William A. Demmer Scholars Program in Washington, D.C.
Students in the William A. Demmer Scholars Program are paid interns at federal agencies or non-governmental organizations that focus on natural resources. Students also take a senior-level class in natural resources policy that meets one night a week and all day Saturday.
The program is led by Mark Rey, executive in residence in the MSU Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.
The 2019 program will run from May 20 through August 9, 2019.
Apply to be a Demmer Scholar
Applications are closed for the 2019 Demmer Scholars Program.
Interviews are part of the application process and applicants are encouraged to attended an informational session.
Demmer Scholars Course
All participating students enroll for the 3-credit course ANR 491: Selected Topics-Internship -- Washington, DC: Elements of Federal Policy Development in Natural Resource.
The course will be taught through one two-hour lecture and discussion session each week, augmented by 10 Saturday field trips designed to ground class participants in the policy-making arena.
Internships
Demmer Scholar participants also complete a 12-week, 40-hour per week paid internship with a government or non-government organization active in natural resources policy making in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Interns earn between $1,000 - $1,500 per month depending on the internship.
NOTE: Interns will be responsible for their own transportation to D.C., lodging and other living expenses.
Some of the Demmer Scholar partner agencies and organizations include:
- Environmental Protection Agency
- House Natural Resources Committee
- National Science Foundation – Office of Legislative Affairs
- Senate Agriculture Committee
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Forest Service – Legislative Affairs
- White House Council on Environmental Quality
Contact
If you have questions, contact Mark Rey (markrey8@aol.com) about course content or internships or Dr. Kelly Millenbah (millenba@msu.edu) about the application and interview schedule.
Program background
The program started in 2009 and each year about 25 students intern at number of high-profile agencies and groups. Some of these partners include Trout Unlimited, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the U.S. Forest Service.
“Through these internships, the students get real-world experience, see classroom principles applied in practice and make valuable career contacts for educational and employment opportunities in the future,” said Rey. “The course reviews and analyzes how each branch of federal government, as well as non-governmental groups -- including the media -- affect the development and implementation of federal government policy in the natural resources area."
Since its inaugural program more than 200 Demmer Scholar Interns have participated in the program inception. More than 50 have found employment in government and non-government natural resources positions in the Washington, D.C., area after participation in the program.
The Hal and Jean Glassen Scholars Program
The Hal and Jean Glassen Scholars Program offers students exposure to policy making in Michigan. Students in the Glassen program also have real-world experience while working as full-time paid interns at state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations or businesses that focus on complex natural resource issues in Michigan.
The 2019 program will run from May 20 through August 9, 2019.
Apply to be a Glassen Scholar
Applications are closed for the 2019 Glassen Scholars Program.
Interviews are part of the application process.
Glassen Scholars Course
All participating students enroll in the 3 credit, senior-level course ANR 491 Professional Internship on Ag and Natural Resources.
The course is taught by Patricia Stewart through lecture and discussion sessions, augmented by weekend field trips designed to give students on-the-ground visits and experience with natural resources and conservation-related programs and an opportunity to make professional connections.
Classes meet on Wednesdays from 7-10 p.m. at the Hal and Jean Glassen Shooting Education Center at the Rose Lake Shooting Range in Bath, Michigan.
Internships
Glassen Scholars also complete a 12-week, 40-hour per week paid internship with a government or non-government organization that is involved in natural resource issues in Michigan.
Internships are in the Greater Lansing area and potentially include Ann Arbor. Interns earn between $1,000 - $1,500 per month depending on the internship.
NOTE: Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from internships and class.
Some of the Glassen Scholar partner agencies and organizations include:
- Boone and Crockett
- MSU Extension
- Ducks Unlimited
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
- Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
- Michigan Sea Grant
- Michigan Wildlife Conservancy
- Potter Park Zoo
Contact
For questions about the program or application process, contact the Glassen Program Director Patricia Stewart at stewart@msu.edu or 517-282-5357.
Program background
The program started in 2014 and each year between 15-20 students intern at a number of prestigious Michigan agencies and groups. Some of these partners include Ducks Unlimited, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan United Conservation Clubs and The Nature Conservancy.
Since its inaugural program, more than 50 Glassen Scholars have participated in the program. To date, 40 percent are either full-time or seasonal hires or remain in some capacity with their original sponsors. Others continue pursuing their undergraduate, master's or law degrees and volunteer or work with conservation-related NGOs such as Land Policy Institute, Sierra Club and AmeriCorps.