The University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO) is excited to welcome five new undergraduate research interns for summer 2026. The students will spend the season working in SkIO labs with the institute’s faculty and graduate students.
Internship opportunities are available year-round, but the summer is the most popular season. At the end of the summer, interns present their work to their peers, as well as SkIO faculty, staff and graduate students, as part of the annual Summer Research Symposium.
“The classroom is where we lay the foundation, but an internship at the Skidaway Institute provides the framework to build a career in science,” said SkIO faculty member Clifton Buck, who coordinates the internship program. “Students work closely with faculty and may find themselves on our research vessel RV Savannah, marching through a salt marsh, or working with the latest in autonomous technology. We prepare interns for success in graduate school or wherever their career might take them.”
Arjan Biemans:
- Home institution: University of Massachusetts-Amherst
- Major(s): geology; earth systems
- SkIO lab: Alexander Lab
- Hometown: Winchester, Massachusetts
Reagan Campbell:
- Home institution: Savannah State University
- Major: marine science
- SkIO lab: Cohen Lab
- Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona
Dori Cook:
- Home institution: Michigan State University
- Major: computational data science
- SkIO lab: Edwards Lab
- Hometown: Saline, Michigan
Jiya Porwal:
- Home institution: University of Georgia
- Major: environmental engineering
- SkIO lab: Rivero-Calle Lab
- Hometown: Marietta, Georgia
Kylie Wilbur:
- Home institution: Vanderbilt University
- Major(s): ecology, evolution, and organismal biology; psychology
- Minor(s): Spanish for the professions; environmental and sustainability studies
- SkIO lab: Greer Lab
- Hometown: Rockville, Mayland
Learn more about the SkIO Undergraduate Internship Program: https://www.skio.uga.edu/undergraduate-internships/.
About SkIO
The UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO) is a multidisciplinary research and education institution located on Skidaway Island near Savannah, Georgia. The Institute was founded in the late 1960s with a mission to conduct research in all fields of oceanography. In 2013, SkIO was merged with the University of Georgia. The campus serves as a gateway to coastal and marine environments for programs throughout the University System. The Institute’s primary goals are to further the understanding of marine and environmental processes, conduct leading-edge research on coastal and marine systems, and train tomorrow’s scientists. For more information, visit www.skio.uga.edu.