Meet Former (and Current) Interns

The New York Botanical Garden’s science programs have hosted many interns over the years. Here is information about some of them.

Sarah Skubel (2016)

Sarah Skubel was an NYBG intern in 2016 as an undergraduate at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. As an intern, Sarah studied the acoustic profiles of native cottonwood (Populus) species. After graduation, Sarah enrolled in a Master’s program in Phytochemistry at Rutgers University.

Stephanie Schmiege (2013)

After she graduated from Bowdoin College, Stephanie Schmiege did an NYBG internship studying the anatomy and morphology of lycophytes and ferns. She then worked on ecological research projects in North Carolina and New Mexico. Stephanie returned to New York and is currently a Ph.D. student at Columbia University doing her dissertation research on the physiological effects of drought stress in tropical trees.

Jessica Allen, Ph.D. (2011)

As an NYBG intern in 2011, Jessica Allen assisted with integrating the Kohlmeyer collection of marine fungi into the herbarium. She earned her Ph.D. studying lichen systematics through the Garden’s affiliated program at the City University of New York. Dr. Allen is now Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at Eastern Washington University.

Heather Meyer, Ph.D. (2008-2011)

Heather Meyer, Ph.D., was an NYBG intern from 2008-2011 while she was an undergraduate at Sarah Lawrence College. As an intern, Heather studied the molecular systematics of the green algal genus Nitella. She earned a Ph.D. from Cornell in 2016, and she is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Carnegie Institution for Science.

Aaron Socha, Ph.D. (2001)

Aaron Socha, Ph.D., was an NYBG intern as a Fordham undergraduate in 2001. For his internship, he studied the ethnobotany of cacti. Aaron went on the earn a Ph.D. in Biomedical Science from the University of Rhode Island, and he is currently Assistant Professor in the Environmental Science and Chemistry Department at Queens University of Charlotte.