Thread: Looking for volunteer mentors for new international internship program

Started: 2022-04-06 01:01:18
Last activity: 2022-04-06 01:01:18
Dear colleagues,

Are you interested in serving as a mentor to an international undergraduate student during Summer 2022?

The IRIS International Development Seismology Committee (IDSC), which serves the IRIS and UNAVCO science communities, is piloting a new virtual summer internship program for international undergraduate students with interests in seismology and geodesy. Students will take part in the Seismology Skill Building Workshop, which will include an optional module on geodetic data this year, and will undertake a research mini-project in collaboration with their mentors. We are seeking volunteer mentors (both graduate students and more senior scientists) who are willing to spend 1-2 hours per week between May 30 and August 19, 2022 working with international interns.

Graduate student mentors are asked to meet with their mentees 1-2 times per week over Zoom to offer encouragement and support as the interns navigate the Skill Building Workshop and their summer research projects, and to provide advice about career paths and graduate school applications. Each intern will be assigned one graduate student mentor.

Faculty/senior scientist mentors are asked to meet with their mentees 1-2 times per week over Zoom to provide advice and encouragement, as well as direction and supervision for the research mini-project. Mentors are also asked to be available to answer questions via email as students work on their projects. Interns will spend ~15 hours per week total on their internship activities (including the Skill Building Workshop), so the mini-project should be designed such that a student can finish the project working for ~80-90 hours total (~8-9 hours per week for 10 weeks). Some examples of potential projects could include:
Use the SplitRacer software to measure SKS splitting beneath a small number of seismic stations and use the results to test hypotheses about mantle flow.
Use the FuncLab software to compute receiver functions and estimate crustal thickness beneath a small number of seismic stations and use the results to test hypotheses about isostatic compensation.
Work with available PBO GNSS time series data during and following the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake to evaluate and perform initial elastic modeling of coseismic and postseismic onfault slip and after-slip.

The goals of this program are to enable international undergraduate students who might not otherwise be able access research opportunities in seismology and geodesy to 1) participate in the Skill Building Workshop, with a stipend and support provided for high-quality internet access, 2) undertake a meaningful research project in seismology or geodesy on a part-time basis, 3) gain access to high-quality mentorship and support from scientists in the IRIS and UNAVCO communities, 4) get help in preparing to apply for graduate programs, and 5) make connections and form networks in the IRIS and UNAVCO science communities. This program is part of the portfolio of IDSC activities that aim to expand international engagement and capacity building in seismology and geodesy.

Are you interested in applying to be an international intern mentor? Please send a short statement of interest (~1-2 paragraphs) via email to IDSC Chair Maureen Long at maureen.long<at>yale.edu <maureen.long<at>yale.edu> (subject line: International intern program) by May 1, 2022. Please briefly describe your interest in, and experience with, mentoring international students. Potential faculty/senior scientist mentors should provide a brief description of a potential project. Faculty and graduate students from the same institution are welcome to apply in pairs, but individual applications are also welcome.

Many thanks,
Maureen (on behalf of the IDSC)

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Maureen D. Long
Bruce D. Alexander ’65 Professor and Chair
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Yale University
PO Box 208109, New Haven, CT 06520
http://people.earth.yale.edu/maureen-long
she/her/hers
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