NELHA Internship Program
NELHA nurtures connections with high schools, community organizations, collages, universities and research institutions to promote a culture of fresh ideas and new thinking.
We offer internships and volunteer student projects which provide an opportunity for students to enhance their academic programs with field experience, related to their career interests, in a real-world setting. We also facilitate internships at HOST Park client organizations.
Our Internship Program reaches out to students by providing an environment for interesting work-related projects that mutually benefit the student and the strategic goals of the organization hosting the projects.
Students benefit by having an opportunity to gain work experience at NELHA in the areas of business, engineering and science in order to enhance their educational and career goals.
Contact [email protected] for more information on our internship program. Some of our internships are made possible by partner organizations.
For more information about summer internships at NELHA through these organizations, please contact Akamai Workforce Development for College internship opportunities or STEMWorks for High School internship opportunities.
Current and past interns since 2009 with project titles and links to selected presentations
| Student | Institution | Year | Description |
| Jenna Perry | Washington University in St. Louis | Summer 2022 | Infrastructure Risk Assessment Analysis for NELHA’s Seawater Pumping System (Akamai Program) |
| Lilly Hickman | West Hawaii Explorations Academy | Summer 2022 | Electronic Reminder System – Highschool Project Hokulani |
| Romilly Benedict | George Mason University | 2018 | Quantifying microplastic concentrations in surface and deep seawater at NELHA (PDF) |
| Sidney Vermeulen | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 2018 | Digitizing, analyzing, and creating an interactive webpage for NELHA’s 30 years of biota monitoring (PDF) |
| Eva Garces | Kealakehe High School | 6/2017 – 12/2017 | Meta Data Analysis for Infrasonic Data Collection from Smart Devices at Infrasound Laboratory |
| Talmage Nakamoto | Brigham Young University | 6/2017 – 8/2017 | Seawater Air Conditioning Energy Analysis at NELHA (Akamai Program) |
| Chanung Seo | Suncheon University | 4/2017 – 9/2017 | SCADA and Microgrid Initiatives at NELHA |
| Austin Corotan | Western Washington University | 6/2016 – 8/2016 | Assessing VIIRS for Coastal Water Quality Monitoring in the Hawaiian Islands (PDF) at NELHA (Akamai Program) |
| Kully Kekaula-Basque | Columbia University | 6/2016 – 8/2016 | Characterization of Six Microalgae Strains for Aquaculture Feed at Cellana (Akamai Program) |
| Ian Denzer | Kealakehe High School | 7/2015 – 10/2015 | The Optimization of Telemetry Transmitter Location (PDF) at NELHA |
| Kapono Gaughen | University of Hawai‘i at Manoa | 6/2015 – 8/2015 | NELHA Anchialine Ponds Survey (PDF) at NELHA (Akamai Program) |
| Alexandra Van Pernis | Brown University | 6/2015 – 8/2015 | Determining the Cause of Abalone Mortality (PDF) at Big Island Abalone Corporation (Akamai Program) |
| Brittany Denzer | Colorado College | 6/2015 – 8/2015 | Carbon Dioxide Utilization Efficiency in Microalgae Systems: Evaluating the Use of Flue Gas to Grow Microalgae (PDF) at Cellana (Akamai Program) |
| Kellie Yamane | University of Hawaii at Hilo | 6/2014 – 8/2014 | Product Stability Program at Cellana (Akamai Program) |
| Amy Lowe | Kealakehe High School | 6/2014 – 8/2014 | Interactive lab supply database at Cellana |
| Caleb Bishop | Kealakehe High School | 6/2014 – 8/2014 | Product inventory system upgrade; Process control data mining program at Cellana |
| Michelle Chu | University of Hawaii at Manoa | 6/2014 – 8/2014 | Seawater Distribution Water Budget (PDF)(Akamai Program) |
| Daniel Gregg | Brown University | 6/2014 – 8/2014 | Seawater Distribution System Topology (Akamai Program) |
| Brittany Seto Denzer | Colorado College | 6/2014 – 8/2014 | Potassium Persulfate Oxidation Study |
| Jin Martin-Schatz | Sarah Lawrence College | 6/2014 – 8/2014 | Ocean Observatory Data Display for NELHA SCADA System |
| Luke Van der Spool | Rice University | 6/2014 – 7/2014 | Power Dashboard for the HOST Park Research Campus |
| Megan Aucoin | University of Hawaii at Hilo | 3/2014 – 5/2014 | Biological Oxygen Demand Dilution Water Study |
| Kristiana Van Pernis | Hawaii Preparatory Academy | 7/2013 – 8/2013 | How Temperature Affects Water Samples Over Time (PDF) |
| Keli Jackson | Hawaii Preparatory Academy | 7/2013 – 8/2013 | How Temperature Affects Water Samples Over Time (PDF) |
| Michelle S. Rabara | University of Dayton | 6/2013 – 8/2013 | Poly-culture of Abalone and Japanese Sea Cucumber (PDF) at Big Island Abalone Corporation |
| Delaney Ross | Barnard College | 6/2013 – 8/2013 | Measuring Nutrient Concentrations in Surface Sea Water (PDF) |
| Camie Richno | University of Hawaii Center at West Hawaii | 6/2013 – 8/2013 | Creation of a Chemical Inventory Database for NELHA Water Quality Laboratory (PDF) |
| Alexandra Hutchison | Hamilton College & Cornell University | 5/2012 – 8/2012 | Design and creation of roll up posters describing HOST park for marketing purposes |
| Chris Sugai | University of Hawaii at Manoa | 6/2012 – 8/2012 | Abalone Feed Study at Big Island Abalone Corporation |
| Kateyln Ho | Cornell University | 6/2012 – 8/2012 | Photo Oxidation Alternative Methods Study (PDF) |
| Zeo Sims | Hawaii Preparatory Academy | 3/2012 – 4/2012 | DMRQA Analysis |
| Chris Sugai | University of Hawaii at Manoa | 6/2011 – 8/2011 | Gas Segmented Continuous Flow Colorimetric Analysis (PDF) |
| Jayiynne Fomer | West Hawaii Exploratory Academy | 4/2011 – 6/2011 | Anchialine Pond Nutrient Concentration Study |
| Derek Ogi | Konawaena Middle School | 3/2011 – 4/2011 | Chemical Engineer Mentorship |
| Neil Abranyi | University of Hawaii at Manoa | 7/2010 – 8/2010 | Deep Seawater Biomass Study |
| Keisha Lianes-Kelekoho | Sea Grant | 6/2010 – 7/2010 | Kona Kids Summer Program Groundwater Sampling and Analysis |
| Laikea Morelli | Sea Grant | 6/2010 –7/2010 | Kona Kids Summer Program Groundwater Sampling and Analysis |
| Janisa Simmons | Sea Grant | 6/2010 –7/2010 | Kona Kids Summer Program Groundwater Sampling and Analysis |
| Edith Kalua’u | Sea Grant | 6/2010 –7/2010 | Kona Kids Summer Program Groundwater Sampling and Analysis |
| Andrew Walsh | University of Hawaii at Hilo | 11/2008 – 8/2009 | Effects of Nutrient Enrichment on the Growth of Epiphytic Algae at Keahole Point (PDF) |
| Alexander Renaud | Princeton University | 7/2008 – 8/2008 | Mitigating Adverse Environmental Impacts of Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Technology Effluent Using Gracilaria Parvispora and Palmaria Mollis as Biofilters |