2023 2023: UMass Dartmouth offers multiple paid internships to New Bedford High School students

Meeting the demand for a diverse and highly skilled workforce in some of the fastest growing industries

UMass Dartmouth has partnered with New Bedford High School (NBHS) to offer their students summer internships in bioengineering, medical laboratory science, chemistry, and marine science. Participating students get hands-on lab training and receive a stipend.  

Bioengineering and biotechnology internship 

Massachusetts Life Science Center (MLSC) provided $70,000 to Tracie Ferreira, associate professor and chairperson of the Department of Bioengineering to support 20 NBHS students for a 6-week paid internship. Now in its fifth year, the internship program provides students with the opportunity to learn about the biotechnology field and develop skills that will prepare them for a variety of STEM careers. This internship consists of 4 weeks of training in bioengineering with Dr. Ferreira, one week in medical laboratory science under the direction of Professor and Chairperson of the Medical Laboratory Science program, Frank Scarano, and one week in chemistry under the direction of Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, David Manke. Of the 20 interns participating this year, 3 are returning for their second summer in a row at UMassD.  

Marine science internship 

The School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) also offers a paid marine science internship program for NBHS students. This year's program is funded by the Jacobs Family Fund and SMAST and is led by Professor Steve Cadrin of the Department of Fisheries Oceanography. The summer program is designed to provide paid research experience to students from under-represented groups in marine science to promote further education and career opportunities. Under the direction of graduate student mentors and faculty supervisors, selected NBHS students will work in selected research labs, attend weekly field trips, and present at a research symposium. Graduate student mentors for the program include: 

• Brittany Morgan (Stokesbury lab: Marine Fisheries Field Research Group) 
• Madeleine Guyant (Fay Lab) 
• Ali Frey and Cole Carrano (Cadrin Lab: Fisheries Biology & Assessment Lab) 
• Chris Rillahan (He Lab: Fish Behavior and Conservation Engineering) 
• Lu Wang (Chen Lab: Marine Ecosystem Dynamics Modeling Group) 
• Juan Gutierrez Bravo (Altabet Lab: Isotope Biogeochemistry Lab) 
• Forrest Kennedy (Seawater Lab) 
• Field trip chaperones: Fiona Edwards, Keith Hankowsky, Max Grezlik, Amy Martins, Jessie Kittel, Cole Carrano, Ali Frey 

This year there are 13 NBHS student interns in the program, 2 of whom are returning for their second consecutive summer at SMAST. For more information about the program, contact coordinator Lauran Brewster: lbrewster@umassd.edu