IMET's 2022 Summer Interns
We are pleased to welcome IMET’s next cohort of summer interns. Their passion and personality have already brightened our labs and meeting spaces. We are looking forward to seeing their passions grow and evolve over the course of this nine-week internship. Throughout the summer, our interns will learn more about research within the fields of marine and environmental science. They will learn how to collect and analyze data, how to perform various lab tests, how to communicate science effectively, and how to present their findings to a wide audience. You can stay up to date on their progress through our weekly blog.
Without any further ado, we would like to introduce you to IMET’s 2022 Summer Interns!
Andrea White
"Hello! My name is Andrea White, I am from Waldorf MD, which is about an hour south of Washington. I recently graduated from Stevenson University with a bachelors in Biology! In the future I would like to apply to vet school and I wanted to gain some research experience and help make the earth a greener and cleaner place! Over the next nine weeks, I will be working with Tsteso to differentiate the antimicrobial peptides and expression levels within decapods. I am looking forward to learning more about aquatic life and how to use natural resources, as well as becoming more confident in my lab skills. I am very excited to begin this journey!”
Julia Moya
"Hello, everyone! My name is Julia Moya and I recently graduated from Rutgers University with a B.A. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Marine Science. I have been passionate about ocean and nature conservation ever since elementary school when I learned about all the unfortunate tragedies that our planet and wildlife are enduring. My passion soon turned into action, starting from fundraising for the World Wildlife Fund, to majoring in Biology to learn how I can make a difference in this world. This summer, I am eager to dive into analyzing invertebrate biodiversity in the Baltimore Harbor in Dr. Eric Schott’s lab, and am excited to expand my knowledge and strengthen my skill set and begin my journey as a scientist!"
Libby Gilmore
"My name is Libby Gilmore, and I am a rising junior studying Plant Genetics at Cornell University. During my time at Cornell, I’ve been able to participate in different research experiences in plant genetics; but I wanted to learn more about how environmental factors impact marine systems which led me to apply for IMET’s summer internship. I am very excited to have this opportunity. This summer, I will be working in Dr. Allen Place’s lab and am looking forward to gaining more experience in bioinformatics as I apply different techniques to analyze bacterial communities using 16S rRNA genes in chicken litter.”
Emma Yockman
"Hi, my name is Emma Yockman and I'm a junior Ecology and Evolution student at the University of Maryland College Park. I'm a Maryland local, from Sykesville MD, a town about 45 minutes outside Baltimore. I applied for IMET's Summer internship because it directly aligns with my goals to pursue a graduate degree in biology and eventually do research for an organization like NOAA, DOE, EPA, etc. I'm so excited to be here because this internship feels so professional, and the research being done is so exciting. I'm looking forward to working in the Chen lab because of the incredibly cool applications of their research on algae as biofuel and microbial community ecology. Outside of science, I’m a skateboarder and a houseplant enthusiast.”
Makayla Stewart
"My name is Makayla Stewart and I’m a rising junior at the University of South Carolina. I am currently working towards a bachelor’s degree in Marine Science and I’m hoping to receive my Master’s in Marine Science as well. The pandemic has made it difficult for me to get the hands-on research experience I need and this internship seemed like the perfect opportunity! I love learning and trying new things and throughout this summer at IMET I’ll be able to do just that! I’ve always been interested in the research side of things and working in a lab, and it is my hope that this summer will solidify my interest. Throughout these 9 weeks I will be working in the lab with Dr. Rosemary Jagus to analyze the translational control of dinoflagellates over a diel cycle. Dinoflagellates are very interesting organisms so getting the chance to work with them is awesome! This is an amazing opportunity to expand my knowledge and learn new skills and I’m very grateful!"
Eric Sibanda
"Hello! This is Eric Sibanda and I am a rising sophomore at the University of Maryland- College Park. Fear the turtle! When I’m not studying, I enjoy running, playing basketball, and playing tennis. My major is Aerospace Engineering. Even though I won’t be pursuing a science- related study, I hope that I’ll have the chance to continue my interest in marine science through internships and other opportunities. Matthew Stromberg, a Ph.D. student at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and I will work together with the ARC staff and Dr. Zohar this summer. To mitigate the “earthy” flavors in Atlantic Salmon, I will study closely these systems under a microscope as part of my project at ARC. Experiences like this are not found in previous projects I have worked on at IMET. Ultimately, the project will result in a fluidized bed reactor being constructed from scratch. I hope to take away the understanding that science and engineering can be blended together! With my past knowledge and drive to learn more, I hope to make immense discoveries with huge impacts.”
Zoma Atnafou
"Hey, my name is Zoma, and I'm a senior at University of Maryland Baltimore County! I'm pursuing a B.S. in Biological Science and hope to eventually move on to a master’s in environmental science. I really wanted to get some hands-on experience in a lab first, and IMET gave me the perfect opportunity to achieve this! I am working with Dr. Schott in his lab this summer, and already I have gained so much experience and learned so much from his team; knowledge that I could not have gained in a classroom setting. Dr. Schott's team has been so patient and encouraging; this truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I am so grateful to IMET for this internship! I look forward to learning so much more, and to a fun summer ahead!"
Jacqueline Rogers
"My name is Jacqueline Rogers, I’m from Dallas, TX, but I was originally born in Michigan. I am currently attending Loyola University Maryland where I am majoring in Biology with a minor in sociology and studio arts. I applied to IMET’s Summer Internship to gain some research experience and gain hands-on experience. It is great to learn basic laboratory procedures and handling of equipment, these are skills I am sure I'll have to use in the future. I really wanted to get comfortable in a lab which unfortunately includes embarrassing myself by not being able to recall the steps involved in Gel electrophoresis, PCR analysis, and DNA extraction. But this is all a learning process, which is what I’m looking forward to the most! Learning about myself and what I believe I can and can’t accomplish in the future, what I want out of my biology degree, and memorizing specific lab techniques (for reasons other than impressing others). For the future, I hope that I will stay within the field of biology, but for now, I’m enjoying the information I’ve learned so far. All aside, I’m immensely grateful that I have this opportunity to gain lab experience and educate others on the broader matters related to my research project."