INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A select group of ocean science and engineering students from across the globe have made their way to Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute (HBOI) to spend the summer studying alongside top scientists in their fields.
HBOI’s highly competitive summer internship program, now in its 42nd year, provides undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to work with an HBOI faculty mentor to devise, develop and complete an independent research project.
“The opportunity I’ve been given to intern at Harbor Branch has really solidified my passion for biology and cancer research,” said Rakeem Marcelle, an HBOI summer intern and undergraduate student from Brown University.
The program attracts students from prestigious universities worldwide including Rutgers University, Duke University, Pennsylvania State University, Florida Atlantic University and the University of Sãu Paulo. The program typically receives 70 to 100 applications per year and accepts about 20 interns.
“Our summer intern program is a great opportunity for students to experience training in one of our science or engineering labs with faculty mentors and other Harbor Branch staff,” said Dennis Hanisak, Ph.D., program director and research professor. “This experience better prepares them for future careers and makes them more competitive for jobs when they graduate.”
The HBOI summer intern program was launched in 1974 with support from the Link Foundation. The program has hosted more than 500 college and university students from around the world in this 10-week summer research experience. Support for the program also comes from the Gertrude E. Skelly Charitable Foundation, which funds students selected to work in the HBOI marine biomedical and biotechnology program.
For more information, call Carin Smith at (772) 242-2230 or visit fau.edu/hboi/education/internship.php.
