Space Grant Consortium and NASA Langley Offering GIS Internship Program

The NASA Langley Research Center is partnering with the Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) to offer a geographic information systems (GIS) internship program for well-qualified high school and university students.

A deadline of Aug. 7 has been set for the fall GIS technician internship applications, and applications for the separate historical preservation internships will be solicited until all positions are filled. More information is at http://www.vsgc.odu.edu/GISIntern/.

Old Dominion University is one of the partners in the VSGC. Others include the College of William and Mary, Hampton University, University of Virginia and Virginia Tech, as well as state agencies and NASA centers. The consortium focus is on bolstering science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and thereby helping to build a larger and more qualified science and technology workforce.

To be eligible, student applicants must be at least 16 years old and citizens of the United States. Part-time as well as full-time students are eligible, and a variety of majors will be considered, although geography, technology, civil engineering, history and archaeology are preferred.

Students who are accepted into the program will have the opportunity to demonstrate and hone skills areas such as GIS software, digital cartography, global positioning system, surveying, engineering, remote sensing and historical document research.

Primary duties of the interns will range from GIS data input for the research center to assisting with the compilation of historic documentation for historic sites and structures. Fall internships will be served between Sept. 7 and Dec. 18 of this year and the stipend or hourly wages paid will depend on academic background and responsibility level.

Questions about the program can be directed to Chris Carter, assistant VSGC director, at cxcarter@odu.edu.