SUMMER RESEARCH INTERNSHIPS AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY: TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENT PALEONTOLOGISTS

Summer internships were part of a multi-institutional GEOPATHs project that was designed to inspire, train, and retain diverse students toward careers in the geosciences through experiential research at sea and in the laboratory. Some internships engaged undergraduates in analyses of core sediments collected on a series of research voyages, while others conducted mentored research in marine micropaleontology. Here we focus on the transformative, 2-month summer internship experiences in marine micropaleontology of two undergraduate students whose research was mentored by the curator of foraminifera at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Washington DC. The foraminifera-focused research was conducted in the micropaleontology research spaces behind the scenes in the Museum where students worked side-by-side with graduate students, post-docs, and senior research scientists. Foraminifera are single-celled organisms whose fossil record is used extensively to assess the history of environmental change. Research activities included examination of microfossils from Late Cretaceous seafloor sediment samples. Fossil foraminifera from this time frame and others provided information about the extinctions and changes in species distribution patterns related to global climate change. In addition to conducting research, as part of the internship, students were given private tours of many of the NMNH collections, attended research lectures, met with university alumni working in the area, received a tour organized by their senator, and visited other museums and attractions. Student reflections and interviews reflect the impact of immersive experiences and exposure to research scientists on their career outlook, skills, and education.