UW students going on internships abroad receive grants, awards

University of Wisconsin–Madison students preparing to embark on international internships for the summer and fall of 2015 were among those honored April 23 at the Division of International Studies Spring 2015 Scholarship Award Ceremony at the Gordon Dining and Event Center, co-sponsored by the Division’s International Academic Programs and International Internship Program.

At the event, Maj Fischer and Michelle Kern Hall of the International Internship Program (IIP) announced grants and sponsored awards presented to 19 students.

The IIP identifies, cultivates and promotes high-quality internship opportunities that advance the professional training of UW-Madison undergraduate students, foster global competency, and reinforce academic learning through practical application.

The IIP also coordinates the Worldwide Internship Program, a three-credit online course for students in IIP-cultivated internships or for students who independently find their own internship overseas and want to earn credit related to their experience. The course guides students through issues related to globalization and helps them manage the challenges of working across cultures.

On Flickr: Photos from the awards ceremony

Related: UW students studying abroad in 2015 receive scholarships

Recipients of the Promega International Scientific Internship Awards
Recipients of the Promega International Scientific Internship Awards

Here are the spring 2015 grants and awards presented by IIP to 19 students:

The International Internship Fund was established to help defray the costs associated with work abroad opportunities. International internships reinforce students’ academic experiences and advance their professional training as well as foster global competence and international literacy. Students who participate in internships affiliated with UW-Madison’s International Internship Program are awarded scholarships, including the Worldwide Internship Program Grant, from this fund on an annual basis.

Recipients interning in summer 2015 (with hometown, year and area of study, internship site, sponsor, and focus):

  • Jaclynn Leveille, of Belvidere, IL, senior, art history and teaching English as a second language certificate, interning in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, with Lady Andal Higher Secondary School, teaching English and lesson preparation
  • Meng Xu, of China, sophomore, biochemistry, interning in mostly rural/remote areas of Finland, with METLA – Finnish Forest Research Institute, forestry research
  • Madeline Kelly, of Kohler, WI, sophomore, honors program (undeclared), interning in Madrid, Spain, with Meninas Cartoneras, publication, layout, and design of books
  • Marisol Wolf, of Madison, WI, senior, genetics, Chinese and certificates in environmental studies and global health, interning in Bangkok, Thailand, with Mahidol University, research focused on fundamental problems in microbiology and molecular biology
  • Lauren St. George-Schreder, of Bloomington, MN, senior, international studies and zoology, interning in Lima, Peru, with MEDLIFE Peru, administrative work and fundraising at a hospital
  • Rebecca Gilbert, of Morton Grove, IL, senior, international business and business marketing with a certificate in Spanish, interning in La Calera, Tabuga/Camarones, Ecuador, with Wisconsin Without Borders Marketplace, development of marketing strategies and information materials
  • Matthias Olson, of Sturgeon Bay, WI, junior, life science communication and business management certificate, interning in Hamar, Norway, with Geno, development of informational materials, social media outreach, and journalistic work
  • Scout Inman, of Granton, WI, junior, communication arts, interning in Prague, Czech Republic, with Prague Post, journalistic work based on culture, events, and interview material
  • Courtney Jackson, of Jefferson, WI, junior, African Studies Certificate, interning in Kigali, Rwanda, with Good News International of Rwanda, development of fundraising programs and community outreach

Recipients interning in summer 2015 (with hometown, year and area of study, internship site, sponsor, and focus):

  • Megan Dooley, of Pulaski, WI, senior, biology, interning in Warsaw, Poland, with CARITAS for Children – Poland, assistance in community outreach and education programs, fall 2015
  • Margaret Radl, of Madison, WI, senior, Chinese and environmental studies, interning in Shanghai, China, with BIOFarm (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, organic farming, food sustainability and communications, fall 2015.

Founded in 1649, Fiskars, a leading global supplier of branded consumer products, is Finland’s oldest company and the second oldest in the world. With U.S. headquarters in Madison, Fiskars provides scholarship funds to support UW-Madison undergraduates selected to intern at one of the company’s offices.

  • Recipient: Lydia Taylor, of Wauwatosa, WI, junior, operations and technology management with supply chain management and environmental studies, selected for Fiskars sourcing Trainee Internship in Helsinki, Finland, fall 2015.

The Promega International Scientific Internship Award is made possible through a generous grant from the Promega Corporation. This award supports undergraduate students undertaking an unpaid international internship aimed at improving the quality of life in the world. University of Wisconsin-Madison students from all science fields are eligible but a preference is given to students whose internships use molecular biology techniques.

Recipients, all interning in summer 2015 (with hometown, year and area of study, internship site, sponsor, and focus):

  • My An-Adirekkun, of Bangkok, Thailand, senior, biomedical engineering and biology in engineering certificate interning in Japan, with RIKEN Quantitative Biology Center, providing assistance to researchers in various biological topics
  • Meghan Turner, of Beaver Dam, WI, senior in mathematics, interning in England, with Summer Cambridge and Oxford Research Experience (SCORE), investigating fundamental problems in biochemistry and molecular biology
  • Ryan Prestil, of Janesville, WI, senior, biology, interning in Heidelberg, Germany, with European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), investigating fundamental problems in molecular, cell developmental, and/or computational biology in a research laboratory
  • Helene Altmann, of Hartland, WI, senior, pharmacology and toxicology, interning in Heidelberg, Germany, with European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), investigating fundamental problems in molecular, cell developmental, and/or computational biology in a research laboratory
  • Victoria Heinrich, of Austin, TX, senior, biochemistry with a global health certificate, interning in Heidelberg, Germany, with European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), investigating fundamental problems in molecular, cell developmental, and/or computational biology in a research laboratory
  • Emily Anderson, of North Mankato, MN, senior in biology, interning in Bangkok, Thailand, at Mahidol University, research focused on fundamental problems in microbiology and molecular biology

Wisconsin-based Plexus Corporation supports the Plexus International Internship Award for one undergraduate UW-Madison student annually. This award is granted to an outstanding engineering student hired to work both in Neenah and in one of their international offices, developing both technical and cross-cultural skills.

  • Recipient: Emily Carroll, of Brookfield, WI, junior in biomedical engineering and international engineering certificate, interning in Penang, Malaysia, on development of custom electronic projects.

– by Kerry G. Hill