CONSERVE (COordinating Nontraditional Sustainable watER Use in Variable climatEs) is a Center of Excellence at the Nexus of Sustainable Water Reuse, Food, and Health. Our leading team of scientists and educators are investigating sources of nontraditional irrigation water that can provide safe, transformative on‐farm solutions for food crops and reduce the nation’s agricultural water challenges that are exacerbated by climate change. With projects located in the Mid-Atlantic and Southwest, we are looking for undergraduate student interns to assist us in our research and education efforts.
The 8-week internship will start on June 12, 2017, ending on August 11, 2017. Interns will receive a stipend of $5,000. Students are responsible for their own lodging and any affiliated moving expenses. We are accepting applications from now until March 10.
The following positions are available:
Location: University of Arizona (Tucson)
Position Information: The student intern will assist in collecting water samples, analyzing samples for microbiological parameters, interpreting data, and communicating scientific findings with stakeholders across the state of AZ. The intern will also have the opportunity to learn advanced microbiological techniques and develop skills in translating complex scientific information to a variety of stakeholder audiences including growers, packers, shippers, irrigation districts, and other scientists
Location: University of Delaware (Newark)
Position Information: The intern will be involved in the collection of large amounts of water from field sites. The student will utilize microbiological and molecular biology tools for the detection of viruses and protozoa from water samples. Work will also involve statistical analysis along with both written and oral communication of data. This intern will participate in lab meetings and other CONSERVE activities. Among those CONSERVE activities include use of novel water filtration systems and education related to irrigation water.
Location: University of Delaware (Newark)
Position Information: The intern will assist the project team in using field and laboratory experimental techniques to understand how people respond to various scenarios and information as a means of predicting how people behave in the real world. The candidate will also assist with obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and certification, identifying produce grown with various irrigation methods, developing an experiment design and decision platform, administering studies, analyzing and presenting data, and developing learning materials based on research.
Location: University of Maryland (College Park)
Position Information: This position will focus on irrigation water quality, particularly the microbial characterization of water used for irrigation, the prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in water used for irrigation, the potential for biofilm formation in irrigation water distribution systems, and the characterization of human pathogens found in irrigation water and their virulence and biofilm formation traits. The work will involve both field sampling and laboratory analysis. Methods used will include standard microbiological methods, molecular biology methods and some bioinformatics.
Location: USDA Agricultural Research Service (Beltsville, MD)
Position Information: The intern will help sampling teams in the field collect appropriate surface and reclaimed water samples. The student will also be asked to perform quantitative and qualitative microbial analysis for bacterial pathogens in irrigation and reclaimed water samples. The intern will be responsible for assisting microbial detection and confirmation of enteric pathogens recovered from water samples, and confirming culture recovery results with PCR assays. The intern will also be responsible for constructing and setting up zero-valent iron filters in the laboratory and on the farm. This will include different filter designs with different combinations of sand and iron appropriate for different water types that are being analyzed. Overall, this position will provide exposure to environmental, food, and molecular biology techniques to the intern.
