Application Deadline: Tuesday, April 12th at 5 p.m. EST
This opportunity is brought to us by a Carleton alum, Libbie Weimer ’10 (lweimer@selcnc.org) and Miller Cochran ‘04. You are encouraged to reach out to Libbie with any questions regarding the organization or the position prior to applying.
About SELC
About SELC: With nine offices across the region (Charlottesville, VA; Chapel Hill, NC; Atlanta, GA; Charleston, SC; Washington, DC; Birmingham, AL; Nashville, TN; Asheville, NC; and Richmond, VA), SELC is widely recognized as the Southeast’s foremost environmental organization and regional leader. SELC works on a full range of environmental issues to protect the South’s natural resources and the health and well-being of its people. Although its regional focus is the Southeast, much of its work is national in scope and impact.
SELC works in Congress and state legislatures to inform environmental laws; in regulatory agencies to implement environmental laws and policies; and in the courts to enforce the law, stop the worst abuses, and set important precedents. The organization works collaboratively with more than 100 national, state, and local groups to enhance their efficacy and achieve common conservation goals. It currently has a staff of over 150 individuals, with over 80 attorneys, including some of the nation’s leading experts in their respective fields.
SELC believes that a broad range of ideas, life experiences, and backgrounds enriches our workplace, drives innovative thinking, and attracts highly talented people who seek a work environment that values the unique contributions of individual team members. We are eager to welcome new team members who share this belief. We still have much progress to make, but our goal is to create and maintain a staff that, at every level, reflects the rich racial and cultural diversity of the communities where we work and the clients that we serve. SELC is an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to fostering a transparently inclusive workplace environment. We are looking for people to join us in this effort. Persons of all backgrounds—including people of color, women, people with disabilities, veterans, and LGBTQIA+ candidates—are strongly encouraged to apply.
Description
The Southern Environmental Law Center is seeking a current university student with geospatial data analysis experience to research, build, and update databases relating to hazardous sites in the Southeast and their adjacent communities. Likely topics may include but are not limited to, industrial facilities in floodplains, sources of toxic industrial chemicals, historic and active community identities, and the role of carbon storage.
Internship Responsibilities
- Research sources of geospatial data on project themes in six Southern states (AL, GA, NC, SC, TN, VA).
- Write memos describing the state-level or local-level processes through which data are collected and documented.
- Identify points of contact from whom we could acquire data.
- Take data acquired from state/local agencies and prepare it for analysis. Data will arrive in a variety of formats that may include spreadsheets, pdfs, webpages, APIs, or spatial data. Data will need to be standardized, cleaned, and tested for completeness.
- Document the sources and processes for standardizing data across the six-state region. Create comprehensive metadata for datasets developed during the internship.
- Work with SELC staff to integrate data into existing geospatial data systems.
Skills Desired
- Experience collecting and using data from public sources, especially state and local governments
- Data collection and analysis, preferably in a scripted environment such as R or python.
- Experience using a GIS, preferably ArcGIS pro, to manage geospatial data.
- Data management and organization, including familiarity with best practices in writing metadata and project documentation.
- Basic understanding of environmental justice and environmental racism
- Ability to collaborate on team projects
- Ability to work remotely (while office reopening is still underway due to COVID-19)
- International students are eligible to apply as long as the candidate can schedule some meetings and work sessions during 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. CST.
Internship Information
- Duration: Summer 20-40 hrs/wk
- Compensation $10/hr for undergraduates and $12/hr for those with a bachelor’s degree
- Location: Remote
Application Process
- Applications are due Tuesday, April 12th at 5 p.m. EST
- Please send a cover letter and resume to Libbie Weimer at lweimer@selcnc.org
For assistance with your application materials, please make an appointment via Handshake.