(Associate/Undergraduate) Intern – Community Air Quality Monitoring
About The Position
The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) is seeking one student intern to support its collaboration with the Kern Community College District and the California Renewable Energy Laboratory (CREL). The Air Quality Monitoring intern will join the Impacts Analysis Group within the NLR Strategic Energy Analysis Center (SEAC). SEAC performs a variety of environmental sustainability assessments of energy technologies with objective, technology-neutral analysis. SEAC aims to increase understanding of energy policies, markets, resources, technologies, and infrastructure to address U.S. economic, security, and environmental priorities. The intern will work with researchers in the SEAC on applied research and development of educational resources related to community-scale air quality monitoring in Kern County and the San Joaquin Valley with low-cost sensors. The internship will be fully remote, with regular virtual mentoring and team meetings. NLR will provide a laptop and the required software and system access for remote work. An optional visit to the NLR Golden Campus may be offered during the internship, subject to separate project funding, eligibility, scheduling, and NLR visitor requirements.
Requirements
- Associate: Minimum of a 2.7 cumulative grade point average. Currently enrolled in an accredited associate degree program (community college or technical college) in a related field of study. Must be at least 18 years of age.
- Undergraduate: Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution.
- Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months, with minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
- Currently enrolled in an accredited associate or bachelor’s degree program in engineering or engineering technology, environmental science, chemistry, energy systems, sustainability, public health sciences, data science, applied mathematics, research laboratory technology, industrial automation, or a related field
- Interest in air quality, energy systems, sustainability, applied research, or technical education
- Basic proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
- Strong written communication and organizational skills
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a remote environment
- Experience conducting literature reviews or organizing technical information (Bachelor-level applicants only)
- Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
Nice To Haves
- Lived experience in the targeted research location (Kern County)
- Relevant coursework in engineering, science, laboratory technology, chemistry, public health, statistics, or energy systems
- Familiarity with spreadsheet analysis, data visualization, or technical documentation
- Experience preparing basic technical reports and presentations
- Experience writing or presenting technical or educational materials for diverse student audiences
- Experience working on community science projects (on any topic)
- Experience with low-cost air quality sensors or environmental field data collection (Bachelor-level applicants only)
Responsibilities
- Research and synthesize best practices for community air quality monitoring networks
- Review existing air quality monitoring programs in California and the Kern County region
- Support development of potential configurations for integrating KernCCD-hosted low-cost sensors with existing sensor networks
- Assist with environmental data collection, analysis, and presentation
- Help develop community science and educational materials
Benefits
- medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match
- sick leave (where required by law)
- performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component
- relocation expense reimbursement
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Part-time
Career Level
Intern
Education Level
Associate degree
