Part-Time Conservation GIS Intern

Penn State University•Ferguson Township, PA

22h

About The Position

The Penn State Agriculture and Environment Center (AEC) was founded in 2008 by the College of Agricultural Sciences to enhance the communication and integration of science to inform policy and improve and build partnerships that benefit working landscapes across the Commonwealth. Over the last two decades, the AEC has helped establish Penn State as a leader in complex environmental problem solving, particularly related to agriculture and water quality, through initiatives such as the Ag 101 training modules, the Conewago Creek Initiative, Greening the Lower Susquehanna, the Lower Susquehanna Regional Partnership, and Pennsylvania in Balance. The AEC’s vision is to embody Penn State University’s land grant mission by integrating the College’s education, research, community outreach, and Extension assets to facilitate collaborative, partnership-based problem solving related to agriculture and the environment at multiple scales. The focus of the AEC’s work is one of the great environmental problems we face today: nonpoint source water pollution caused by land use and land management. This focus on the land and water interface helps position the College as a leader in land and water research, engaged scholarship, and extension and outreach. The AEC has two offices located at the University Park Campus and the Harrisburg Campus (Lower Susquehanna Office). Much of our Lower Susquehanna work takes place at the College’s Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center (SEAREC) in Lancaster County. The AEC is in need of a summer conservation Geographic Information System (GIS) intern at its University Park Campus office. The intern will work collaboratively in a cohort of student summer interns at the AEC and the related Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training (CACAT) at Penn State Extension. The GIS intern will assist the AEC Director, GIS Specialist, GIS Technician, and other staff in the development of a multitude of GIS-based datasets, tools, and maps to support its projects and programs. Work will include collaboration with Penn State research labs providing GIS-based decision support tools to guide agricultural conservation and restoration efforts and CACAT to conduct watershed assessments for county conservation districts that help districts prioritize farmer outreach and conservation practice adoption. These GIS-based data layers, tools, and maps will help the AEC and its many partners prioritize landowner outreach and watershed restoration efforts in watersheds of focus for the AEC, primarily in the Lower Susquehanna region. Other duties (as assigned) to assist the AEC Director and other staff. Developing GIS-based tools will be the primary responsibility of the intern, however they will also have the opportunity to participate in other AEC projects as time permits like volunteer events, educational workshops, field assessments, water quality monitoring, and site visits. Because of the partnership nature of the AEC’s work, the intern will gain exposure to different partners from private, public agency, and nonprofit sectors.

Requirements

Should have relevant coursework, concentration or major in Geography/GIS sciences and interest in water resources, natural resources, and environmental and/or agricultural sciences
Be undergraduate upper-class or in early stages of graduate school (rising third year or above, but all are encouraged to apply and will be considered based on experience/background)
Have excellent writing and communication skills
Have demonstrated proficiency in ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, and Excel, including geospatial analysis and data visualization
Have ability to work from home
Be willing to work outside in variable weather and site conditions
Be able and willing to conduct occasional travel (valid driver’s license and reliable vehicle required)

Responsibilities

Assist the AEC Director, GIS Specialist, GIS Technician, and other staff in the development of a multitude of GIS-based datasets, tools, and maps to support its projects and programs.
Work will include collaboration with Penn State research labs providing GIS-based decision support tools to guide agricultural conservation and restoration efforts and CACAT to conduct watershed assessments for county conservation districts that help districts prioritize farmer outreach and conservation practice adoption.
Developing GIS-based tools will be the primary responsibility of the intern, however they will also have the opportunity to participate in other AEC projects as time permits like volunteer events, educational workshops, field assessments, water quality monitoring, and site visits.

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