Summer Work Experience Program

Thank you for your interest in the Center for Planetary Health Summer Work Experience Program! This program offers students a unique hands-on opportunity to work on projects related to conservation, natural resources, agriculture, nutrition, climate change, and environmental and health policy.

About

Apply

To apply for a summer fellowship and be considered for funding priority, please submit the applicant information and supporting materials requested in the application to planetaryhealth@ucdavis.edu by 5:00 pm PST on February 9, 2024. Applications will be reviewed in February. Following submission of their applications, applicants will be asked to review and rank (based on preference) specific fellowship opportunities. Interviews will be conducted, and successful applicants will be matched to the fellowship opportunities based on interest and best fit.

Applications submitted after February 10, 2024, will be accepted for consideration on a first come, first serve basis. Further information about the program as well as the desired skills, experience, and qualities of the fellows can be found below. Please direct any questions about the fellowship program or application to planetaryhealth@ucdavis.edu.

Download the application and email planetaryhealth@ucdavis.edu.

Meet the 2023 Summer Fellows

Bailey Cohen

Major: Animal Science and Asian American Studies
Department: College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Level of Study: Bachelor’s degree
Campus: UC Davis
Host Site and Mentor: Sierra Foothill REC, Nikolas Schweitzer
Bailey Cohen is a fourth year at UC Davis majoring in Animal Science with a minor in Asian American Studies. She will be starting her Master’s of Public Health the summer of 2023. She is passionate about the One Health approach and fighting health disparities within healthcare. She has worked with Knights Landing One Health Clinic, a clinic that provides free veterinary, medical, and dental care for lower-income communities. Bailey looks forward to developing Phase 2 of The Sierra Foothill Yuba Watershed Restoration Project, participating in data collection for the Red Oak Tree Project, and shadowing the veterinarian leading the cattle conjunctivitis intranasal vaccine trial at Sierra Foothill REC.

Nuri Flores

Major: Preventative Veterinary Medicine
Department: School of Veterinary Medicine
Level of Study: Master’s degree
Campus: UC Davis
Host Site and Mentor: UC ANR & UCCE, Devii Rao
Nuri obtained her DVM from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). She is pursuing her Master’s in Preventive Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis. Her research interests include studying interactions at the human, domestic animal, and wildlife interface, along with ecosystem conservation. This summer, Nuri will work with Devii Rao on a prairie restoration experiment to enhance the habitat for special status species at Pinnacles National Park.

Michelle Guerra

Major: Health Behavior
Department: Public Health
Level of Study: Master’s degree
Campus: UC San Diego
Host Site and Mentor: UC ANR, Kristin Dobbin and Georgia Kayser
Michelle is a second year Master of Public Health student at UC San Diego, with a Bachelor of Science in Neurology, Physiology, and Behavior from UC Davis. Michelle has practicum experience promoting public awareness of endocrine-disrupting chemical exposure from personal care products and cosmetics to high school students in the Pasadena Unified School District. She is currently working on her thesis about the association between perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) and serum lipid levels in Ecuadorian adolescents. This summer, Michelle will compile a comprehensive literature review on the adverse effects of glyphosate and potential interventions to reduce exposure near residential areas, campgrounds, and water sources. She also plans to formulate a commentary and issue brief on the forestation process in US National Forests and Parks.

Shibani Gupta

Major: Health and Behavior
Department: Public Health
Level of Study: Master’s degree
Campus: UC San Diego
Host Site and Mentor: UC ANR & DREC, Jairo Diaz and Georgia Kayser
Shibani Gupta is a Master of Public Health student at the University of California San Diego. She previously worked with neonicotinoid pesticides and their effect on non-target populations. This summer she is working with Dr. Jairo Diaz of UCANR and Dr. Georgia Kayser of UCSD on a literature review outlining the effectiveness of buffer sites around residential areas and schools in reducing pesticide exposure.

Moncerrat Hernandez

Major: Environmental Sciences
Department: Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
Level of Study: Bachelor’s degree
Campus: UC Berkeley
Host Site and Mentor: UC ANR, Susana Matias and Federico Castillo
Moncerrat (she/her) is a second-year undergraduate student at UC Berkeley from Oxnard, California. Growing up in an agricultural city, she engaged with matters impacting farmworkers’ health. Her interests include the intersection between environmental justice, technology, and medicine. This summer she will be a part of a collective effort that analyzes the socio economic and health impacts of heat waves on agricultural outdoor labor.

Natalie Pinzon

Major: Geography
Department: Geography
Level of Study: Doctoral
Campus: UC Davis
Host Site and Mentor: UC ANR, Vikram Koundinya
Natalia is a doctoral student in Geography and specializes in the agroecology as a means to reduce on-farm and global climate risk. Her doctoral research focuses on how California farmers are preparing for, responding to and recovering from wildfires. Her action-research project is a multi-sector collaboration. This summer she will be working with Dr. Koundinya on the Climate Actions through Statewide Climate-Smart Agriculture Tools and Resources Development and Delivery Project.

Isha Poudel

Major: International Agricultural Development
Department: Plant Sciences
Level of Study: Master’s degree
Campus: UC Davis
Host Site and Mentor: UC ANR NPI, Lorrene Ritchie and Monica Zuercher
Isha is finishing her Master’s in International Agricultural Development this summer and advancing to PhD in Geography beginning in Fall 2023 with an emphasis on community nutrition and feminist studies. She’s interested in agriculture development with the intersection of food security and disaster resilience among vulnerable populations. This summer Isha will be working with her mentors on a policy-level research project to assess the challenges and successes of California's school meals after pandemic-related federal funding for universal school meals ended in June 2022.

Martina Sexton

Major: Conservation and Resource Studies
Department: Environmental Science, Policy, and Management
Level of Study: Bachelor’s degree
Campus: UC Berkeley
Host Site and Mentor: UCCE Santa Clara, Lucy Diekmann and Aparna Gazula
Martina is a senior at UC Berkeley majoring in Conservation and Resource Studies with an interest in social justice and sustainable development. She is passionate about building community resilience and advocating for disadvantaged communities that have endured environmental injustices. She believes that urban farming is a key factor to building more sustainable cities. This summer she will be conducting small farmer interviews, creating educational materials in Spanish, and managing the Bay Area Urban Agriculture Map.

Jannie Xu

Major: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Department: Biological Sciences
Level of Study: Bachelor’s degree
Campus: UC Davis
Host Site and Mentor: SVM and UC ANR, Alda Pires
Jannie Xu is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of California, Davis majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Her research interest is in infectious disease. She plans to work in research before attending graduate school in the near future. This summer she will work with Dr. Pires in the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Department of Population, Health, and Reproduction on the Integrated Crop-Livestock Farms Project. The project focuses on the dynamics of foodborne pathogens in integrated crop-livestock systems involving grazing in orchards.

Yueheng Zheng

Major: Preventative Veterinary Medicine
Department: School of Veterinary Medicine
Level of Study: Master’s degree
Campus: UC Davis
Host Site and Mentor: UCCE Santa Clara, Aparna Gazula
Yueheng is a first-year master’s student in Preventative Veterinary Medicine. She obtained her degree in veterinary medicine in China and found her interest in interdisciplinary approaches in public health. Apart from monitoring animal health, she is passionate about improving public health by tracking risk factors of diseases and identifying association. She expects to communicate with farmers from different backgrounds and explore valuable suggestions with her knowledge. Her goal is to prevent zoonoses and improve public health. This summer she will be working with her mentors to investigate food safety and soil health in the face climate change and pesticide use.

Peter Bowman

Major: International Agriculture Development
Department: One Health Institute & Graduate Group in International Agriculture Development
Level of Study: Master’s degree
Campus: UC Davis
Host Site and Mentor: UC ANR & UCCE, Sarah Light
Peter is a second-year master’s student studying International Agriculture Development at UC Davis. His research focuses on community perceptions of animal disease and preventive veterinary care in rural Sierra Leone. This summer, Peter worked with Sarah Light of UC Cooperative Extension Sutter-Yuba on various projects related to soil health and agronomy. He is especially excited to explore the connections between soil health and specific agronomic practices, like grazing, through lab and field work.

Ashley Contreras

Major: Ecology, Evolution & Biology
Department: College of Biological Sciences
Level of Study: Bachelor’s degree
Campus: UC Davis
Host Site and Mentor: UC ANR, Eric Middleton
Ashley Contreras is a senior at UC Davis pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Ecology, Evolution & Biology with a minor in Public Health. They have a research background in plant, fish, and mammal health. Ashley's current research at the UC Davis One Health Institute involves understanding infectious diseases, where she is exploring the interface of animals, people, plants, and the environment to solve complex problems that impact health and conservation around the world. She aspires to become an epidemiologist specializing in marine ecosystems to contribute to the understanding and management of infectious diseases in this critical and fragile environment. Ashley was matched with Eric Middleton of UC ANR to conduct trials and experiments on Agave mites, which are significant pests in commercial nursery production in San Diego County. The study aims to understand the spread of diseases caused by these mites and their impact on agave. She is excited to continue her academic and research pursuits and hopes to make a positive impact on global health and conservation efforts.