Name: Lili Randolph
Class Year: 2023
Major: Environmental Studies, Biology minor
Hometown: Fairfield, Conn.
Internship Organization: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC)
Job Title: Intern
Location: Remote/Hybrid
What’s happening at your internship?
This summer, I have worked on a healthy mix of projects as I’m technically a remote intern for the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC), but due to a pipette tip shortage, was not able to work on my project until a month into my start date. Because I am also participating in ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥â€™s Summer Science Research program, I was able to stay in summer housing and help the other members of Dr. Mozdzer’s lab with their projects while gaining field experience and learning about my peers’ research. The end goal of my internship is to be able to quantify the amount of genetic recovery in smooth cordgrass after its habitat has undergone eutrophication (when excessive nutrients are released into an aquatic environment, leading to decreased levels of oxygen and facilitation of life). To reach this goal so far, I went to SERC to extract the DNA of our smooth cordgrass samples and learned how to use microsatellites via Geneious to track the genetic distances of samples collected from five different sites.
Why did you apply for this internship?
I applied for this internship because I was doing supervised research last spring for Dr. Thomas Mozdzer, a ÷ÈÓ°Ö±²¥ biology professor focusing on coastal wetland ecology, and wanted to continue my work during the summer. He told me to apply for a remote internship at SERC with his colleague, Dr. Melissa McCormick, who runs the molecular ecology lab and has worked closely with Dr. Mozdzer on the TIDE project which aims to understand the effects of eutrophication on coastal wetlands. I was looking forward to being able to continue my work from the previous semester because I find value in being able to see my efforts carried through to a final product.
What has the experience of working remotely been like for you?
For the parts that I have been completely remote, it has been really hard to remain focused, I’m not going to lie. This is my first time being remote and I’m currently in Seattle visiting my extended family and have had to lock myself in a room from 9 to 5 to stay on track. My best advice for people doing repetitive desk work is to take a 5-minute break after 30 solid minutes of work and 10 minutes after a full hour of work. Also, be kind to yourself because remote work is absolutely grueling and it’s okay if it takes a long time to adjust. And listen to podcasts! They help make the time go faster and there are lots of genres and options to choose from!
Can you give us three adjectives and three nouns that describe your internship experience?
- Collaborative: For the first month and a half, I was working closely with other members of the ecology lab to help with their projects while my data was being processed down at SERC.
- Tiring: Fieldwork days especially were hot and long as my teammates worked to measure gas fluxes. (I was usually in charge of collecting plant samples.)
- Rewarding: Although there has been a lot of work involved in my internship this summer, it has been so rewarding to see my project come together and work with people who have similar passions as me.
- Tall Grass: I’ve learned so many more things about the tall grasses Phragmites and Spartina (cordgrass) than I thought I would.
- Water: I can’t stress this enough y’all. Drink water and take care of yourselves. Especially if you're doing fieldwork when it’s hot out. Whatever data you are collecting isn’t worth your physical wellbeing.
- Computer: My laptop and I have been on a whole journey this summer. Writing emails, using data programs like R and Geneious for the first time, and (of course) playing podcasts to keep me focussed.
Visit the Summer Internship Stories page to read more about student internship experiences.