Part-Time Butterfly Biodiversity and Collections Internship

Penn State University•Ferguson Township, PA

34d•$18

About The Position

The Frost Entomological Museum at Penn State seeks two undergraduate summer interns, to assist with research projects related to butterfly biodiversity and collections. Training and experiences will be provided in the following areas: collecting / rearing (15%) specimen preparation and conservation (20%) collection digitization, including relevant data standards (55%) collections advocacy, policies, and management (3%) public engagement (7%)

Requirements

Careful handling and attention to detail. Interns will work with small and incredibly fragile objects, each with many kinds of data that must be recorded and tracked. Dexterity and awareness are required.
Ability to stay focused. Specimen digitization can be repetitive, but accurate data collection and transcription is required to contribute credible records to global data aggregators.
Curiosity about the natural world. We’re looking for interns who will fully engage with the work, asking questions along the way.
Commitment to science. These specimens are used extensively in research, across many domains. Interns should be facilitative, organized, and goal-oriented.
Comfort in nature. Field work may happen in muddy, wild habitats, where ticks are common.
Familiarity with insect taxonomy. Ability to sight identify specimens, even to a higher-level taxon (order or family), will help us be efficient in all tasks.