. Through faculty-guided research, you’ll have the opportunity to apply your classroom knowledge to real-world challenges in environmental science, geology, and meteorology.

Working alongside experienced instructors, you’ll develop hands-on skills, explore complex problems, and build a strong foundation for your future in science, whether you're heading to graduate school, launching a career, or exploring your passions in the field.

Cole Engle - WOOD TV8

This summer, I’m interning at WOOD TV8 as part of the news and weather team, and it’s been an incredible experience so far.

In just a few weeks, I’ve learned so much about how the weather team builds their shows, creates graphics, and prepares for live broadcasts. I’ve also been given a couple of exciting projects: one involves researching every tornado that’s hit Michigan since 1950, and the other compares long-range forecasting models (GFS and ECMWF) to see which one predicts temperatures more accurately.

It’s been a great opportunity to apply what I’ve learned in class to the real world, and I’m excited to keep learning as the summer continues!

Taylor Rinke and David Couch - Argonne National Laboratory

Taylor Rinke and David Couch, both meteorology students, are spending their summer gaining real-world research experience through the Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program, run by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. They’re currently interning at Argonne National Laboratory, one of 17 participating DOE science labs across the country.

“For 10 weeks during the summer, we will be working at the Argonne Testbed for Multiscale Observational Science (ATMOS), which is a field on Argonne's site where we have several running meteorological instruments,” Taylor shared.

Taylor’s project involves assembling and testing low-cost lightning detectors and comparing their performance to the advanced instruments already deployed at the site.

“Something you may find interesting,” she added, “is that our mentor for our projects is actually Matt Tuftedal, a CMU alum who was also a part of the undergraduate meteorology program.”

David’s project focuses on new technology and cost-effective solutions for weather observation.

“I will be 3D printing and assembling a low-cost all-in-one weather station—known as the 3D-PAWS,” David explained. “Then, I will be comparing it to other low-cost weather stations currently on the market and on site at ATMOS.”

“I plan on finding out if 3D-printed low-cost weather stations are a viable option for gathering meteorological data—primarily due to their easy maintenance, since parts can be re-printed and replaced when faulty. Depending on how accurate their data is, they can directly compete with and potentially outperform current low-cost weather stations with the advantage of easy repairs.”

These internships are a great example of how students can apply their education to cutting-edge research in the field—while being mentored by professionals (and alumni!) working at the national level.

Dominic Cannonito - Fox 32 Chicago / ICECHIP Research

I’m incredibly excited to be starting an internship with FOX 32 Chicago beginning June 30th. As a lifelong Chicagoan and someone who’s dreamed of becoming a broadcast meteorologist since elementary school, this opportunity is truly a dream come true. Getting to work in one of the largest TV markets in the nation, and alongside professionals my family has watched for years, feels surreal.

Until then, I’m currently working with CMU’s Earth and Atmospheric Department on the ICECHIP field campaign, where I’m gaining valuable hands-on experience in atmospheric research. 

Abby Zuidema - Michigan DNR

My internship is a position with the DNR known as "Explorer Guide". My job is to create, and host scheduled programs for people at Holland State Park. All programs are nature based, with DNR messaging to help people better understand our environment, how we can protect it and appreciate it sustainably. My programs are different every week with new fun things for campers and beach visitors to participate in and learn about. Once a week, Thursday form 6-8p.m. we go fishing in the Holland channel, it's a great way for kids to catch their first fish and learn about sustainable fishing. We also catch lots of goby, a very invasive species, which is a great way to teach people about why invasive are bad, and how they can help, in this case by not releasing the goby. Last week we got 7 gobies out of Michigan waters. Overall, I spend my time helping to educate the public about our environment and everything that lives in it

In recent years, our students have landed competitive internships with leading companies and organizations, building skills, connections, and careers before graduation.