Internships
Our Sustainability Internships are open to any qualified UofL student (undergraduate or graduate, full-time, part-time, and Federal Work-Study). These positions are intended to help students develop the 10 Essential Skills which have been identified by workforce professionals as crucial skills that all graduates should possess.
April 15, 2024 was the deadline to apply for the Sustainability Internship positions available for 2024-25. Check back in March 2025 to see which positions will be available for 2025-26.
Pay & Hours: All interns are paid $15/hour (no benefits) for an average of 5-10 hours/week throughout the fall and spring semesters. Some positions may be extended into the summer or renewed in the following academic year.
Application Process: Each position is described below. Students should apply for the one position they are most interested in by emailing to the contact indicated below a cover letter and resume that demonstrate their interest and qualifications for the particular position. Internships typically begin in the fall (or summer) for a full academic year. At least a one-year commitment is strongly preferred.
EcoReps Internship
NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED.
Summary: The EcoReps Intern assists the EcoReps Director in conceiving and creating initiatives and programming to support and expand UofL's EcoReps Program. UofL's Sustainability Council launched this ongoing peer-to-peer sustainability outreach and education program in 2012 for all students, faculty, and staff who give a damn! Eco-Reps is designed to move the campus community beyond talk to action for a more sustainable UofL. We provide basic training and resources, service opportunities, and leadership positions as a point-person and peer-to-peer advocate for sustainability. Duties include, but are not limited to, the following, based upon the interests, skills, and knowledge of the intern:
Duties:
- Communications and administrative support for the EcoReps program
- EcoReps website and social media management
- Coordinate volunteers and members
- Design and deploy a monthly newsletter
- Plan EcoReps trainings and meetings
- Assist with composting, vermicomposting, gardening, painting, rainwater capture setup, and other tasks and special projects related to applied sustainability work in our urban setting
- Assist with food recovery and zero waste initiatives
Qualifications:
- Must have demonstrated passion for sustainability.
- Must have solid verbal and written communications skills, including email and social media.
- Must be self-motivated and able to manage projects with relatively little oversight.
- Must be willing and able to perform physical labor, including dirty, all-weather conditions.
- Must demonstrate an ability to provide regular and predictable attendance and effective communication.
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
Contact: Brian Barnes, UofL EcoReps Director, 502-338-1338, brian.barnes@louisville.edu.
Sustainability Communications Internship
Anna Dittman (270-703-3037)
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Jahnavi Doddapaneni (502-296-5758)
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Bailey Klei (859-739-0100)
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Gillian Mathauer (678-943-9065)
NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED.
Summary: UofL has a wide variety of sustainability initiatives designed to enhance our environmental stewardship while creating a more equitable society and fiscally responsible university. The Sustainability Council is seeking an intern to help us tell our story in a way that is engages students, employees, and the public in the process of reshaping our community. In addition to publicizing events and projects, we need assistance getting people involved, driving behavior change, and making the campus itself speak to our values. More details about UofL’s sustainability efforts can be found here.
Duties:
Specific tasks will be tailored to the successful applicant’s particular skills and interests, but potential tasks include:
- Engage students, faculty, and staff in UofL’s sustainability challenges, events, and initiatives, through tabling, social networking and other communication tools;
- Plan campus sustainability events for the public and programming for the Sustainability & Ecology Themed Community;
- Create content (videos, photos, text) for the UofL Sustainability website, blog, eNewsletter, and our social media platforms (TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook);
- Assist with the production and editing of videos;
- Write articles about UofL sustainability events and initiatives for publication on our website and blog, and/or in The Louisville Cardinal (or coordinate the authoring of articles by others);
- Design signs/brochures/displays/mobile apps to increase the visibility of UofL sustainability initiatives and make the campus itself more educational about sustainability and how campus users can engage.
Qualifications:
- Must have a demonstrated passion for sustainability.
- Must be self-motivated and able to manage projects with relatively little oversight.
- Must have well-honed writing and editing skills, excellent interpersonal communication skills, and knowledge of social networking tools.
- Graphic design, photography and/or video skills a plus.
- Journalism or writing experience helpful.
- Interest in strategic communication, persuasion, or behavior change useful.
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
Contact: Justin Mog, Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives, 502-852-8575, justin.mog@louisville.edu
Sustainable Dining Internship
Addie Carter (812-205-5588)
NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED.
Summary: The Sustainable Dining intern plays the role of investigator, educator, and advocate regarding sustainable dining practices on UofL’s campus. This intern’s role is to research efforts that can make dining on UofL’s campus more sustainable, including waste reduction/diversion and sourcing, and to educate diners and the campus community regarding how their plate impacts the planet.
Duties:
- Developing and executing campus events relating to sustainable food and dining on campus (tastings, educational campaigns, food waste education, speaking with classes).
- Educating students and diners on separating landfill waste from compostable and recycling waste from their meals in various locations.
- Helping manage Louie's Greenhouse indoor hydroponics garden at The Ville Grill.
- Educating students and diners on such sustainable food concepts as fair trade, direct farm impact, and various other programs and certifications.
- Creating proposals for dining improvement by researching other campus dining programs and observing UofL dining.
- Observing food waste in all locations, noticing patterns and suggesting ways to reduce post-service waste.
- Observing compost and recycling bins to determine locations where waste stream contamination can be improved upon.
- In addition, we hope the chosen candidate would also have or develop some of their own ideas to plan and implement (with our assistance).
Qualifications:
- Must have a demonstrated passion for sustainability, especially in the areas of food and waste reduction.
- Must be self-motivated and able to manage projects with relatively little oversight.
- Must be willing and able to communicate and speak with many types of people, as education and running events will be an important role.
- Must demonstrate an ability to provide regular and predictable attendance and effective communication
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
Example of Intern's Work:
UofL Dining expands its menu using a new tool bringing fresh food to campus (WDRB, Nov. 17, 2022)
Contact: Lindsay Klingenschmidt, UofL Dining (Aramark) Sustainability Coordinator, Klingenschmidt-Lindsay@aramark.com
Zero Waste Internships
Morgan Early (502-333-4975)
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Rachel Young (502-529-9340)
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Lauren Ceresa (502-345-2279)
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Leo Saunders (606-210-1814)
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Amber Ritter (609-462-7193)
Thanks to our sponsors, WestRock and Republic Services for funding our Zero Waste Internship since Fall 2017!
NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED.
Summary: Zero Waste interns take on a variety of roles as advocates, activists, and organizers for waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting on campus. More details about UofL’s Zero Waste efforts can be found here.
Funding for this position has been graciously provided by UofL's solid waste partners at WestRock and Republic Services. Together they have co-sponsored our Zero Waste Internship since Fall 2017!
Duties:
- Managing the UofL Free Store and Free Sales, including recruiting and managing volunteers (individuals and student groups), helping staff the Free Store directly, and managing the Free Store's social media accounts;
- Actively participating in UofL's Zero Waste Committee which meets monthly;
- Facilitating workshops, demonstrations, and tabling booths to increase awareness about Zero Waste options on campus;
- Working as (and recruiting volunteers to serve as) Trash Talkers stationed at the SAC, during Orientations, and at various large campus events to promote proper waste disposal and compost collection (this includes surveying students about their knowledge of zero-waste efforts and gathering information on what would help align the project more closely with student needs and capabilities);
- Producing videos and social media posts to educate and raise awareness about campus zero-waste efforts;
- Regularly observing high-trash buildings such as Humanities to report on and sort trash-recyclable contamination in containers and to assist with bin and signage standardization;
- Engaging the campus population through contests and promotions to grow community interest in UofL’s recycling, reuse and composting programs, including Ecolympics, the Campus Race To Zero Waste, and E-Waste Collection drive (spring);
- Assisting with the expansion of composting opportunities on campus, including in residence halls; and
- Implementing other self-directed projects developed by the intern in collaboration with the Sustainability Council.
Qualifications:
- Must have a demonstrated passion for sustainability and waste reduction.
- Must be self-motivated and able to manage projects with relatively little oversight.
- Must be willing and able to perform physical labor, including dirty, all-weather conditions.
- Must demonstrate an ability to provide regular and predictable attendance and effective communication.
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
Contact: Justin Mog, Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives, 502-852-8575, justin.mog@louisville.edu
HSC Green Team Internship
NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED.
Summary: The person in this position will serve as staff to the Health Sciences Center (HSC) Green Team in addition to supporting sustainability efforts across the Health Sciences campus and all four of UofL's health sciences schools: Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing and Public Health & Information Sciences. The Intern will also coordinate efforts with UL hospitals and clinics whenever possible. Duties range from conducting surveys about campus practices to helping coordinate events around sustainable initiatives. With a focus on environmental issues and links to human health, HSC sustainability is all about creating a healthy campus.
Duties:
- Help organize monthly meetings of the HSC Green Team, including preparing agenda, arranging for member updates and relevant presentations, issuing meeting minutes.
- Follow up on action items from the Green Team such as researching topics and coordinating activities. Topics the group has expressed interest about include: reducing single use plastics, improving recycling practices, reducing food waste and packaging, planting a medicinal garden.
- Participate in planning Arbor Day events. Serve as steward for the newly planted trees, doing a visual check monthly, watering them during 5-6 day long dry spells in the summer, and using The Nature Conservancy’s Healthy Trees Healthy Cities App to track their health annually.
- Assist in projects associated with the Envirome Institute, for example, becoming an herbicide free campus, transitioning from unsustainable to sustainable practices.
- Conduct occasional site surveys, for example, use of waste and recycle containers in HSC buildings and concentrated smoking areas where No Smoking signs may be warranted.
- Develop means to communicate the initiatives of the HSC Green Team with the campus community, including through social media and digital signage, and coordinating efforts with the Office of Communications and Marketing.
- Reach out to student groups in the Health Sciences Center and on Belknap campus as appropriate on problems and possible solutions around sustainable practices. A primary goal of the HSC Green Team is improved education of campus users, so engaging students in the solutions is important. Coordinate with student organizations in establishing programs on the HSC, for example for food recovery and food pantry, drawing from the experience with Cardinal Cupboard and the Free Store on Belknap.
- Monitor local initiatives such as Louisville Metro 100% Renewable Energy implementation plan, Climate Rallies, Earth Day and Arbor Day events to determine how the HSC community can participate.
Qualifications:
- Must have demonstrated passion for sustainability
- Must have strong writing and other communications skills
- Must be familiar with social media tools and techniques
- Must possess basic organizational and group facilitation skills
- Interest in public health and behavioral change encouraged
Contact: Justin Mog, Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives, 502-852-8575, justin.mog@louisville.edu
Savannah Dowell (270-315-7884)
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Jacob Brown (606-375-5565)
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Cate Cox (502-648-6489)
Garden Internships
NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED.
Summary: The UofL Sustainability Council seeks interns with experience in gardening and an interest in local, healthy food to assist with the operations and promotion of our Campus Gardens (year-round). Tasks are as follows:
Duties (year-round):
- Serve as the primary point-person and coordinator to encourage others (particularly students, but staff, faculty, and community members as well) to utilize and learn from our campus food gardens and edible landscaping.
- Set up, staff, and promote a regular series of weekly group workdays and monthly educational, hands-on workshops in the garden.
- Maintain Garden Commons social media platforms with regular postings of photos, videos, live feeds, and information about the garden.
- Manage garden planning and work planning to maintain the gardens, greenhouse, compost bins, and rain barrels (with the help of volunteers) year-round.
- Establish and maintain signage in the garden to encourage participation, informing people of future workdays/workshops and what's available to harvest. Keep plants well-labeled so that those unfamiliar with growing food can easily identify things.
- Assist with garden upkeep (weeding, watering, clean-up) and harvesting of produce to share (with volunteers, friends, the Cardinal Cupboard or other food pantries).
Qualifications:
- Skilled, physically-fit, self-directed individuals are sought
- Must be willing and able to perform dirty, physical labor in all weather conditions
- Must have basic knowledge of gardening and organic methods
- Prior experience working on a farm or home garden preferred
- Must be self-motivated and able to manage projects and volunteers with relatively little oversight
- Good people-skills and communication skills a must
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
Contact: Justin Mog, Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives, 502-852-8575, justin.mog@louisville.edu
Renewable Energy Internship
NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED.
Summary: In 2021, with funding from SGA, the UofL Sustainability Council acquired custom-made mobile solar generators for remote, off-grid applications and campus events that require some maintenance and help educating other potential users how to use. The Council has also invested in a solar system to power the fans in our greenhouse at the Urban & Public Affairs Garden and a solar charging umbrella at the Garden Commons. These systems occasionally require maintenance. We have also received donations of solar panels in need of restoration. Other renewable energy projects and opportunities around campus continue to emerge, offering excellent applied opportunities for an intern to gain professional experience taking the lead on.
Duties:
- Lead efforts to research and implement renewable energy systems for use at campus sties and events.
- Develop new renewable energy ideas based upon UofL’s needs,
- Plan how these renewable energy needs can be met at little cost using available materials on campus, and
- Construct, repair, and maintain renewable energy systems by hand.
- Work with the Sustainability Council to develop portable and powerful renewable energy systems based on solar, wind, or other off-grid sources to demonstrate the flexibility and usefulness of these forms of energy.
Qualifications:
- Skilled, physically-fit, self-directed individuals are sought
- Must be willing and able to perform dirty, physical labor in all weather conditions
- Must have basic knowledge of renewable energy and electric systems, or an eagerness to learn
- Must be self-motivated and able to manage projects and volunteers with relatively little oversight
- Good communication skills a must
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
Contact: Brian Barnes, UofL EcoReps Director, 502-338-1338, brian.barnes@louisville.edu
Campus Apiarist (Beekeeping Intern)
NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED.
Summary: In 2021-22, with funding from SGA, the UofL Sustainability Council acquired beekeeping equipment and two hives of bees from a neighbor in Schnitzelburg. This allowed us to establish an educational apiary on campus. In its first year, it was located at the site of the UofL Community Composting Project. In 2023, the apiary was relocated to a more accessible and safer location that is even better for the bees, at the UPA Horticulture Zone, in the central courtyard, just to the left of the rear entrance to Urban & Public Affairs (426 W. Bloom St., west of Bettie Johnson Hall). The Campus Apiarist is in charge of maintaining the apiary and conducting outreach to the campus community (using our observation hive), including managing the uoflhoneybees Instagram account.
Duties:
- Maintain hive health - check on hives regularly, conduct regular full or partial revisions (Spring-Fall), and take corrective action to reduce pests, disease, over-crowding, and failing queens.
- Load frames into our observation hive and take it to events to spread awareness
- Work alongside Sustainability Council to plan bee awareness events
- Prepare hives for a safe & successful winter
- Create signage & beautification to spread apiary awareness
- Serve as a “one-stop shop” for any honeybee-related inquiries
- Plant bee-preferred flora around campus if possible
- Extract honey to sample on campus or potentially sell
- Create an online presence (webpage/social media) for the campus hives
- Implement DIY technologies with recycled materials whenever possible
- Prepare for possible hive relocations
- Build and establish swarm boxes across campus in spring
- Research new technologies to support bees (ex. Internal feeders, watering stations)
Qualifications:
- Skilled, physically-fit, self-directed individuals are sought
- Must be willing and able to perform dirty, physical labor in all weather conditions
- Must have basic knowledge of beekeeping using organic methods
- Prior experience managing hives preferred
- Must be self-motivated and able to manage projects and volunteers with relatively little oversight
- Good people-skills and communication skills a must
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
Contact: Justin Mog, Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives, 502-852-8575, justin.mog@louisville.edu
Bike Mechanic Internship
NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED.
Summary: The UofL Sustainability Council seeks an intern with experience in bicycle maintenance, repair, and restoration to provide bike maintenance services and to manage the UofL BikeShare Program. The intern’s primary responsibility will be to provide on-going services to restore, repair, and maintain the University’s bicycle fleet and five bike fixit stations. The University bicycle fleet continues to grow, but currently includes over 50 bikes, including those in the UofL BikeShare Program; work bikes and utility tricycles used on-campus by employees (Physical Plant, Parking, University Police, UPDC, IT Help Desk, and the Office of Health Promotion). When there are no pressing repair needs (especially in the winter), the intern will be in charge of restoring impounded bicycles that have been abandoned on campus or donated to the program to add to our functional fleet. A few times each semester, the intern will also be called upon to assist with occasional campus events at which bike tune-ups will be offered to provide instruction and assistance to students, faculty and staff interested in learning how to work on their own bikes. More details about UofL’s Bicycling initiatives can be found here.
Duties:
- The intern will manage communications with all those seeking semester-long bikeshare, and will manage the bike check-out and check-in process to ensure that all paperwork and record-keeping is properly processed.
- The intern will be expected to travel around campus to regularly check on maintenance needs for our five bike fixit stations, and to provide on-site bike maintenance services for bikeshare or departmental bikes.
- The intern will be on-call for any bike maintenance needs and must be able to respond in a timely fashion.
- The intern will be in charge of restoring impounded bicycles that have been abandoned on campus or donated to the program to expand our fleet and our bike parts library.
- A few times each semester, the intern will assist with free bike tune-ups and instruction for students, faculty and staff at campus events.
Qualifications:
- A skilled, physically-fit, self-directed individual is sought.
- Must be mechanically inclined and have basic knowledge of bicycle maintenance.
- Prior experience working in a bike shop and/or instructing others in bike maintenance preferred.
- Having own bicycle (and possibly some tools) preferred.
- Must be self-motivated and able to manage projects with relatively little oversight.
- Must be willing and able to perform dirty, physical labor in all weather conditions.
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
Contact: Justin Mog, Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives, 502-852-8575, justin.mog@louisville.edu
UofL Community Composting Internship
NOTE: THIS POSITION IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FOR WORK-STUDY STUDENTS ONLY.
Summary: UofL’s Community Composting Program is looking for a student intern to help pick-up organics in our truck for composting (especially coffee grounds from Heine Bros Coffee locations around town) and deliver them to our worksite adjacent to campus and to our community partners at Blackacre State Nature Preserve. Pick-ups occur twice per week. The intern will also be involved in on-going maintenance of the on-campus composting operations and will learn to care for the worms that make our vermicompost. More details about UofL’s Composting efforts can be found here.
Duties:
- Gathering and processing compostables (including driving truck on regular collection routes)
- Caring for live worm populations
- Digging and turning compost
- Lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds short distances
- Helping orient and manage volunteers
- Tending the small garden at the composting site
- Working outdoors in all weather conditions
Qualifications:
- Must have a valid driver’s license
- Must be willing and able to perform dirty, physical labor in all weather conditions
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
Contact: Brian Barnes, UofL EcoReps Director, 502-338-1338, brian.barnes@louisville.edu
Vermiculture Intern
NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED.
Summary:UofL’s Community Composting Project seeks a student intern to join our team with the primary responsibility of managing our vermicomposting operations and worm room. The intern will learn to care for the worms that make our vermicompost and will also be involved in on-going maintenance of the rest of our on-campus composting operations. More details about UofL’s Composting efforts can be found here.
Duties:
- Caring for live worm populations
- Sifting, digging and turning compost
- Lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds short distances
- Helping orient and manage volunteers
- Working outdoors in all weather conditions
- Tending the small garden at the composting site
- Gathering and processing compostables (including driving van on regular collection routes)
Qualifications:
- Must have a valid driver’s license
- Must be willing and able to perform dirty, physical labor in all weather conditions
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
Contact: Brian Barnes, UofL EcoReps Director, 502-338-1338, brian.barnes@louisville.edu
Carbon Accounting Intern
NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED
Summary: The UofL Sustainability Council seeks a highly-motivated, detail-oriented student interested in learning more about greenhouse gas emissions, how they are estimated and tracked, and how they are reported publicly. The successful candidate will work closely with UofL’s Sustainability Coordinator on a year-long project to prepare UofL’s annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report in accordance with our Carbon Commitment and Climate Action Plan.
Duties:
- Assist with the gathering of data from a variety of campus stakeholders for entry into the calculator in order to estimate UofL’s annual greenhouse gas emissions.
- Data includes university-wide population demographics and other institutional characteristics, utilities consumption, refrigerant releases, waste generation, purchasing, and polluting behaviors such as air travel and commuting.
- Assist with data analysis, verification, and cross-checking of data, including the transportation data from UofL's longitudinal commuting survey.
- Assist with generation of the narrative, charts, data visualizations, and recommendations for inclusion in the annual greenhouse gas emissions report to be uploaded to the Climate Commitment and UofL Sustainability websites for public inspection.
Qualifications:
- Must have excellent professional communication skills, especially via email, phone, and in-person.
- Must be willing and able to communicate directly with many types of people.
- Must be self-motivated and able to manage tasks with relatively little oversight.
- Must be detail-oriented. Data management experience preferred.
- Prior knowledge and training in sustainability and climate change preferred.
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
Contact: Justin Mog, Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives, 502-852-8575, justin.mog@louisville.edu
Sustainability Assessment (STARS) Intern
NOTE: THIS POSITION HAS BEEN FILLED (COMBINED WITH CARBON ACCOUNTING FOR 2025)
Summary: The UofL Sustainability Council seeks a highly-motivated, detail-oriented student interested in learning more about what sustainability is, how to measure it, and how it all works at UofL. The successful candidate will work closely with UofL’s Sustainability Coordinator on a year-long project beginning in late Spring to prepare UofL’s triennial submission to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). This is the primary way we measure our progress in sustainability and develop strategic plans for improving.
Duties:
- Gather and compile both qualitative and quantitative data about UofL’s sustainability performance in all four of the STARS areas: Operations, Education & Research, Planning & Administration, and Engagement.
- Contact students, faculty, staff, and administrators to request data and follow-up as necessary in a timely manner.
- Assist with going through records to compile data.
- Manage data as it comes in and keep supervisor informed of status and alerted to missing data.
- Enter data and descriptions into spreadsheets and the online STARS Reporting Tool.
Qualifications:
- Must have excellent professional communication skills, especially via email, phone, and in-person.
- Must be willing and able to communicate directly with many types of people.
- Must be self-motivated and able to manage tasks with relatively little oversight.
- Must be detail-oriented. Data management experience preferred.
- Prior knowledge and training in sustainability preferred.
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
Contact: Justin Mog, Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives, 502-852-8575, justin.mog@louisville.edu
Additional Sustainability-Related Internships at UofL
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All Sustainability majors are required to do a sustainability-related Internship in their junior or senior year. Students receive academic credit for this experience through SUST 404: Internship (3 cr.). The internship is a CUE (Culminating Undergraduate Experience) for students to develop critical thinking skills, synthesize lessons learned from the B.A. in Sustainability curriculum, and apply that knowledge to real-world projects or activities in sustainability. Typical internship sites and clients include: local government agencies, community‐based organizations, business organizations, and university committees or partnerships. The type of employer or work would be the student’s choice; however, the internship would need to be approved by the student advisor to ascertain its relevance to the course of study. The internship must be for a minimum of 12 weeks and 150 hours and the student is required to keep a journal and submit a final research paper at the completion of the internship period.
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Peace Studies Internship/Scholarship
The Peace, Justice & Conflict Transformation program has sometimes had scholarship funds of $750/semester available from the College of Arts & Sciences for selected students pursuing the Peace Studies certificate. Each student will be expected to work with the program director approximately 70 hours/semester (4 hours/week) to support PJCT with PeaceDay (the United Nations' International Day of Peace Peace commemorated around Sept. 21), Student Advocates for Peace and Justice, recruiting new students, and supporting PJCT and SAPJ peacebuilding initiatives. More info. - UofL's Sustainability Council welcomes anyone interested in implementing a project on our campus or community through the Environmental Leadership Program offered by the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center (1924 Newburg Road, Louisville, KY 40205). This program is for people who are passionate about environmental issues and want to make a difference. Similar to an internship, participants choose from a range of projects that match their interests and inclinations.
UofL Sustainability Intern Alumni
 2022-24 Campus Apiarist Shelby Robinson |
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 2022-23 Renewable Energy Intern: Austin Will |
 2023-24 Communications Intern: Katie White |
 2022-24 Zero Waste Intern: Emily Minnis |
2023-25 Zero Waste Intern: Morgan Early |
 2021-24 EcoReps Intern: Chelsea Erbacher |
 Summer 2023 Bike Mechanic Intern: Jess Bryant
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 Spring & Summer 2023 Sustainable Dining Intern: Patricia Nyalwal |
 Summer/Fall 2023 Garden Intern: Amelia Wise |
 Summer/Fall 2023 Garden Intern: Karlie Brockman |
 Fall 2023 Bike Mechanic Intern: Anthony Riley |
 Fall 2022 Garden Intern: Adah Mays |
 2022 Zero Waste Intern: Avery West |
 2022-23 Bike Mechanic Intern: Jonah Hermes |
 2022-23 Dining & Composting Intern: Sarah Bosse |
 2021-24 EcoReps Intern: Bunny Hayes |
 2021-22 Sustainability Assessment (STARS) Intern, Klemmer Nicodemus |
 2021-22 Bike Mechanic Intern, Ethan Johnson |
 Fall 2022 Garden Intern, Rodney Perry |
 Fall 2022 Garden Intern, Hannah Abdur-Rahman |
 Fall 2022 Sustainable Dining Intern, Hannah Feli |
 2021-22 Zero Waste Intern & 2022-24 Communications Intern, Rachel Mudd |
 2022 HSC Green Team Intern, Ryan Adkins |
 2021 Campus Apiarist, Sammy Norman |
 2021-22 Garden Intern, Ashton Lange |
 2021-22 Sustainability Assessment (STARS) Intern, Briant Grant |
 2021-22 Composting Intern, Hope Timberlake |
 2021-22 Composting Intern, Abigail Stanger |
 2021-22 Composting Intern, Heidi Brooks |
 2020-22 Garden Intern, Grace Engleman |
 2021 Sustainable Purchasing Intern, Abigail Exley |
 2020-22 Zero Waste Intern, Jacob Foushee |
 2021-22 Sustainable Dining Intern, Kaitlin Hite |
 2021-22 Sustainability Communications Intern, Maria Cora |
 2021-22 Sustainability Communications Intern, Olivia Bickett |
 2021-22 Sustainability Communications Intern, Hunter Turnbull |
 2020-21 HSC Green Team Intern, Megan Husted |
 2018-22 Composting Intern, Josh Cagle |
 Summer 2021 Garden Intern, Olivia Ridgeway |
 2017-21 Communications Intern, Henny Ransdell |
 2020-21 Bike Mechanic Intern, Ryan Lloyd |
 2020-21 Composting Intern, Alex Watson |
 2020-21 Sustainable Dining Intern, Danielle Roney |
 2020-21 Zero Waste Intern, Lily Stewart |
 2020-21 Communications Intern, Caroline Gribbins |
 2020-21 Garden Intern, Olivia Delano |
 2020 Garden Intern, Alanis Harris |
 Spring 2020 Sustainable Dining Intern, Arii Lynton-Smith |
 2019-20 HSC Green Team Intern, Elliott Grantz |
 2019-20 Bike Mechanic Intern, Palmer Stroup |
 2019-20 Garden Intern, Sydney Hancock |
 2019-20 Zero Waste Intern, Razija Mehinović |
 2018-20 Communications Intern, Sam Hudson |
 2016-19 Community Composting Intern, Kandi Stinson |
 Fall 2019 Bike Mechanic Intern, Kerolyn Board |
 Fall 2019 Sustainable Dining Intern, Lexi Lilly |
 2019-20 Garden Intern, Avalon Gupta-Verwiebe |
 2018-19 Bike Mechanic Intern, Alex Hardy |
 2018-19 Sustainable Dining Intern, Patrick Reeder |
 2018-19 STARS Intern, James Joyce |
 2017-18 Zero Waste Intern, Erin Kurtz |
 2016-2019 Garden & Farmers Market Intern, Ellie Miller |
 2015-18 Bike Mechanic Intern, Riley Kneale |
 2016-17 & Spring 2018 Sustainability Communications Intern, Virginia “Carly” Nunamaker |
 2016-17 Zero Waste Intern, Onajia Stubblefield |
 2015-16 Communications Intern, Caroline Miller |
| Marissa Thalen, 2014-15 Greening Athletics Intern | Lance Biddle, 2014-15 Bike Mechanic Intern | Laura Krauser, 2015-16 STARS & Garden Intern, 2014-15 Climate Action Planning Intern | Maya McFrazier, 2014-15 Zero Waste Intern | Maher Chebbi, 2015 Garden Intern |
PAST INTERNSHIPS
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Sustainable Purchasing Intern
Summary: The UofL Sustainability Council seeks an intern to support UofL's Anchor Mission initiative. UofL is proud to be an Anchor Institution supporting the kind of local economic and community vibrancy that is central to sustainability in the greater Louisville Metro region. In the spring of 2018, UofL became one of 31 colleges and universities in the U.S. to join as an inaugural member of the Higher Education Anchor Mission Initiative. That pilot program launched the Anchor Learning Network, comprising 35 schools in North America including UofL. To support this work, we seek an intern to focus on making it easier for University business units, organizations, and individuals to buy goods and services from diverse businesses and to buy local. The position will begin in January 2021, and last throughout the semester, with the option of continuing thereafter. There is an option of registering for 3 hours of academic credit.
Duties:
- Developing the content for a database of diverse businesses for the University Office for Community Engagement web page to promote purchasing in support of the local community.
- Networking and recruiting help from within the University and community organizations, coalitions, corporations, and other educational, healthcare, and governmental anchor institutions.
- Collaborating with community initiatives and websites that promote diverse purchasing.
- Obtaining procurement information from the University community, including Unit Business Managers and Diversity Committees.
- Contribute to monthly Anchor Mission Initiative strategy meetings organized by the Office for Community Engagement and UofL Sustainability Council.
- Work with potential users, user experience specialists, and technology resources to ensure the web page is user-friend and fully functional.
Qualifications:
- Works well independently;
- Curious, persistent, and upbeat, specifically willingness to call on people you do not know;
- Strong communication and collaboration skills;
- Well-organized and detail oriented;
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
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Sustainability Documentation (STARS) Intern
Summary: The UofL Sustainability Council seeks a highly-motivated, detail-oriented student interested in learning more about what sustainability is, how to measure it, and how it all works at UofL. The successful candidate will work closely with UofL’s Sustainability Coordinator on a year-long project beginning in Spring 2018 to prepare UofL’s 2019 submission to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). This will be UofL's 4th STARS Report and it is the primary way we measure our progress in sustainability and develop strategic plans for improving.
Duties:
- Gather and compile both qualitative and quantitative data about UofL’s sustainability performance in all four of the STARS areas: Operations, Education & Research, Planning & Administration, and Engagement.
- Contact students, faculty, staff, and administrators to request data and follow-up as necessary in a timely manner.
- Assist with going through records to compile data.
- Manage data as it comes in and keep supervisor informed of status and alerted to missing data.
- Enter data and descriptions into spreadsheets and the online STARS Reporting Tool.
Qualifications:
- Must have excellent professional communication skills, especially via email, phone, and in-person.
- Must be willing and able to communicate directly with many types of people.
- Must be self-motivated and able to manage tasks with relatively little oversight.
- Must be detail-oriented. Data management experience preferred.
- Prior knowledge and training in sustainability preferred.
- Must have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
Contact: Justin Mog, Assistant to the Provost for Sustainability Initiatives, 502-852-8575, justin.mog@louisville.edu
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Each summer from 2013-2017, UofL hosted undergrads & recent grads interested in an amazing for-credit summer program that combined coursework in food systems with leadership and professional-skills training. UofL hosted 1-2 FoodWorks interns each summer. FoodWorks is a 9-week integrated program running at three separate sites: Middlebury College (VT), Louisville (KY), and Washington D.C. The mission of FoodWorks is to cultivate leadership using an educational approach comprised of systems thinking, experiential learning, and cohort living built around academic content and context in food studies. The curriculum involves a for-credit course, Experiencing Food Systems taught by Middlebury Professor of Food Studies Molly Anderson, that combines academic readings with weekly trips to meet the movers and shakers of the food system. Each student applies for an internship, where they work 24 hours a week. They also receive a $2,000 non-qualified scholarship to offset expenses.
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Campus Housing’s Green Leader
Interested in becoming a sustainability leader and promoting green living on campus? The Green Room (Louisville Hall #605) gives students who have a passion for sustainability an opportunity to experience and facilitate sustainable living practices on campus. The students who reside in the Green Room will assume the position of Green Leader (also known as Co-Undergraduate Coordinator for Sustainability).
It is a double occupancy room, renovated in 2009 using green design principles, featuring several innovative amenities such as bamboo flooring, low-flow bathroom fixtures, a self-healing clay wall, ceiling fan, and large windows. These unique features not only make the Green Room unlike any other on campus, but they help reduce costs by minimizing energy and water usage. Full details and application.
