Written by Justin Sankey, STEEP trainee and PhD candidate, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography
What is an Externship?
Before we delve into the interviews, let’s start with discussing just what an externship is. An externship is designed to allow graduate students to gain experiences outside of their own lab, potentially with another academic lab, private business, or federal agency. To get the most out of an externship, it is best to find a group engaging in work similar to your own, or work that complements yours. Some selling points for a collaboration might be the access to different instruments you may want to train on, learning new techniques to add to your skillset, and/or an environment within the field of a future career.
Meeting Your Collaborators
When finding a group with whom to collaborate for your externship, unsurprisingly, networking is the key to success.
Jarod Snook, fellow STEEP trainee, met his mentor at a Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) conference. His mentor, Jessica Reiner, PhD, runs a research lab at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Charleston, SC. Given Snook’s research on passive sampling techniques and NIST’s vast collection of analytical standards, their interests aligned well for his project on diffusive gradient in thin-film (DGT) passive sampling for common per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) mixtures.
STEEP lead Jitka Becanova, PhD, started with an idea for a project − using nano materials in passive sampler construction − and then reviewed papers by notable researchers in this area of study. She found one researcher, Robert Hert, PhD, just up the road at Brown University, and her PI, STEEP Director Rainer Lohmann, PhD, had a connection with him.
Similar to Snook, STEEP trainee Asta Habtemichael found his collaborators at an SRP meeting. Habtemichael’s work with phytoplankton bioaccumulation and transformation of PFAS led him to seek the molecular modeling expertise of Carla Ng, PhD, at the University of Pittsburgh.
Training Potential
Training and learning potential from an externship are multidimensional, not limited to purely academic pursuits. When asked about his experience, Snook said, “I not only had a chance to work with new instruments and reference materials, but I had the chance to learn about what life as a federal employee looks like.”
Becanova, who participated in her externship as a Postdoctoral Fellow, sought to gain more technical expertise. She learned how to write a proposal, as well as techniques to characterize materials, such as utilizing zeta potential as a predictor of sorbent materials’ affinity for chemicals of concern.
Habtemichael approached his externship with the goal of learning how to apply molecular modeling to his research.
You can get what you want out of an externship.
Whether gaining valuable insight into potential career paths, increasing your knowledge of your field of study, learning new skills and techniques, or whatever else you may desire, an externship gives you the ability to explore and expand on your career and research goals.
Words of Advice
When asked for some words of advice for those applying to an externship, members had some insightful comments. According to Becanova, “Try something different, go outside of your research topic and learn something completely new.”
Snook echoes Becanova’s sentiments, encouraging externships as a way to test out a job and location of interest post-graduation. Additionally, Snook encourages approaching a potential externship with an idea of skills, techniques, instruments, or materials a collaborator may be able to supply to be able to generate data you otherwise cannot produce.
“Go for it!” Habtemichael underscores. “It is a great experience. Beside the skills you gain during the externship, the experience in writing grant applications from the whole process is invaluable. It is exciting to be able to visit other labs and learn new techniques, make connections, and explore new places.”
Overwhelmingly, all interviewees viewed their externships as a positive experience that allowed them to gain new skills, explore new places, and connect with other researchers. So, if you are thinking of applying for an externship, take Habtemichael’s advice and go for it!
