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ACEP Summer Internship Program

Program Overview

The ACEP Summer Internship Program provides undergraduate students the opportunity to engage in challenging and exciting energy research in the Arctic through a 10-week program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The internship cohort is composed of students from diverse geographies and disciplines. Students are mentored by an ACEP researcher in a wide range of topics including microgrid power systems integration, electric vehicles in the North and solar technologies. The program offers a competitive stipend, on-campus housing, field trips and travel to and from Fairbanks.

Project Spotlight

Allison Peng gives a presentation about her internship work.

Nov 15

ACEP summer intern Allison Peng worked on a project that would find the intersection between computation and extreme environment research and that extended to developing educational resources to teach community members about power systems.

ACEP summer intern Micah VanderHart gives a presentation

Nov 01

ACEP summer intern Micah VanderHart worked to develop an insulation system for buildings that is efficient and hence helps reduce CO₂ emissions.

Abby McCallum sketches out a causal loop diagram for energy security interventions in Alaska. Photo by Lydia Andriesen.

Oct 04

ACEP summer intern Abby McCallum embarked on a research project to explore the impact of the diesel fuel life cycle on community livelihoods and resilience in Alaska.

Program Strands

Our internship cohort is composed of two program strands -- REU and AUSI.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

The REU strand is an exploratory research opportunity for students ready to embark on their first undergraduate summer research experience. REU program activities include a broad educational and professional experience to support the interns in their research activities including ACEP Flash Talks, Energy Round Tables, Fairbanks community events, high school engagement, and a multi-day field trip.

The NSF REU strand is generously supported by the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program.

Who is a good fit for REU?

  • Students going into their Sophomore or Junior year
  • First research experience
  • Interest in broader understanding of Alaska energy research
  • Students who want to develop new skills and energy topics

Program covers

  • On-campus housing for Fairbanks projects
  • Travel to and from Alaska
  • Summer stipend

Program activities

  • Research project (70%)
  • Cohort activities including: ACEP Flash Talks, Energy Round Tables, Fairbanks community events, and high school engagement (20%)
  • Field trips, multi-day trip (10%)

Expectations and Deliverables

  • Final presentation
  • Portfolio
  • Community science education resource

ACEP Undergraduate Summer Internship (AUSI)

AUSI interns will devote the majority of their summer to work on a research project with an ACEP mentor. Interns will meet with their mentors weekly, and the majority of projects provide the opportunity for interns to work self-directed on their deliverables with low-to-medium support. 

The AUSI strand is generously supported by a grant from the Office of Naval Research.

Who is a good fit for AUSI?

  • Students going into their Junior or Senior year
  • Spring 2023 graduates
  • Interest in projects that lead to published work, formal deliverables
  • Students who are ready to apply their skill set and expertise to a project

Program covers

  • On-campus housing for Fairbanks projects
  • Travel to and from Alaska
  • Competitive hourly rate

Program activities

  • Research project (90%)
  • Field trips (10%)

Expectations and Deliverables

  • Final presentation
  • Mentor-determined final product (paper, presentation, etc)

 
 

Want to partner with us?

The ACEP Summer Internship Program is a dynamic program seeking to strengthen Alaska's energy workforce.

Get involved!

Team

Annalise Klein

Annalise Klein

ACEP Summer Internship Program, Program Manager

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Patty Eagan

Patty Eagan

ACEP Summer Internship Program, Logistics Coordinator

University of Alaska Fairbanks

Heidi Shepard

Heidi Shepard

ACEP Summer Internship Program, Intern Coordinator and Outreach Specialist

University of Alaska Fairbanks