LSC students apply communication education at internships near and far

Over the summer, LSC students had fun applying their science communication education as interns in professional settings across the country. Here we highlight a few examples of LSC’s many summer interns.

Riley Steinbrenner holding a crayfish for her internship at Trout Lake Station
Riley Steinbrenner holding a crayfish for her internship at Trout Lake Station

Senior Riley Steinbrenner traveled to Boulder Junction, Wisconsin this summer to intern at the University of Wisconsin Center for Limnology’s Trout Lake Station. She worked on the center’s social media strategy, helped organize station events, and created content for a section of the Center for Limnology’s blog, Off the Reel.

“One of my inspirations for Off the Reel was from what I learned about photography and communicating science with narrative in my LSC courses: Storytelling paired with visuals can increase narrative transport, which helps readers understand and enjoy learning about complex scientific research! I also got a chance to use the graphic-design principles I learned from LSC,” says Steinbrenner.

Internships are an opportunity for LSC students to apply what they have learned while honing their skills and contributing as up-and-coming professionals.

“Summer internships can change a student’s life because they realize how much they have learned in class. It builds so much confidence and people skills. Students can test their knowledge in the real world and refine their views of what works in science communication,” says Shiela Reaves, LSC professor and director of undergraduate studies. “Employers get great energy from students and fresh perspectives based on theory. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Mariah Martin at Lallemand
Mariah Martin at Lallemand

Back in Madison, senior Gilly Davison wrote online news for various outlets, created social media content, and developed websites as an intern with UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences External Relations and the UW-Madison Global Health Institute.

“Because LSC provides such a current and evolving curriculum, I’m often learning new skills or ideas that I can then take with me and introduce to the office,” says Davison

Since many LSC students pursue double majors or certificates to complement their LSC coursework, their internship often reflect the intersection of their studies. LSC senior Mariah Martin is one of those students. Martin is pursuing Agricultural Business Management and Leadership certificates, and this summer she interned with Lallemand Animal Nutrition. At Lallemand, Martin wrote press releases, created an analysis of Lallemand’s competitors, and monitored their earned media both online and in print. Additionally, she used her knowledge of search engine optimization to maximize the number of visitors to Lallemand’s websites.

Alison Wedig at Farm Journal Media
Alison Wedig at Farm Journal Media

Also in the field of agricultural communication, LSC senior Alison Wedig worked as a digital content intern at Farm Journal Media in Chicago, Illinois. The internship, supported by the Andy Weber/Explore Ag Media Scholarship, challenged Wedig to think outside the box and critically evaluate how readers consume news about agriculture.

Senior Morgan Scrobel’s summer internship served as the perfect bridge between her undergraduate and graduate careers. Scrobel interned for the Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Control Program at the UW Carbone Cancer Center. There, Morgan helped produce publications for the Center for Disease Control’s “Success Stories” and Our Lives Magazine. Morgan recently graduated from LSC and is now pursuing her master’s degree at the Rollins School of Public Health.

“It’s so great to see students applying what they learned in the classroom outside our walls,” says LSC Chair Dominique Brossard. “I’m looking forward to seeing them become successful young professionals.”