Science Journalism/Education Internship Opportunity (USA)

I am looking for a motived undergraduate intern who wishes to specialize in science writing, public relations, or education to spend a summer working at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. The intern will work 2 – 3 days a week on a project examining the effect of temperature on plant-herbivore interactions, specifically the induction of plant defenses against herbivores at various temperatures. The rest of the time, the intern will use social media to build an online outreach presence geared at educating the general public about the scientific process from hypothesis to results. The intern will be expected to make use of various social media platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, and blogs. Website design is a plus. The intern will be expected to post regular updates and contribute posts to other popular science websites, including the Smithsonian Shorelines blog (http://sercblog.si.edu/) and the possible writing of press releases. Ultimately, the intern will be expected to contribute an op-ed piece to a major regional newspaper, such as the NY Times, Washington Post, Huffington Post, or Wall Street Journal. The topic of the op-ed will be determined towards the end of the program.
This internship is designed to provide hands-on scientific training for students with an interest in becoming science writers, educators, or public relations specialists. This internship will allow students to be competitive applicants for other prestigious journalism internships, such as The Economists’ Richard Casement internship program for aspiring science writers (http://www.economist.com/node/21543144). The ideal candidate will be journalism, education, or communications major in their junior or senior year with strong interests in biology and conservation. A stipend will be provided to cover cost of living. On site-housing may be available, but is not guaranteed.
Please email all applications, including a statement of interest and CV/resume, to Nathan Lemoine at nlemo001@fiu.edu no later than March 1st, 2014.

Nate Lemoine
PhD. Candidate - Florida International University
www.natelemoine.com
climateecology.wordpress.com