The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Department of Agriculture has 10 summer internships available to incoming high school juniors and seniors.

Summer internships in Plant, Soil, Environmental and Biotechnological Sciences (SIPSEBS) provide free room and board on campus for four weeks and a stipend of $1,000. March 30 is the application deadline.

The internships begin June 1 and end June 30. “Having the internship at the beginning of the summer allows students a block of time for part-time work or time with family and friends before they return to school,” said M. Jalaluddin, UAPB professor and SIPSEBS director.

Academic activities will include hands-on learning exercises in a classroom and/or laboratory setting for all interns. A considerable amount of time will be devoted to research projects in plant, soil, environmental and biotechnological sciences conducted in the field and in greenhouses and laboratories on campus and at outreach centers.

Based on their interests, interns will be matched with faculty mentors for planning and conducting the research projects and preparing and presenting final reports at the award ceremony at the end of program.

Successful projects may be included in the university-wide Science Fair competition and the Student Faculty Research Forum.

Interns who develop leadership qualities may be appointed as research apprentices or student coordinators for the following summer if enrolled in the UAPB plant science option in the agricultural sciences degree program.

Study tours, field trips, demonstrations and other extracurricular activities are included in the internship curriculum. Among the places interns visited in past years are the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center (DBNRRC) in Stuttgart, Ark., the USDA/NCTR Plant Material Center in Booneville, Ark., the Soybean Breeding Center in Stuttgart, Clinton Library in Little Rock, Arkansas Ag Museum in Stuttgart, and the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum.

“The goal of the internship program is to provide enhanced academic preparation and career choices for potential college students interested in plant, soil, environmental and biotechnological sciences that will prepare graduates for diverse career opportunities in the field of agricultural and food sciences,” said Jalaluddin.

Interns will be selected on academic merit, strength in science subjects and career interests in plant, soil, environmental and biotechnological sciences. Interns may go home to visit families for one midsummer weekend.

March 30 is the application deadline.

For more information or to obtain an application, contact Jalaluddin at (870) 575-8117 or (870) 575-8526 or [email protected] or Aretha Everett at (870) 489-8129 or [email protected].