Working out West: Summer interns and fellows launch into action

The Bill Lane Center’s 2021 interns and fellows have launched for the summer. Every year, the Center pairs exceptional students with Western organizations for internships in a variety of career fields. Gaining professional experience in natural history, conservation, land use, museum curation, resource management and more, Western Interns enjoy paid spring or summer work, fully sponsored by the Center. Over 200 Stanford students have served the region in this capacity, finding the opportunity both valuable and formative.

In this program, the Bill Lane Center has always aimed to support agencies in the American West that might not otherwise be able fund a Stanford student intern. It’s a win-win arrangement, as students learn from mentors at their jobs, and internship hosts gain dedicated student workers to serve their missions. Eleven students have recently started as Western Interns, and before them, two students completed spring internships.

The Bill Lane Center is also proud to co-sponsor the Shultz Energy Fellowship program, along with the Precourt Institute for Energy, the Haas Center for Public Service and Stanford in Government. Shultz Fellows are both graduate and undergraduate students working summer public service positions in the energy sector. At agencies in California, Colorado, Utah and Hawaii, students gain practical experience with energy issues at local, state and regional levels. Currently, eight Shultz Fellowships have been granted and are well underway.

Details about this cohort of dedicated students and their placements can be found here. And don't forget to follow their experiences and perspectives on our Out West student blog all summer.