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STEM Internships: Research, Conservation, and Ecology
The College of Southern Maryland offers immersive, funded internship opportunities that allow students to gain cutting-edge, hands-on experience in biological research, ecology, and environmental conservation.
The scientific community is striving to expand the population of today’s students training to become tomorrow’s scientists. College of Southern Maryland’s School of STEM and Professional Studies seeks students from all backgrounds to join us in the lab and in the field.
Why Intern with CSM?
Multiple challenges can constrain opportunities for community college students majoring in STEM fields. These include financial challenges, unfamiliarity with traditional pathways to science careers, societal barriers, and a lack of access to hands-on research.
CSM addresses those challenges by providing immersive, experiential learning that emphasizes discovery and transcends the typical undergraduate experience. With our science internships, you can:
- Overcome financial barriers through paid stipends, project scholarships, and tuition coverage.
- Engage in authentic undergraduate research while still a CSM freshman or sophomore.
- Explore diverse scientific pathways, gaining career-enhancing experience in laboratory science, wildlife conservation, and environmental advocacy.
- Form invaluable professional relationships with professors, graduate students, field biologists, and regional conservation leaders.
- Build a competitive academic resume; past interns have successfully transferred to 4-year universities, presented at scientific meetings, and mastered critical lab and field data collection skills.
"The time I spent working with CBL helped strengthen my passion for the sciences and confirmed to me that research is the career path I want. It also provided the kind of experience that can be very hard to obtain in a community college setting." – Cameron Allen, Intern 2018
Internship Opportunities
Overview: E2C3 is a premier laboratory collaboration between the College of Southern Maryland and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science-Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (UMCES-CBL) in Solomons, MD. Our goal is to support several salaried interns this year by providing immersive, experiential learning that transcends the typical undergraduate experience.
The Student Experience: Interns join a professional scientific research team early in their college careers. You will acquire hands-on experience in cutting-edge laboratory research, develop self-direction, and learn important data analysis skills. Beyond the bench work, E2C3 students form invaluable relationships with professors, mentors, and graduate students across all segments of an integrated research team. The areas of research include applied statistics using R, understanding climate system processes, environmental risk and toxicity of chemical contaminants, effects of methane fluxes, and more. Therefore, internships are available for multiple STEM interests, not just environmental studies.
Compensation: The internship is one semester long with an expectation of 100 hours of work. Weekly hours are determined between the research mentor and the student. Most internships take place on the CBL campus. The student is provided $1500 for the semester broken up into two installments - $750 after 50 hours of work and $750 at the conclusion of the project. Funds are placed on the student’s CSM account. Students can reapply for additional CBL internships in other semesters.
Contact: For questions about the E2C3 program or specific faculty advisors, please contact CSM Science Department Chair, Dr. Melanie Osterhouse mdosterhouse@csmd.edu. Although the participating mentors vary, please see the hyperlinks in the application for the following: Hali Kilbourne, Jackie Grebmier, Carys Mithcelmore, Slava Lyubchich, and Laura Lapham. These researchers are commonly taking student interns as part of the E2C3 program. Applicants are reviewed each August and January.
Overview: Step out of the classroom and onto the shoreline! Funded by the generous support of a local conservation donor, this hands-on, high-impact fieldwork program empowers you to take direct action to remediate the Potomac River. By joining this initiative, you become part of a massive regional mission: ensuring every inch of the Potomac River's shores—from Washington D.C. to Point Lookout—is cleared of refuse at least once.
The Student Experience: This immersive internship spans a full academic year, blending rigorous environmental action with powerful community advocacy. You will build a standout resume, master real-world skills, and make a tangible difference in your local ecosystem:
- Field Remediation (Fall & Spring): Take charge as a field leader! You will organize and direct independent and large-scale cleanups along targeted, beautiful stretches of the Potomac River in Western Charles County (including Mallows Bay, Purse State Park, and Smallwood State Park). You won't just be removing debris—you will use mobile field kits and professional GIS tools to log crucial spatial data for the coalition.
- Community Education (Yearlong): Environmental stewardship doesn't stop at the water's edge. Alongside your fieldwork, you will design and execute a high-profile public outreach campaign across Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert counties to educate the public and tackle the root causes of waterway pollution.
Compensation & Credit: Get paid to preserve the shores of your own community!
- Stipend: Interns receive a direct $500 stipend per semester.
- Tuition Coverage: The internship fund fully covers your tuition and fees for the required academic credit courses: BIO-2980 & SCE-1020 (Fall) and BIO-2990 (Spring).
- Credential: Upon completion, you will officially earn an Undergraduate Research Letter of Recognition, a powerful addition to your academic and professional portfolio.
Contact: Ready to make a lasting impact? For more information or to start your journey, contact Professor Rachael Bateman at rebateman@csmd.edu.
Overview: The CSM Biology Department, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is seeking motivated students to assist with the Horseshoe Crab Cooperative Tagging Program. This opportunity is ideal for students interested in biology, environmental science, conservation, wildlife research, marine ecology, or gaining authentic field experience for graduate school and future careers.
The Student Experience: Selected students will participate in active field research focused on horseshoe crab populations along various Southern Maryland beaches. Your core responsibilities will include:
- Assisting with live horseshoe crab tagging activities.
- Collecting and accurately recording field data.
- Assisting with data entry and overall project organization.
- Note on schedule: Because horseshoe crab spawning activity is closely tied to high tides and lunar cycles, some late evening and nighttime field sessions will be required.
Compensation: Scholarships ranging from $500–$1,000 will be awarded to selected participants. Final amounts are dependent upon the number of students selected and the individual level of project involvement.
Contact: Students interested in learning more about this specific program should contact Dr. Tracey Stuller at tmstuller@csmd.edu.