Building Community Connections
In addition to providing students with the experience, training, and confidence to pursue a career in geophysics, our program also strives to connect the interns as part of a broader community. This includes both alumni of the IRIS Undergraduate Internship Program and the entire community of IRIS researchers broadly. To achieve this goal, several key approaches are used.
In 2009 we initiated an IRIS Undergraduate Internship Program Facebook page to provide an informal, unstructured environment for current and past interns to keep abreast of the program's latest news, find out about seismology related funding and job opportunites, and discuss upcoming events of interest. Be sure to check us out on Facebook and "Like" us to keep informed about the program and the many opportunities for program alumni we share.
Alumni T-Shirt Design Contest
Annually, program alumni are encouraged to submit a design featuring original work (either scientific or artistic) for a "seismology" T-shirt for each year's internship class. Building from the ideas submitted by our alumni IRIS's staff are able to turn great ideas into polished products. The past several year's of designed are featured below. This program is graciously supported by Noble Energy, an employeer of a number of our program's alumni.
| 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | |
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| 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
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Alumni Reception at AGU
Since most interns and their hosts choose to present at the Fall AGU Meeting, the IRIS has initiated a number of supplemental functions at this event to help interns get the most from your visit. Featured of course, is the annual alumni reception for the IRIS interns and all program alumni regardless of their post-internship careers. This mixer allows interns to meet again face-to-face and presents an opportunity for interns to network with internship alumni who can provide valuable information about graduate school opportunities and facilitate connections with potential advisers. Networking continues across multiple years as intern alumni have communicated keep in touch share rooms with one another at various meetings and can frequently be found exploring poster sessions together in small groups.