Brown students explore climate careers through IBES summer internships
A record 36 Brown students spent the summer working with organizations across the U.S. and around the world, exploring diverse career paths in climate, sustainability, and the environment.
Brown students from a range of concentrations spent the summer working with organizations addressing climate and environmental challenges in fields including climate technology and sustainable finance to environmental policy and advocacy. The internships are part of the Student Transformative Engagement Pathways (STEP) program, an expanding IBES initiative designed to connect students with meaningful professional experiences beyond the classroom. This summer marked IBES' largest internship cohort to date, with 29 employers hosting 36 students selected from a pool of 215 applicants.
Students share their experiences in photos and videos
What does climate work look like beyond the classroom? In this media gallery, students reflect on their summer placements, the projects they contributed to, and what they’re bringing back to Brown.
As the RI DEM Bureau of Natural Resources’ Seafood Marketing Assistant, Kano Mosher ’27 dove into hands-on learning experiences on the water.
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This summer, Tatum Muller ’27 served as an Investments Intern at SeaAhead, where she helped develop their database tracking funding globally within ocean tech startups. She also worked on memos for investment companies and papers on ocean intelligence and the maritime domain space.
Through her work with The Nature Conservancy, Ariadna Talavera Pistrin ’27 spent time examining the Rhode Island coast and helping to restore it.
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Griffin Schwartz ’28 interned with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School in New York, helping with the city’s climate law initiative. In the role, Griffin assisted in developing resources to help local legislators pass stronger regulations on data centers.
A summer in New York City allowed Griffin to interact with local legislators and communities.
Benjamin Hader ’28 interned at University of Miami Center for Ethics and Public Service.
Lily Mitchell ’28 spent the summer as the Audubon Society of Rhode Island's Water Resources Intern at the Stormwater Innovation Center.
Part of Lily’s work included collecting samples of water to better understand the natural resources in the area.
Emma Chandler ’28 served as an intern at The Ocean Project, a nonprofit organization that empowers youth to support ocean conservation. "I spent a lot of time collecting data on ocean-related celebrations and events that happened in different African countries as part of the organization’s effort to track global recognition of the holiday and month," she said. "World Ocean Day happens every year on June 8th and the Ocean Project strives to get the word out about it and monitor its global reach."
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Eric Ericson ’27 spent the summer with Blue Forest as a Wildfire and Water Resources Intern. By looking at case studies, he was able to create a database that displayed and quantified the impact of wildfires on water utility companies with the hope of boosting Blue Forest’s engagement with water utilities partners.
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As an intern with the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, Eduardo Adriano ’27 started out by learning the basics of IATP’s mission before delving into his own project. Eduardo spent his summer researching Brazilian systems and the way the market could be affected by the European Union Deforestation Regulation.
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As an intern with Grassroots International, Lena Harms '29 spent the summer researching and writing about the socioecological impact of data centers.
Researching horseshoe crab protections
Madeline Bryant '27 spent the summer interning with the Southeastern Massachusetts Pine Barrens Alliance. Her archival research could inform future protections for horseshoe crabs in New England.
Internship opportunities continue to grow
IBES has expanded its student internship program significantly over the past year, both in the number of placements offered and the types of work represented. New opportunities are giving students more ways to explore potential career paths and see where their interests and studies might take them.
“The eagerness, excitement, and gratitude from our students, faculty, and employer partners have exceeded all expectations,” says STEP director Betsy Loucks. “Hearing host employers say they wished a program like this existed when they were in school really highlights the impact here. This program fills a critical gap in workforce development for careers dedicated to addressing the climate.”
Summer internships by the numbers:
- Nearly 4x as many internships as 2025
- 215 student applicants for 36 placements
- 29 participating employers across the U.S. and around the world
- 65 applicants for six climate technology placements
For students, the experience provides more than an introduction to a particular profession. Working alongside practitioners gives them a window into how climate and environmental solutions are being developed now—and an opportunity to consider how that experience might inform what they study, research, and pursue when they return to Brown.
How to connect with IBES’ STEP internship program
- Students: Application for a spring 2027 internship from are open September 28–October 12. Summer internship opportunities will open in early March. Apply via the SPRINT Fellowships portal.
- Organizations: Host a Brown-funded summer 2027 intern. Applications are open now through November 24.
- Alumni and employers: Participate in the Climate Career Fair on February 19, 2027, joining students for one-on-one career conversations or representing an organization seeking interns and graduating seniors. Contact Betsy Loucks at elizabeth_loucks@brown.edu to learn more.