2019 Intern Profiles
Camilo Acosta
University of Washington–Bothell
San Juan Island National Historical Park, Washington—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
I am a Biology major and Neuroscience minor at the University of Washington–Bothell. My career goals include increasing my knowledge of the ecology of insects and finding effective ways of communicating their importance to the public. I don’t expect people to love insects like I do, but I want them to appreciate insects’ contributions to our society and planet. This summer I will be working as a Biology Assistant aiding in the conservation of the Island Marble Butterfly at San Juan Island National Historical Park. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, gaming, and drawing animals.
Sebastian Alvarez
University of North Carolina–Charlotte
Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
After recently graduating with a B.S. in Geology from the University of North Carolina–Charlotte, I will be working this summer as a Natural Resource Interpretative Assistant at Petrified Forest National Park, where I will develop wayside content for a geology-themed loop drive. Last year, I worked as a Geoscience Technician at Coronado National Memorial as a Mosaics in Science intern. Because I have enjoyed being in the desert since an earlier visit to New Mexico, I am looking forward to learning more about this environment. This internship will help me gain important skills to accomplish my goal of working for an organization that’s doing significant natural resource management.
My hobbies include hiking, volleyball, soccer, cooking, and discussing movies.
Alyssa Canova
University of California–Riverside
Greater Yellowstone Network and Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
After recently graduating from the University of California–Riverside with a B.S. in Biology, I have been conducting research at an entomology laboratory, where we collect and analyze genomic data on numerous ant and wasp species. This summer, I have the wonderful opportunity to intern as a Biology Assistant with the Greater Yellowstone Network and Yellowstone National Park. This is especially exciting because it will allow me to combine my love for research with my passion for the outdoors. Because I am very interested in learning more about natural-resource sampling, climate monitoring, and searching for environmental indicators, I am hopeful this internship will give me the skills and knowledge I need to successfully complete a Ph.D. program. In the future, I will focus on the relationships between disease ecology, changes in natural resources and biodiversity, and variations in climate. My graduate research will concentrate on managing diseases in a way that preserves the biodiversity of other organisms in the community. My hobbies include observing insects in their natural habitats, exploring new trails, witnessing springtime floral blooms, and watching nature documentaries.
Nicole Esch
University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill
New River Gorge National River, West Virginia—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
I am a junior at the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, where I am double majoring in Photojournalism and Biology. My long-term goal is to help build and maintain a bridge between the scientific world and the general public by creating artistic works that are both engaging and understandable to a wide variety of people. I believe that highly technical language and overly complicated explanations are a disservice to both scientists and journalists, who wish to broadly distribute their messages so that a wider audience can benefit from their work. This summer, I’ll be creating and developing self-guided education curriculum for schools that visit the park as a Citizen Science Education Assistant at the New River Gorge National River. My hobbies include weightlifting, boxing, cooking, and exploring new places.
Katlyn Fuentes
University of Washington
Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Alaska—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
After graduating from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, I am excited to return for my second Mosaics in Science internship at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. This summer, I’ll be working as a Biology Assistant, where I’ll have the opportunity to help collect biological data for a variety of projects involving bats, plants, insect pollinators, and amphibians. Some of my professional background includes a previous MIS internship where I worked as a Fisheries Technician at Point Reyes National Seashore, positions working as a curatorial/research assistant for multiple natural history museums, and a hatchery technician at a NOAA chinook salmon hatchery in southeastern Alaska. My long-term goal is to communicate science in ways that inspire others to conserve and protect our natural world. My hobbies include traveling, hiking, listening to music, reading, and practicing yoga.
Hannah Gershone
Mount Holyoke College
Saguaro National Park, Arizona—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
This summer, I will be interning as an Acoustic Assistant at Saguaro National Park, where I will delve into how acoustics can help inform scientists about climate change and urban development. While majoring in Environmental Studies and minoring in English at Mount Holyoke College, I’ve worked on a wide variety of projects from analyzing desert algae to mending old city maps. After completing a community project on spotted salamander migration and disease prevention, I realized that I want to devote my life to environmental research and outreach. One of my long-term goals is to work as a researcher or resource manager with the National Park Service. Understanding complex ecological interactions, and humanity’s role within them, is crucial for determining how to best conserve resources. Throughout my experiences, I have come to believe that environmental issues are human rights issues, and I’m particularly interested in how narratives describing people of color and the environment are constructed and perpetuated. I enjoy volunteering as a Minnesota Master Naturalist and a braille transcriber as well as distance running.
Aliya Khan
University of British Columbia
Manassas National Battlefield Park, Virginia—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
As a third-year student at the University of British Columbia (UBC), I am majoring in Natural Resource Conservation with an emphasis in Science and Management. Following my graduation from UBC, I hope to travel and work outdoors doing meaningful research. I would like to further explore topics associated with watershed ecology, oceanography, marine biology, landscape ecology, and botany. This summer, I will be working at Manassas National Battlefield Park as a Natural Resource Management Assistant. This will be my second Mosaics in Science position, last year I worked at Shenandoah National Parks as a Biological Science Technician.
Christian Knutson
Black Hills State University
Northern Great Plains Network and
Badlands National Park, South Dakota—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
I am a senior at Black Hills State University, where I am majoring in Outdoor Education and minoring in American Indian Studies. Because I plan to pursue a career in outreach and education or resource stewardship, I’m hoping to learn more about these fields this summer while interning as a Biology Technician with the Northern Great Plains Inventory and Monitoring Network and Badlands National Park. Since I am originally from western South Dakota, I’m looking forward to learning more about the national parks in this area. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, hunting, fishing, and camping.
Sonia Meyer
Penn State University
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
I am a graduate student enrolled in the GIS program at Penn State University. Because my long-term professional goal is to contribute to the exploration and conservation of the world’s cave systems, this summer I will be interning at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. This internship offers an ideal opportunity to enhance my cartography skills and gain real-world experience in GIS, skills that I hope will result in a future position with the National Park Service. In my free time, I enjoy expedition caving, cooking, and cuddling with my cats.
Diego Morales
University of California–Berkeley
Point Reyes National Seashore, California—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
I am an undergraduate student at the University of California–Berkeley majoring in Society and Environment and minoring in Anthropology. This summer I will be interning as an Interpretation and Resource Education Assistant at Point Reyes National Seashore. The work I do both in and out of the classroom seeks to understand natural and cultural challenges and determine solutions that can address both facets. Because I ultimately hope to bridge and solve environmental and social issues, my long-term career goal is to become an environmental lawyer. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy playing tennis, reading, gardening, and hiking. My favorite book is “Cannery Row” by John Steinbeck, and my favorite tree is the Coast Redwood.
Vishva Nalamalapu
Grinnell College
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado——[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
I am a senior majoring in Biology and minoring in Environmental Studies at Grinnell College. I spent last summer researching the relationship between topography and the distribution of Clarkia xantiana, an annual endemic to California. Last semester I was in Bhutan learning about the Himalayan environment and development studies, so I’m excited to return to the mountains this summer as I serve as the Science Communication Assistant at Rocky Mountain National Park. Following graduation, I want to communicate scientific research, specifically environmental and ecological research, to policy makers and the public. Through this work I hope to translate the findings of scientific research into action that will allow our society to better mitigate and adapt to our generation’s greatest problems. In my free time I enjoy hiking, wandering around new places, cooking, and playing cards.
MyLynn Phan
University of California–Davis
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
I am a University of California–Davis student who is pursuing a B.S. degree in Community and Regional Development with minors in Education and Religious Studies. Because I am passionate about promoting sustainability and environmental justice, I hope to become an advocate for environmental protection by promoting changes in governmental policy and legislation. As a result of my experiences working as a mentor for first-year students as a Resident Advisor in the student dormitories, and working with the surrounding community, I have decided to pursue a career focused on people and the natural environment. A few of my dream jobs include becoming a ranger for the National Park Service, enlisting in the firefighting service, working for a sustainable outdoors company like Patagonia, or connecting youth to the outdoors through a nonprofit organization. This summer, I will be working as a Science Communication Assistant at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, where I will help develop and edit new K-12 curricula about Kīlauea’s spectacular 2018 eruptions. When I’m not getting hopelessly lost in the wilderness during backcountry excursions, I can be found flameworking at the university craft center or picking bouquets of flowers at the student farm.
Caprice Phillips
University of Texas-Austin
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
After recently graduating from the University of Texas-Austin with an M.A. in Astronomy, I will be interning as a Night Skies Assistant at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. My long-term professional goal is to become a research professor after earning a Ph.D. in Astronomy. As part of my future work, I hope to make astronomy and other branches of science more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. In 2016, I participated in the Mosaics in Science Program, as a Night Skies Assistant at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, watching movies, and drawing.
Brittany Tominez
Chaminade University of Honolulu
War in the Pacific National Historical Park, Guam—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
I am a recent graduate of the Chaminade University of Honolulu with a B.S. in Environmental Studies and a minor in Biology. I will be working this summer as a Natural Resource Interpretive Assistant at the War in the Pacific National Historical Park on Guam, where I am from. I have experience applying restoration methods to watershed ecosystems on both Guam and Hawaii. These include removing invasive plant species along stream banks and in taro patches, surveying and monitoring coral reefs, and removing macroalgae from a coral reef. My career goals include restoring ecosystems to their prior states before any impairments due to human activities as well as rebuilding these ecosystems to be more resilient to any new impairments. My ultimate goals in life are to live a sustainable lifestyle and to help lead others towards a sustainable lifestyle in order to protect and restore our planet. My hobbies include outrigger canoe paddling, snorkeling, and hiking.
Tut Tran
University of California–San Diego
Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado and Utah—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
After earning a B.S. in Earth Sciences and Ecology, Behavior and Evolution at the University of California–San Diego, I conducted paleontological fieldwork with the Utah Geological Survey and worked in mitigation paleontology in Southern California. This summer, I will intern as a Paleontology Assistant at Dinosaur National Monument, where my work will help ensure the longevity of the park’s rich fossil collections. Because I am dedicated to protecting paleontological resources and educating the public about them, I hope to earn a graduate degree in vertebrate paleontology. Accomplishing this goal would allow me to pursue additional work in research, education, and collections management at universities, museums, and public institutions like the national parks. Throughout my career, I hope to advance the public’s understanding of natural history and changes in life on Earth. Contributing to this body of knowledge is important to me because the fossil record is our best model for natural conditions in the absence of human activity and is therefore vital to comprehending present and future societal impacts on the environment. Additionally, because paleontology often serves as a gateway to science and learning, I hope to cultivate a passion for knowledge in others. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, drawing, listening to and playing music, and visiting museums and zoos.
Xavier Rivera
Cleveland State University
Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home ]
I am currently a senior at Cleveland State University, where I am studying Environmental Science with a focus in Biology. During my third summer working on public lands, I will be interning as a Biological Science Technician at Capulin Volcano National Monument. The experience I gain there will help me accomplish my long-term goal of working in natural resource management in either the federal or a state government. I also enjoy teaching the public–especially children about the natural world around us and how to protect it for future generations. Because I have always had a passion for wildlife, the latter half of my college career has focused on learning more about natural resources. Any job that would allow me to travel and explore new and interesting places, work with the public or wildlife, or just be outside is one that I’d be interested in pursuing. For fun, I enjoy cooking, reading, playing board games, visiting museums and zoos, and volunteering at Cleveland Metroparks.
Estefanía Vicens
University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez
Southeast Arizona Group
Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
Coronado National Memorial, Arizona—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
Fort Bowie National Historic Site, Arizona—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
As a recent graduate of the Department of Geology at the University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez, I hope to expand my knowledge of geology while working this summer as a Geomorphology Assistant at the National Park Service’s Southeast Arizona Group. This includes Coronado National Memorial, Chiricahua National Monument, and Fort Bowie National Historic Site. I’m looking forward to this new experience and would love to learn new skills through additional opportunities to help achieve my goal of earning a graduate degree in geology. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling and learning about new cultures as well as practicing yoga, camping, hiking, diving, caving, backpacking, and reading.
Crystal Zhao
Johns Hopkins University
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
As a sophomore at Johns Hopkins University, I am majoring in Environmental Science and English and minoring in Economics. This summer I will be interning at Cuyahoga Valley National Park as a Science Communication Assistant, a position that is especially gratifying because it’s in my local national park, which I have been visiting since childhood. I will be developing a citizen science program focused on monitoring indicators to assess the impact of park management strategies, which will support visitor use management efforts. Because I am dedicated to addressing the critical environmental challenges of our time, I plan to focus my career around helping to build an inclusive, sustainable future. This internship will give me the opportunity to begin exploring where my passions and skills might be best suited. When I am not in class, I work as a teaching assistant at a local high school, agitate for menstrual health equity in the Baltimore area, volunteer with the Maryland SPCA, help curate the campus literary magazine, and participate in cleanup hikes. I also enjoy crafting, reading, and hiking, often at Cuyahoga Valley.
DHA Resource Assistant Intern Profiles (*Direct Hire Authority)
Patricia Alquiza
University of Notre Dame
Biscayne National Park, Florida—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
I am a senior majoring in Environmental Sciences and Spanish and minoring in Sustainability at the University of Notre Dame. This summer I will be interning as a Natural Resource Management Assistant at Biscayne National Park, where I will be analyzing the park’s reef-fish data to help guide and develop park-specific fishing regulations. This internship will provide an opportunity to track spatial and temporal reef-fish trends, as temperatures have risen and human populations have increased, as well as their future implications. During my career, I hope to combine my interests in sustainable living and environmental conservation with social justice to help protect vulnerable organisms as well as marginalized people. During my free time, I enjoy being outside (especially in the sun), playing tennis, practicing yoga, and baking and eating good food.
Zoe Flores
Cornell University
Lava Beds National Monument, California—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
I am a Biology and Society major at Cornell University, where I am interning in the Education Department at the Johnson Art Museum. I also study wasps in the Sheehan Research Lab and work with children in a story-writing program at Groton Elementary School. Because I would ultimately like to blend my interests in biological sciences and education, I am excited to work at Lava Beds National Monument as a Science Communication Assistant. After I graduate, I hope to work as a science educator in a non-classroom environments that I believe are critical for engaging children in subjects beyond their schoolwork. In my free time, I like to read, watch Netflix, take my cats on walks through the woods, and bake.
Donna Molfetto
Florida International University
South Florida Caribbean Network, Florida
As a Ph.D. candidate in Ornithology at Florida International University, I am studying how urbanization affects the South Florida subspecies of Red-shouldered Hawk. This summer, I will be interning at the South Florida/Caribbean Inventory and Monitoring Network to help describe the spatial and temporal patterns of Double-crested Cormorants breeding in Biscayne National Park during the past ten years. It seems I was born wanting to be a biologist; even before I was school-age, I used to say I wanted to be “a vet without the blood”. By my pre-teen years, I was reading National Geographic and the Wildlife Conservation Society magazine. After graduating magna cum laude with a B.S. in Environmental Science and a minor in Government from Cornell University, I moved to Jordan for a year on a Fulbright Fellowship. I then worked for two years as a raptor rehabilitator at the Miami Science Museum before entering graduate school, where I have earned a certificate in public management. After graduating next year, I hope to work for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a job that combines my interests in data management, research, and policy. When I’m not working, I love to ballroom dance and also volunteer doing such activities as fostering dogs and cats and conducting sunrise sea-turtle nest monitoring.
Ansley Watkins
The Ohio State University
Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
I am a junior majoring in Natural Resource Management and minoring in Community Outreach Education at The Ohio State University. This summer, I will be working at Indiana Dunes National Park as a Biology Assistant, a position that will offer me the opportunity to learn more about the intersection between education and the environment, a field I am passionate about and hope to find work in as an environmental educator. I have also considered joining the Peace Corps after finishing my undergraduate degree. When I’m not in class or doing schoolwork, I enjoy cooking, spending time outside, watching movies, and reading.
Cory Zaller-Edmonds
Hiram College
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington—[Geodiversity Atlas] [Park Home]
I am an Environmental Studies major at Hiram College. This summer, I will be working as a Biology Assistant at Mount Rainier National Park. After graduating, I hope to pursue a higher degree so that I can learn more about the planet we live on. Because I enjoy working and being outside and seeing and experiencing things that few people have seen or heard of before, I’d like to pursue a field-based job with the National Park Service or other institution. My hobbies include hiking, snowboarding, playing lacrosse, and camping.
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Last updated: August 25, 2022