CICOES is excited to announce the start of our 2022 undergraduate research internship program. Our 14 students began on Tuesday, June 21, and are working on research projects with scientists at the University of Washington, NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The nine-week program will conclude with presentations on Wednesday, August 17, at the UW Waterfront Activities Center.

2022 Undergraduate Interns

Audrey Casper – George Washington University

Audrey is a junior majoring in environmental and sustainability science. This summer she’ll be working on NOAA coastal hazard forecasts with Dr. Melissa Moulton in UW’s Applied Physics Laboratory.

• I’m a poet and a playwright
• I developed a love for trees after reading The Overstory by Richard Powers last winter.
• I love to and have been in various choirs for the past twelve years.

Esmeralda Chavelas – University of California San Diego

Esmeralda is a junior at UCSD majoring in marine biology and minoring in climate change studies. She’ll be researching habitability on Snowball Earth with Dr. Abigail Swann in the UW Department of Atmospheric Sciences.

• I love collecting sneakers and sandals but my favorite shoes to collect are definitely Crocs.
• I love hiking and going for runs on the beach.
• I recently started a small business in which I offer teeth whitening, tooth gems, and eyelash extensions.

Andrea Emmanuelli – Florida State University

Andrea is a junior majoring in geology. This summer she’ll be studying nitrous oxide in marine environments with CICOES researcher Dr. Bonnie Chang.

• I’m Puerto Rican.
• I love backpacking and rock climbing.
• I’m a huge Star Wars nerd.

Sarothi Ghosh – University of Florida

Sarothi is a junior majoring in physics. The focus of his project will be insights on Antarctic water isotope distribution from a 1-D climate model led by Dr. T.J. Fudge in the UW Department of Earth and Space Sciences.

• I slept through Hurricane Wilma (but to be fair, I was 3 years old at the time).
• I saw the launch of the Parker Solar Probe.
• In my free time I enjoy listening to music and taking photos of interesting plants.

McKenna Ives – Eastern Washington University

McKenna is a senior majoring in environmental science with an environmental biology option. This summer she’ll will be trying to determine if strong ligands and dissolved iron are tighly coupled in hydrothermal systems. the project will be led by CICOES researcher Dr. Colleen Hoffman.

• I have a lighted, 5-tier display for my rock collection (my favorite is a sample of wood opal).
• One of my favorite animals is an octopus, and I got to play with and feed some Day Octopuses at a research facility in Hawaii this past summer.
• I originally planned on a path in nursing from middle school to high school, but I fell in love with environmental science after I took an AP Environmental Science class my senior year. I completely changed my mind on what I wanted to do in my future, and I have not regretted it a bit.

Willow Jackson – Bellevue Community College

Willow is a junior majoring in ocean sciences. She will be exploring the climate impacts and adaptation responses of salmon subsistence fisheries in the Northern Bering Sea with Dr. Sarah Wise at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center.

• I’m from a small island in Southeast, Alaska- which only inhabits roughly around 500 people.
• I have never driven a truck before.
• I have a wild obsession with Arizona green tea.

Allison James – Middlebury College

Allison is a senior majoring in computer science. This summer she will be developing an interactive Shiny app for harbor seal abundance in Alaska with Dr. Stacie Hardy at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center.

• This past fall, I studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark.
• My favorite winter activity is skiing, especially at the Snow Bowl, Middlebury’s ski area.
• I was a camp counselor in northern Minnesota for three years, where I loved canoeing in the Boundary Waters.

Vanessa Martinez – Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico

Vanessa is a senior working on a bachelors degree in chemical engineering with a concentration in pharmaceutical engineering. This summer she will be working on the Alaskan Layered Pollution and Chemical Analysis Project with Dr. Becky Alexander in the UW Department of Atmospheric Science.

• I’m first generation college student.
• This is my first time traveling out of Puerto Rico.
• I love to take pictures of the sunset or the sky full of clouds.

Andrea Mendoza – Heritage University

Andrea is a senior majoring in biology. She will be researching the effects of climate change on coral and kelp species with Dr. Jacpueline Padilla-Gamińo in the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.

• I enjoy hiking and painting.
• My first language was Spanish.
• I am left-handed.

Ally O’Neill – Michigan Technological University

Ally is a senior majoring in applied ecology and environmental science, wildlife ecology, and conservation. This summer she’ll be researching adaptive capability of fisheries to climate change with Dr. Tim Essington in the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Science.

• I studied abroad in San Sebastián, Spain last spring semester where I learned beginner Spanish.
• While in Spain, I learned how to surf and would love to continue practicing. This winter I want to practice snowboarding.
• I love backpacking, and my favorite place to backpack is Isle Royale National Park.

Bailee Porter – North Carolina State University

Bailee is a senior majoring in biological oceanography and psychology. This summer she will be studying biosurfactant production by sea-ice algae and it’s ability to combat Arctic oil spills with Dr. Jodi Young in the UW Oceanography Department.

• I enjoy reading. My favorite genres are thriller, mystery, and horror.
• During the COVID lockdown, I became the owner of four snails, and currently have ten.
• I like starting different projects and hobbies usually involving my creative side.

Sydney Rivera – Texas State University

Sydney is a senior majoring in geographic resources and environmental studies. This summer she will be studying Seattle’s urban coyote diets with Samantha Kreling in UW”s School of Environmental and Forestry Sciences.

• I only need 5 hours of sleep each night.
• I do or have done probably every craft you can think of and have an absurd number of hobbies including playing the violin and ukulele.
• I love to experiment with styles whether through clothing and outfits or makeup.

Darius Withrow – Washington State University

Darius is a senior majoring in environmental science. This summer he’ll be researching the effects of artificial light at night on predation risk for juvenile salmon in the Lake Washington Basin with Dr. Dave Beauchamp and the U.S. Geological Survey.

• I grew up in a military household. Because of this, I have lived in many different places in the country and overseas. A total of 7 major moves and over a dozen different houses.
• I like to immerse myself in many different hobbies such as camping, cooking, gaming, golfing, hiking, and tabletop games of all different kinds.
• My favorite season is autumn because I’m able to see the leaves change, wear hoodies, and eat lots of food with my friends and family.

Owen Yazzie – Arizona State University

Owen is a senior majoring in earth and environmental studies. This summer he will working on a Dungeness crab meat quality index with CICOES researcher Emily Norton.

• I love to go horseback riding.
• I have a large Lego collection, mostly made of Star Wars sets.
• I enjoy Wes Anderson films.