Conferences and Experiential Learning

Learning Through Experience

Enhance your education, gain experience and get credits toward graduation by participating in an internship or studying abroad. Active opportunities are always changing, so look out for announcements, use the resources below to start your search, or talk to your advisor about potential internships.
 

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Atmospheric Science Internships

Undergraduate students can register for AATM 490 to participate in atmospheric science internships for up to 3 credits. Ross Lazear is the internship coordinator for atmospheric science majors. Contact Ross at [email protected].

Common Atmospheric Science Internships

National Weather Service (NWS)

Weather Forecast Office, Albany
Learn about various roles at the NWS, including:

  • Weather forecasting
  • Aviation meteorology
  • Decision support and emergency preparedness
  • Hydrology
  • Social media
  • Research and case studies
  • Balloon launches (RAOB)

Location: 4th floor ETEC (suite 460)

Options:

  • Academic year (fall and spring semester, 3 credits each semester, 6 total)
  • Summer (1–3 credits)


Apply
Ross Lazear, [email protected], will email application for both academic year and summer internships in late January/early February. Application includes resume and short essay questions.

New York State Mesonet (NYSM)

Gain the following knowledge, skills, and experience:

  • Familiarity with surface and profiling instrumentation
  • Familiarity with station observing networks and infrastructure
  • Experience with software, such as Loggernet
  • Experience using quality control tools and trouble-shooting sensor issues
  • Skills in working in a team environment, communication and time management
  • Working on research projects using Mesonet data

Location: 3rd floor ETEC (suite 360)

Options 

  • Academic year (fall and spring semesters, 3 credits)

Apply
June Wang, [email protected], will email application announcement for Spring or Fall internships in late March or late October. Application includes resume and short essay questions. Students need to maintain a 3.0 GPA overall, and be enrolled in, or have taken ATM 210.

Broadcast Meteorology

Several options are available:


Shadowing
Reach out to Ross Lazear at [email protected] for information on how you can shadow Capital Region broadcast meteorologists for a day, to learn more about careers in broadcast meteorology


Internships
Most TV stations require that interns are paid, and often there aren’t more than one or two internships allocated to a station per summer/semester. Students should apply directly to the station, but reach out to Ross Lazear at [email protected] so that the station can be notified that a UAlbany atmospheric science major is applying.


Freelance
After some experience with an internship, there may be opportunities for freelance broadcast meteorology work at a local TV station, depending on the station’s needs.

Other opportunities 

Other experiential learning opportunities within the atmospheric science field include:

  • UAlbany Center of Excellence in Weather and Climate Analytics 
  • Forensic meteorology 
  • STM Weather
  • Forensic Weather Consultants
  • NYS Department of Environmental Conservation 
  • NYS Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (Emergency Management) 
  • State Weather Risk Communication Center 

Environmental Science Internships

Undergraduate students can register for AENV 496 to participate in environmental science internships for up to 3 credits. Mathias Vuille is the internship coordinator for environmental science majors. Contact Professor Vuille at [email protected].

Past Projects and Internship Partners

Project: Soil and water sample processing
Partner: US Geological Survey


Project: The Produce Project
Partner: Capital District Community Gardens


Project: Water systems inspections
Partner: Ulster County Department of Health


Project: Greenhouse intern
Partner: The Radix Ecological Sustainability Center


Project: Energy Star program
Partner: NYSERDA


Project: Environmental education, pre-K to adult
Partner: Albany Pine Bush Preserve


Project: Environmental Education
Partner: Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park


Project: NYS wildlife rehabilitation
Partner: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation


Project: Environmental remediation
Partner: Fleming-Lee Shue Inc.


Project: Solar panel installations
Partner: National Photovoltaics Inc.


Project: Fishery in the Mohawk River
Partner: US Geological Survey


Project: Mohawk River basin program
Partner: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation


Project: Wetland inventory update
Partner: Town of Berne Conservation Board


Project: Sustainability monitoring service
Partner: i3 Corp


Project: Watercraft Inspection Steward
Partner: NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation


Project: Bird DNA analysis
Partner: NYS Museum


Project: Air quality research
Partner: NYSERDA


Project: GIS and cartography work
Partner: NYS Department of Transportation


Project: Meteorological analysis
Partner: NYS Mesonet


Project: Institute for Health & Environment
Partner: UAlbany


Project: Bird communities research
Partner: Audubon International


Project: EmPower New York
Partner: NYSERDA


Project: Aerosol particles and human health
Partner: ASRC


Project: Environmental Science Program
Partner: US Military Academy West Point


Project: Stormwater management
Partner: NYC Department of Environmental Conservation


Project: Department of Environmental Protection
Partner: Town of Brookhaven


Project: Freshwater Ecology
Partner: New York State Museum


Project: Capital-Mohawk PRISM
Partner: Cornell Cooperative Extension


Project: PIRE-tree ring research
Partner: IANIGLA (Mendoza-Argentina)


Project: UAlbany carbon offsetting program
Partner: UAlbany Sustainability Office


Project: Solar arrays installation
Partner: Seed Solar Engineering


Project: GIS mapping of Long Island Sound
Partner: DEC Division of Water, Bureau of Water Resource Management


Project: Environmental education
Partner: Maria Mitchell Association


Project: Wastewater treatment
Partner: City of Schenectady


Project: Verification use of recycling material
Partner: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation


Project: Citizens Statewide Lake Assessment Program (CSLAP)
Partner: NYS Department of Environmental Conservation 

Learning Abroad

A group of students gather in a cavern while wearing head lamps and looking up at stalactites hanging from the ceiling.

The PIRE Program

DAES is home to the PIRE CREATE program, which organizes hands-on activities for environmental science undergraduate students each spring semester.  During fun-filled 3-day weekends, students learn about past, present and future climate change impacts in the US and abroad and how science can inform policy-making. Hands-on training sessions include tree-ring sampling and analysis, environmental policy sessions and more. ​

The program also offers faculty-led trips to Brazil, where students can attend summer school together with students from Brazil and Argentina and participate in cave and tree ring research in the Atlantic rainforest. All these activities are offered at no cost to our environmental science students.​

Watch the PIRE CREATE: Summer School 2019 video to learn more about the program.

 

Conference Funding

A composite of a student in glasses and a lanyard standing in front of a research poster on the left and a conference room full of people looking at a projector screen on the right.


Undergraduate majors seeking department monetary support to attend a professional conference should fill out the application for DAES funding. Applications are reviewed by the department undergraduate program chair and committee.​

Examples of past conferences students have attended to present their research, network, and develop professional skills include:​

  • American Meteorological Society Student Conference and Annual Meeting​
  • American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting​
  • Northeastern Storm Conference