Plant Biology graduate student Christopher Warneke awarded NSF internship

Christopher Warneke, a fourth year Plant Biology Ph.D. student with Lars Brudvig's group, has been awarded an internship from the National Science Foundation, through the INTERN program. INTERN is a new initiative at NSF to provide non-academic research experiences to graduate students, interested in pursuing careers outside of academia (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2018/nsf18102/nsf18102.jsp).

This internship will enable Warneke to work for six months with Dr. Stephanie Yelenik, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Island Ecosystem Research Center. Together, Warneke and Yelenik will conduct a research project investigating post-wildfire restoration of native forests in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, on the Big Island of Hawaii. During this time, Warneke will investigate the roles of seeding following wildfire for forest recovery, network with federal research scientists and natural resource managers, and explore career options.

Says Warneke, “I am excited to be able to pursue an experience in research outside of a traditional academic setting! This opportunity will be beneficial in better preparing me for and making me more competitive for a non-academic research career, which I hope to pursue after finishing here at MSU.”