Princeton Undergraduates Share Their Summer of Learning Experiences

Holly Welles ・ High Meadows Environmental Institute

Alana Reynolds ’18 (left), ecology and evolutionary biology, and Jacqueline Jones ’18, mechanical and aerospace engineering, explained their research on plant mycorrhizae.

Last Friday, September 30th, eighty-four (84) Princeton undergraduates gathered at the Campus Club to present findings from their summer 2016 internships and service experiences.

This Summer of Learning Symposium provides students the opportunity to present their research findings on scientific, technical, policy, and human dimensions of a wide-variety of global environmental challenges including issues in climate and energy, sustainable development, resource conservation, biological diversity, and ecological health around the world.

Organized by the Princeton Environmental Institute (PEI), the symposium is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of individual students, exchange perspectives, develop a shared mission, and consider practical, achievable solutions to many of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

Students who participated in an Engineers Without Borders program discussed their efforts building a potable water system in Pusunchás, Peru.

This summer, students participating in the PEI Internship Program travelled to destinations in the United States and 9 foreign nations on assignments with faculty-led research projects, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, and government and community service enterprises.  Each student is mentored by Princeton faculty or by the faculty or professional staff of participating host organizations.

As interns, the students engaged in research, outreach, policy analysis, communications, and other practical work experiences with the objective of enriching their perspectives and preparing them as leaders.

Keo Chan ’18, geosciences, presented his findings on the impacts of warming ocean temperatures on fish populations off the California coast.

Funding for the 2016 Internship Program has been generously provided by the Crocker ’31 Fund in PEI; the Edens Family Fund for Climate Change Research, the Gatto Family Undergraduate Research Fund, the Carolyn and Jeffrey Leonard Princeton Environmental Institute Research Fund, the Michal P.M. Spies ’79 Fund, the Smith-Newton Undergraduate Research Fund in PEI, the Walbridge Fund, and the Sandra Wilson W. ’56 Fund in PEI.

 
 

Images in this slide show capture several students engaged in their summer research experiences.

Laura Halsey ’19 contributed to production of slide show.