Last modified: Thursday, August 15, 2013
IU Office of Sustainability seeks 2013-14 interns
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 15, 2013
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Continuing a tradition of student engagement in campus sustainability research and implementation, the Indiana University Office of Sustainability in Bloomington is recruiting its 12th group of sustainability interns for the 2013-14 academic year.
The IU Office of Sustainability addresses issues of environmental, economic and social sustainability in campus operations, academic programs and university-community collaboration. The student interns, selected from both undergraduate and graduate student applicants, work on a broad array of issues related to sustainability, under the mentorship of IU faculty and staff.
Former intern Oral Saulters helps unload a semi truck full of household items for the Hoosier to Hoosier Community Sale.
Since its inception in 2007, the Internship Program in Sustainability has strived to promote experiential learning as an integral part of the campus sustainability initiative. Over 200 paid student interns have benefited from this program. Some student interns will continue work on previous projects, such as sustainability partnerships with the Greek system or coordinating sustainable purchasing efforts, while others will pilot new research projects such as investigating renewable energy financing for IU Bloomington.
"Working collaboratively with dedicated faculty and staff mentors, these student innovators create new initiatives that conserve precious resources while enhancing the quality of campus life," said Director of Sustainability Bill Brown. "They are able to break down academic and operational boundaries, transforming the campus into an integrated learning lab, and everyone wins in the process."
The academic year internship program allows students the opportunity to make connections between their projects, the academic programs they are enrolled in and other extracurricular activities they may be engaged in. Interns will also participate in a seminar in sustainability, helping to develop a learning community among participants.
"It's always exciting to observe the interns, each of whom enters the program with different leadership, professional and academic experiences, as they use that seminar space to collaborate and strengthen their projects," said Emilie Rex, assistant director of sustainability. "The students learn early on that they're much more effective when they communicate and support each other."
The Office of Sustainability is accepting applications for several new internships for the 2013-14 academic year.
Internships mentored through the Office of Sustainability:
- Financing Renewable Energy
- Sustainability and the Greek Community
- Sustainability Metrics and Reporting
Internships mentored through the Campus Sustainability Advisory Board:
- Resource Use and Recycling: Hoosier to Hoosier Community Sale
- Resource Use and Recycling: No Waste Coordination
- Transportation: Bicycle Friendly Campus Initiatives
The Office of Sustainability is also hiring two student interns through a new program called Consultancy Corps. Students hired through this program serve with an on-campus unit to green their operations, but they do not participate in the full internship program seminar. Consultancy Corps includes student interns at the Health Center and Athletics Department. Students serve at the same pay rates as the sustainability interns for the full academic year and meet monthly with the Office of Sustainability. Open student positions for the fall include:
- Indiana Memorial Union and Sodexo: Local Food Sourcing and Green Event Planning
- University Information Technology Services: Document Management, Paper Usage and Reduction
Details about each internship project are available online. IU Office of Sustainability will accept applications and recommendation letters until 11:59 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13. Applications can be submitted online. Questions regarding internships or the application process can be directed to Emilie Rex at ekrex@indiana.edu.
The Sustainability Internship Program is sponsored jointly by the Office of the Provost and the Vice President for Capital Planning and Facilities. Information about past intern projects is available on the Office of Sustainability website.
