Fellowships and internships
Winter in the field
Environmental Studies (ENST) students actively pursue internship opportunities both during the semester and during the summer. Local examples include internships at the Mohonk Preserve and the Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies, as well as internships focusing on bird conservation and water testing.
ENST students also successfully obtain fellowships both during their time at Vassar as well as after graduation. Contact the Fellowship Office for more information on off-campus environmentally related fellowship opportunities. On-campus opportunities include:
Environmental Research Institute
The Environmental Research Institute (ERI) is a research and public outreach wing of Vassar’s Environmental Studies program. Its mission is to provide opportunities for faculty and students to conduct research on Earth’s environmental systems, to promote fieldwork, and to foster engagement with the local community.
Student research support
The ERI encourages Environmental Studies majors to include environmental science research in their course of studies by offering funding to support research opportunities both on campus and around the world. Students may apply for support to attend field camps, to do research at environmental field stations, or to carry out an independent project under the sponsorship of a faculty mentor here at Vassar.
Collins Fellow
The Collins Fellow in Environmental Science provides an advanced research opportunity for a Vassar graduate who majored in Environmental Studies or a related field and is considering graduate education. Collins fellows work with Environmental Research Institute faculty on field and laboratory research projects, assist with laboratory instruction in Environmental Studies 124: the Essentials of Environmental Science, and conduct outreach to the Poughkeepsie community about ERI projects.
Vassar fellowships
For a general impression of available fellowships at Vassar, please see the Office for Fellowships and Pre-Health Advising. The office coordinates the application process for fellowships requiring institutional support and provides information and assistance in the search for funding possibilities during the undergraduate experience, as well as for study after Vassar.