With endless opportunities for interactive, in the field training throughout the year, the Castleton’s Natural Sciences Department is providing students with the resources to take their learning outside of the classroom.
Each summer more than half a dozen science students utilize hands-on learning through internships and independent research projects, taking place both on and off campus, funded through grants based programs.
“For science, it’s critical that these students get outside experience. They absolutely need it on their resume,” said Professor and Environmental Science Coordinator Andrew Vermilyea. “These are the experiences that set them apart from other people.”
Taking full advantage of these opportunities this summer are two Natural Sciences Department students whose hard work throughout the academic year landed them positions in prestigious summer internships.
Castleton students Catherine Wielgasz and Emily Giddings will not be heading home for the summer like many other students. Instead they will be participating in paid internships focused around their major concentrations to better prepare for a successful career after college.
A chemistry major, Wielgasz received an internship at the University of Montana where she will spend two months performing chemistry research as a part of the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates Program, which works to further promote the field of science and advance the overall well being of the nation.
This opportunity marks Wielgasz’s third summer internship since her freshman year.
“I think this opportunity will allow me to get a better feel of what possibilities are out there within the chemistry field,” she said, adding that her internships have allowed her to travel and explore far beyond the Vermont borders. “I really like how all of the internships I have done are different enough to show me what I like and what I dislike.”
Biology major Emily Giddings, who received a spot in a highly competitive summer internship through the National Institute of Health, will be traveling to Baltimore, Maryland where she will spend 10 weeks immersed in science research, working for the National Institute on Aging, the Intramural Research Program and the Laboratory of Neurosciences on the molecular and biochemical changes that occur during aging and in disorders such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases and stroke.
The National Institutes of Health Internship is a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services department and is the nations leading medical research agency.
“This opportunity is once in a lifetime. The connections I'll forge with some of the world's most talented researchers will open so many doors,” Giddings said.
After graduation both students are looking to continue their education. Between their internship research opportunities and countless hours of fieldwork, paired with the guidance from the Castleton Natural Sciences Department, both students feel they are well prepared for successful careers.
“The Natural Sciences Department at Castleton guided me in the right direction from the start,” said Giddings.