UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Twelve Penn State students have been selected as College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society 2018 Internship Award winners. The award, which includes a $1,000 stipend, was established to encourage students to participate in a credit or noncredit educational internship program that relates to their field of study.
"Internships provide students with real-world experience that builds their skill set, professional relationships and portfolio," said Alan Schaffranek, the college's assistant director of alumni relations. "The Alumni Society encourages students to take part in these important work experiences and is pleased to recognize outstanding internship performance."
Internship award winners are chosen based on an internship plan, a final report, an employer evaluation and a letter of recommendation from their academic adviser. The recipients are:
— Jared Adam, an agroecology major from Blandon. A graduate of Fleetwood Area High School, Adam was a research technician for Lehigh Agricultural and Biological Services in Hamburg. He assisted with conducting chemical and fertilizer applications, worked on tasks that increased his knowledge regarding crop-specific insects, supported research projects on a large-scale farm, and earned a commercial applicator license and research chemical applicator license.
— Joshua Beam, an animal science major from Elverson. A graduate of Twin Valley High School, Beam was an agronomy intern for The Mill of Belair, located in Belair, Maryland. He assisted the agronomists with research projects, conducting tasks that included field scouting, recording measurements/observations, collecting data and applying various fertilizer treatments. He also planted crops, monitored crop growth and learned about sustainable agricultural practices.
— Jacqueline Idun, an animal science major from Aston. A graduate of Sun Valley High School, Idun interned at EMD Serono of Billerica, Maryland, with its translational in vivo pharmacology/oncology group. She pursued advanced technical skills in pharmacology, improving her understanding and technique in cell culture. She cultured cancer cells for the working bank and assisted with cancer studies involving biomarkers, efficacy and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics.
— Jason Klus, a food science major from Union City. A graduate of Union City Area High School, Klus was a research and development, quality, and innovation intern at Mondelez International of East Hanover, New Jersey. He assisted with various experiments related to food science and honed team-building skills while working on projects with personnel from the company's regulatory, quality assurance, consumer science, procurement and marketing departments.
— Sean Lauer, a wildlife and fisheries science major from Cross Roads. A graduate of Kennard-Dale High School, Lauer was a big game/terrestrial intern with the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission. He worked with a variety of species, such as whitetail deer, mule deer, elk and pronghorn. His responsibilities included capturing and radio-collaring fawns, locating elk-calving grounds, conducting deer-spotlight surveys at night, and performing mountain lion necropsies.
— Julianne Martinez, a biological engineering major from Shrewsbury. A graduate of Susquehannock High School, she was an engineering intern with KCI Technologies of Sparks, Maryland. She worked in the water and wastewater department, assisting with tasks related to Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission projects, including data collection, pavement calculations, and location of underground pipes and utilities. She also used AutoCAD, a computer-aided design program.
— Juliet Mejias, a community, environment, and development major from Philadelphia. A graduate of Cheltenham High School, she was a community engagement intern with Penn State Extension in Center City, Philadelphia. During her internship, she worked on an urban farm in north Philadelphia, where she performed farm-related tasks, led community volunteer days and oversaw the operation of the farm's food stand.
— Tony Rice, an agribusiness management major from Pleasant Mills. A graduate of Midd-West High School, he served as an agricultural affairs intern at the White House and in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. His job included policy research, helping staff members with policy coordination and integration across executive departments, assisting with events, and studying agricultural trade issues and barriers.
— Aaron Sledge Jr., a plant science/horticulture option major from Pittsburgh. A graduate of the Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, Sledge was an interior-scaping intern with The Plant Lady and Associates of Pittsburgh. His responsibilities included outdoor landscaping, interior plant maintenance, propagation, floral design, disease diagnosis, integrated pest management, plant identification, sanitation and client interaction.
— Jessica Sourbeer, a forest ecosystem management major from Pittsburgh. A graduate of Upper Saint Clair High School, she was an urban forestry intern with Penn State Extension in Pittsburgh. Her primary responsibility was completing a preliminary forest inventory in North Park, a park outside of Pittsburgh. The work entailed recording data on stem diameters, species type, condition and other qualitative observations.
— Jessica Yaeger, a plant science/horticulture option major from DeKalb, Illinois. A graduate of DelKalb High School, she was a greenhouse intern with Midwest Groundcovers of St. Charles, Illinois. During her internship, she processed greenhouse orders, tested soil samples for electrical conductivity and pH, pruned plants, selected shrubs for landscaping purposes, tested fertilizer, and designed and constructed landscapes and flower beds.
— Mackenzie Yorlets, an animal science major from Carlisle. A graduate of Cumberland Valley High school, she was an intern with PennAg Industries Association in Harrisburg. During her time with PennAg, she supported member relations, assisting the Pennsylvania Soybean Board with creating a map of feed mills and grain-buying locations and working with the Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council on event planning and social media.