From salmon streams to solar sites: CFANS student internships across Minnesota and beyond

When CFANS students head into summer, they don't just take a break from the classroom. They take what they've learned into rivers, forests, plant nurseries, dairy barns, and offices across the country. Below, we feature some of the CFANS students who traded lecture halls for field and job sites, building professional skills and making connections along the way. 

In and around water

Kai (he/him) | Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology major; Wildlife Care and Handling minor

As a Fisheries Invasive Carp Intern for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources East Metro, Kai is helping protect Minnesota's waterways by tagging, tracking, and removing invasive carp from the Mississippi River. The program partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Wisconsin DNR. Kai learned how the DNR stocks, samples, and manages both native and invasive fish species— and got to help stock the  Minnesota State Fair DNR pond!

Maura (she/her) | Double major in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology and Sociology, minor in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management
Maura, spent her summer underwater as an Aquatic Invasive Species and Weed Removal Diver/Intern with Waterfront Restoration LLC. As part of a team of scuba divers, she removes invasive species like curly-leaf pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, and zebra mussels, and follows Minnesota DNR decontamination protocols to keep invasives from spreading between lakes. The internship has strengthened her species identification, fieldwork, and scientific communication skills. She says one of the best parts has been the daily sightings of plants, fish, turtles, and other wildlife.

Gail (she/her) | Double major in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology and Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management
Gail conducted an independent research project through Freshwater@UW on mercury contaminants in multiple fish species in the Milwaukee Harbor. Her findings will help researchers better understand public health concerns and aquatic food web health, and provide baseline data before the harbor's planned dredging in 2027. Combining field and lab work, Gail feels confident her experience is building connections to support her future graduate school goals.

Katie (she/her) | Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology Major; minoring in Marine Biology | Transfer student 
Katie spent her summer as a biological aide in Idaho Fish and Game's Screen Monitoring Program. She monitored salmonid populations and collects habitat data to help researchers understand how fish screens affect the survival of young salmon. Katie said classes like Ichthyology, Wetlands, and GIS gave her the skills and confidence for performing summer fieldwork, and demonstrated why protecting fish habitats matters.

Forests and plants

Carson (he/him) | Forest and Natural Resource Management Major, Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management Minor | Transfer student 
Carson spent a second field season with the Silva Lab. He worked in the Pagami Creek Burn Area within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, conducting vegetation surveys and collecting soil samples to help researchers understand how forests recover and build resilience after wildfire. Carson says courses like Dendrology and the Introductory Cloquet Field Session gave him the plant identification and data collection skills he used daily during his fieldwork.

Lauren (she/her) | B.S. ‘26 Plant Science, Soil Science minor 
Recent grad Lauren spent her summer with Monrovia Plants in Dayton, Oregon. She worked across the nursery's production, propagation, and sales departments, learning about efficiency and sustainability in horticultural production, and helped celebrate Monrovia's 100th anniversary. She credits CFANS courses including Plant Production Systems, Ecology of Managed Systems, and Plant Families for Plant People with preparing her for the role. This fall, Lauren returns to the University of Minnesota to pursue a master's degree in Applied Plant Sciences with a horticulture emphasis.

Ag and industry

Kaleb (he/him) | Animal Science major
Kaleb worked as an Innovation Intern with Redstone Dairy and Riverview LLP. In his role, Kaleb monitored sort gates that direct cattle to designated areas such as breeding, hoof trimming, or back to their pens, helping ensure everything runs smoothly and efficiently. By collecting data from different areas of the facility, he is helping identify ways to improve airflow and apply those insights to future dairy farms currently being planned and built.

Maggie (she/her) | Applied Economics major; Management Minor
Maggie spent her summer as a Purina Animal Nutrition Income Optimization Intern with Land O'Lakes. She uses data and analytics to support pricing decisions in the animal nutrition industry. She's learning how pricing strategies and revenue optimization drive business decisions, and applying her coursework to real-world challenges alongside professionals across the company.

Mary (she/her) | Double major: Agricultural Communications and Marketing, Agricultural Education
Mary was a Summer Communications Intern with the Minnesota Beef Council. She traveled across the state gaining hands-on experience in agricultural communications and the beef industry. One favorite project included planning the Council's presence at the Minnesota State Fair, from creating signage and handouts to preparing to welcome volunteers. She says her CFANS instructors prepared her by building her skills in digital media, professional writing, and education.

Energy and community

Jasmine (she/her) | Major: Journalism and Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management. Minors: Sustainability Studies and Creative Writing
As an Energy Workforce Development Engagement Intern, Jasmine helped to assess potential sites for future solar energy projects for Renewable Energy Partners.. She enjoyed developing online tools that calculate potential electricity savings based on roof size and other site factors, making solar energy more accessible and understandable for communities.

From fish screens to forest soils, and from pricing models to pondweed, these students show how far a CFANS education can reach. We're proud of the work they've done and excited to see what they do next!