Dinosaur Institute Summer Internship in Fossil Conservation

The Dinosaur Institute Summer Internship in Fossil Conservation focuses on developing student skills and experience in vertebrate fossil conservation and museum science. Emphasis is placed on fossil preparation and labwork within the Dinosaur Institute, with ancillary training in specimen curation and digitization. Enrichment activities include museum seminars, workshops, and tours, as well as the possibility of participation in local fieldwork. The program’s goals are to develop workforce-related skills in fossil conservation and broad experience in museum collections care, utilizing an approach that follows the “life of a fossil” through collection, preparation/conservation, documentation, curation, and outreach/education.

Term:

8-week term, with flexible start/end dates to accommodate different academic calendars and student responsibilities. 2025 proposed dates are June 2nd–July 25th.

Salary:

Students will be hired as part-time employees at NHMLAC, with an expectation of 18-24 hours of work over 3-4 days each week, at a rate of $20/hr. The internship package will also include travel reimbursement and summer housing.

Eligibility:

Applicants should be full-time undergraduate students currently enrolled in good standing at either Howard University, or the University of Chicago.

Application:

Students should submit a cover letter of interest (no more than one-page), with a current CV, including contact information for two references. Applications should be submitted via email to Dr. Nathan Smith by April 11, 2025. Decisions on candidates can be expected by the end of April.

DI SIFC Alums 2024

Head and shoulders portrait of Julia Morales wearing a navy baseball cap and pink tank top with rocky terrain and ocean in the background

Julia Morales, University of Chicago
Current: Exhibition Design Intern at Field Museum of Natural History

Head and shoulders portrait of Samyah Smalley wearing a black shirt

Samyah Smalley, Howard University
Current: Senior Chemistry and Biology major

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Julia Morales, University of Chicago
Current: Exhibition Design Intern at Field Museum of Natural History

Samyah Smalley, Howard University
Current: Senior Chemistry and Biology major

DI SIFC Alums 2023

Ayomi Fadaka from the waist up, wearing a black long-sleeved shirt, with dinosaur skeletons in the background

Ayomidipupo Fadaka, Howard University
Current: USC MS program in Global Medicine

Libby Konjoyan from the waist up wearing a black shirt and puffy coat with dinosaur skeleton in the background

Libby Konjoyan, University of Chicago
Current: Junior Archaeology major

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Ayomidipupo Fadaka, Howard University
Current: USC MS program in Global Medicine

Libby Konjoyan, University of Chicago
Current: Junior Archaeology major

DI SIFC Staff

Nathan Smith wearing a gray beanie with orange tinted googles on his head and a red coat with the ocean and mountains in the background

Dr. Nathan Smith, Program Director, Gretchen Augustyn Director, Dinosaur Institute

Corinna Bechko with black hair wearing cat-eye glasses and a black shirt

Corinna Bechko, Intern Mentor, Preparator, Dinosaur Institute

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Dr. Nathan Smith, Program Director, Gretchen Augustyn Director, Dinosaur Institute

Corinna Bechko, Intern Mentor, Preparator, Dinosaur Institute

Dinosaur Institute SIFC Interns in Action:

Interns looking at pulled-out drawer of bird specimens with tags

Libby Konjoyan standing in front of a dinosaur skeleton

Interns, wearing white lab coats and gloves, working on a fossil specimen

Intern in green button down shirt and jeans in front of bones mounted on the wall

Interns looking at curved and layered specimen on a table

Penguin taxidermy on a table with interns in the background

Julia Morales and Samyah Smalley crouching together with tidepools in the background

Libby Konjoyan and Ayomi Fadaka at a table with specimens and cards, underneath umbrellas

Interns outside at a table with dinosaur bones in a white jacket in the foreground

Interns in white lab coats around a table with specimens and two tv hosts

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Dinosaur Institute Summer Internship in Fossil Conservation