NAI
2011 Annual Science Report
Carnegie Institution of Washington
Reporting | SEP 2010 – AUG 2011
EPO Activity: Summer Interns in Astrobiology
Project Progress
Every summer, the Carnegie Summer Intern Program brings competitively-selected high school and college undergraduate students to our campus for an intensive 10-week experience in original scientific research. Fundamental investigations in the geosciences (experimental petrology, mineralogy, mineral physics, seismology), planetary sciences and astronomy, and related chemical sciences (inorganic and organic geochemistry, cosmochemistry) are pursued. Throughout the summer, students also tour other DC area research facilities and attend Carnegie’s weekly seminars. At the end of the program, students report on the results of their research at a symposium. Several interns have been lead authors of related articles later published in scientific journals. In summer 2011, three interns were mentored by members of Carnegie’s NAI team. Two students (from the University of Connecticut and the University of Chicago) conducted research in geology and geochemistry under the guidance of Dr Marilyn Fogel. One student (now an undergraduate at Yale) was mentored by Dr Robert Hazen. Support for this program comes from a grant from the National Science Foundation as well as from Carnegie funds.
Collin Black from the University of Connecticut, Storrs Campus. Collin worked with Marilyn Fogel to study the stable isotope ecology of the San Jacinto Mountains in California.
Jessie Garland worked with Robert Hazen to examine rocks from the belt formation in Montana. She is now an undergraduate at Yale University.
Julia Vidonish is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Chicago. She worked with Marilyn Fogel to gain experience in the field of geology.