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N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative
Extension intern with faculty

Internships

Ready to gain hands-on, real world experience?

Preparing for the Future

The N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative provides a unique training ground for students of all ages. Through these immersive professional experiences, students gain skills in program development, administrative procedures, supervision, and facility operation and maintenance. They also develop essential contacts in their network and increase their understanding of their desired career path.

a student intern talking to an Extension specialist in the field

Internships

N.C. PSI students can receive experience through a variety of of internship opportunities including CERSA, CEFS, Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Fields Grant Program (WAMS), USDA, NC State Extension and more.

Explore current internship opportunities 
Two people look at a a transparent plastic container with red liquid in it in our demonstration lab.

High School Internships

The N.C. PSI has a pilot internship program to offer select high school students the opportunity to explore plant sciences during their junior and senior year of high school.

Learn more about our K-12 partnerships 

Through internships and professional (paid or volunteer) experiences you:

  • Gain real-world experience relevant to your academic or career interests
  • Apply knowledge from your studies to different professions
  • Acquire technical and professional skills
  • Explore and strengthen academic and career goals
  • Enhance your employment prospects

USDA-ARS AI Center of Excellence/SCINet Graduate Student Intern Program

The N.C. PSI has partnered with the USDA-ARS AI Center of Excellence and SCINet to provide NC State graduate students with a 10-week paid summer internship focused on data science, AI, mathematical modeling, and related fields.

Learn More
Neural Network Brain

Planting New Opportunities

A joint internship program between NC State Extension and N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative gave CALS student Nathaniel Rhein hands-on experience with interdisciplinary research.

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a young man stands next to a large poster that says Henderson County Extension & PSI Internship

CERSA Internship Program

Take the next step into an agriculturally-focused regulatory science career and apply for a CERSA internship with an industry leader.

Learn more
Rocio Davila CERSA intern checking grapevines

NEWS FROM N.C. PSI’S EDUCATION PLATFORM

Breeding Possibilities for Better Crops

From a young age, Caitlin Kestell learned to work hard, help other people and never quit. Now a crop science graduate student and N.C. PSI award-winner, she’s putting a can-do attitude to work in research to benefit farmers and outreach efforts that inspire students. 

Conference Explores Intersection of Biology and Engineering

With N.C. PSI faculty playing key roles, the recent Green-G Conference brought together experts in disciplines ranging from electrical engineering to ecology to explore how cutting-edge biosensing, data science, imaging, signal processing and other technology can allow us to better observe natural processes and come up with practical concepts for telecommunications and data management. 

Three from N.C. PSI Honored for Excellence

N.C. PSI staff members score awards for their work on behalf of team agriculture, with Sarah Dinger and Jie Pacelli honored by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Lauren Maynard by NC State Research and Innovation.