Future Sustainability Leaders Internship Program
FSL Internships relate to the overarching challenge of sustainability, which requires a dual focus on the well-being of people and the natural world. Such challenges arise in a wide range of contexts, and include issues involving the environment, conservation, climate change, One Health, energy transitions, etc.
2024 Internship Teams
Penobscot Indian Nation Water Resources Program Internship
Undergraduate Intern: Zahra Farahmand
UMaine Mentor: Holland Haverkamp (UMaine)
Partner Mentors: Angie Reed, Dan Kusnierz, and Jan Paul, Penobscot Nation
Social Science on Summits: An investigation into effective management strategies to protect summit vegetation
Undergraduate Intern: Erin Ciampa
UMaine Mentors: Anup KC, and Molly Bogner
Partner Mentor: Becca Stanley, Friends of Acadia
Economic Development: More Fun Than It Sounds (Seriously!)
Undergraduate Intern: Miles Jones
UMaine Mentor: Sharon Klein
Partner Mentor: Michael Burgess, Penobscot Nation
Discovering Downeast Salt Marsh Connections
Undergraduate Intern: Edge Venuti
UMaine Mentor: Jessica Jansujwicz
Partner Mentor: Chris Feurt, Wells Estuarine Research Reserve
Penobscot Nation Energy Initiatives
Undergraduate Intern: Katie Simmons
UMaine Mentor: Sharon Klein
Partner Mentor: Gary Fearon, Penobscot Nation
Maine Community Power Cooperative
Undergraduate Intern: Katie Simmons
UMaine Mentor: Sharon Klein, Solomon Agbesi
Partner Mentors: Tyler Adkins, Maine Community Power Cooperative and Scott Vlaun, Center for an
Ecology-Based Economy
Creating the Maine Community Resilience Workbook 2024 Edition
Undergraduate Intern: Nicole LeBlanc
UMaine Mentor: Katie Swacha
Partner Mentors: Nathan Robbins, Maine DEP; Parker Gassett, Maine Climate Science Information
Exchange; Judy East, Maine Bureau of Resource Information and Land Use Planning, DACF
2023 Internship Teams
Improving DEP Services on Nature-Based Solutions for Resilient Infrastructure
Graduate Intern: Karina Cortijo-Robles
Faculty mentors: Jessica Jansujwicz, Lauren Ross, Parker Gassett
Partner mentor: Nathan Robbins, Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection
Historical Uses of the Proposed Area for the Maine Offshore Wind
Graduate Intern: Katrina Webster
Undergraduate Intern: Ariana Edwards
Faculty mentor: Christine Beitl
Partner mentors: Carl Wilson and Casey Yanos, Maine Dept. of Marine Resources
Empowering Community Resilience and Economic Development in Washington County
Graduate Intern: Gray Jones
Undergraduate Intern: Dawson Pillow
Faculty mentor: Tora Johnson, University of Maine at Machias
Partner mentor: Jennifer Peters, Sunrise County Economic Council
Bear Outreach and Education Program
Graduate Intern: Carrie Loomis
Faculty mentor: Emily Uhrig, Collaborative Project Coordinator, UMaine
Partner mentor: Amanda DeMusz, Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Disaster Dollars – Strengthening Hazard Mitigation Planning Services in Maine
Undergraduate Intern: Jorja Hooper
Faculty mentor: Adam Daigneault
Partner mentor: Sam Roy, Maine Emergency Management Agency
Barriers to outdoor recreation faced by Underrepresented Minority groups in MaineGraduate Intern: Gray Jones
Graduate Intern: Gabrielle Venne
Undergraduate Intern: Erin Ciampa
Faculty mentor: Sandra De Urioste-Stone
Partner mentor: Rex Turner, Maine DACF, Bureau of Parks and Lands
Seeking Solutions to Food Waste in Maine
Undergraduate Interns: Colin Smith, Estephanie Baez-Vazquez, Jessica Cleary-Reuning
Faculty mentors: Susanne Lee and Travis Blackmer
Maine Local Energy & Climate Network
Undergraduate Intern: Mads Howorth
Faculty mentor: Sharon Klein
2022 Internship Teams
Tackling an Unsustainable Waste Stream to Protect a National Treasure
Graduate Intern: Jared Entwistle
Undergraduate Intern: Rachel Pellis
Faculty mentor: Cindy Isenhour
Partner mentors: Kevin Sutherland and Valerie Peacock, Town of Bar Harbor
Harnessing GIS tools for Community Resilience and Prosperity in the Sunrise County
Graduate Intern: Amy Dowley
Undergraduate Intern: Austin Simmons
Faculty mentor: Tora Johnson, University of Maine at Machias
Partner mentors: Jen Peters and Charles Rudelitch, Sunrise County Economic Council
Educational and workforce development priorities for training the next generation of Maine’s fishermen and aquaculture farmers
Graduate Intern: Gabriella Gurney
Undergraduate Intern: Emma Brusie
Faculty mentor: Jessica Jansujwicz
Partner mentor: Keri Kaczor, Maine Sea Grant
COVID-19 Impacts on Outdoor Recreation Trends and Management Issues
Graduate Interns: Lucy Martin, MacKenzie Conant, Gabrielle Venne
Undergraduate Intern: Molly Bogner
Faculty mentor: Sandra De Urioste-Stone
Partner mentor: Rex Turner, Maine DACF, Bureau of Parks and Lands
Rapid, field deployable method for the detection of fecal contamination of water
Graduate Intern: Casey Schatzabel
Faculty mentor: Jean MacRae
Partner mentor: Hannah Horecka, Maine Dept. of Marine Resources
Improving Dept. of Environmental Protection Services on Climate Resilient Infrastructure
Undergraduate Intern: Melissa Genoter
Faculty mentor: Jessica Jansujwicz, Lauren Ross, Parker Gassett
Partner mentor: Nathan Robbins, Maine Dept. of Environmental Protection
Resources
Mitchell Center Article
New internship program empowers the next generation of sustainability leaders
Mitchell Center Talk (October 2022)
Training the next generation of leaders to solve complex societal problems: The important role of internships
Jessica Jansujwicz, Assistant Director for Research, Maine Sea Grant and Student Interns