This summer, I had the absolute pleasure of interning in the Terrestrial Ecology Lab at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in Edgewater, Maryland. The gracious opportunity to apply for this internship came back in December of 2022, when Drs. Carlson and Walsh sent out the application form. I’m forever thankful for their selection and allowing me to spend a summer at the most noted environmental research center in the country. Within the internship, I was able to head up my own experiment on rhizobial bacteria diversity and soybean health, as well as assist with a 10 year ongoing study on tree biodiversity. My day to day varied, but I knew I would either be in the lab where I worked on bacteria samples, coding, or reading scientific literature. If I wasn’t in the lab, I was out in the field measuring tree biomass, measuring my soybeans and tending to them, or doing plot maintenance. This internship catapulted me into the world of environmental research, which altered the trajectory of my career plans. Originally I wanted to take my four year degree and go into environmental consulting, but after seeing just how awesome the research side of environmental science is, I quickly changed my mind. I was passionate about the work I was doing and was eager to go into work every day. Throughout the internship, us interns would attend professional development sessions once a week, which greatly benefitted my understanding of graduate and post-graduate opportunities in environmental science. In short, my summer at SERC played a huge role in re-configuring my career goals and outlining the steps needed to achieve them.
I was also able to observe great leadership qualities in the workplace through my head lab technician, Jamie Pullen. Jamie managed multiple taxing projects, interns, and a chief safety role to name a few obligations. Despite the immense workload, Jamie always kept a positive, yet focused workspace with a great work-life balance as well. Both of these qualities are something that I want to employ in my future. Thank you so much to Wabash, the Wabash Global Health Initiative, Drs. Brad Carlson and Heidi Walsh, Dr. Dennis Whigham (Wabash ℅ 1966), John Parker, Jamie Pullen, and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center for an amazing summer! Here is a quote that my PI, John Parker delivered while introducing me before my final presentation at SERC. “During my time at SERC, I’ve had upwards of 50 interns, and I love having interns because they keep me young and bring new energy and ideas to the lab. This summer, Matt has been a shining example of just that.” Action Photos are below, the third photo is Dr. Dennis Whigham:
