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Summer Internship Award: Effects of predation on microhabitat selection of Aedes Aegypti
Asian Tiger Mosquito Larvae - infinitespider.com
The university I worked at this summer, the Indian Institute of Science, is situated on one of the last tracts of most deciduous forest that once covered the city of Bangalore. The disparity between the lush surroundings I worked in and the bare concrete of the rest of the city was a daily reminder of the importance of studying ecology in modern India.
At IISc, I worked with Dr. Kavita Isvaran at the Centre for Ecological Sciences. Dr Isvaran works on several wide-ranging aspects of evolutionary ecology, such as mate choice behaviour and the impacts of invasive plants. Our project focused on how ecological context drives adaptations in prey organisms while encountering predators. Our study system was Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) larvae, a species that is a vector for several debilitating tropical diseases like dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Understanding the mechanisms they have evolved to deal with predators is important for vector control measures that aim to decrease populations.
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Summer Internship Award: The Business of Art
A photo collage of me on the front porch of Copper Canyon holding a rock with the logo on it, in front of a wall of our books
When I started as a production intern at Copper Canyon Press—which is probably the most acclaimed, completely independent, nonprofit publisher of poetry in the US—I wasn’t sure what I’d be doing. The staff told me that I had been selected to take on more responsibilities in the department of PRODUCTION, but I didn’t know exactly what that would entail. What I came to realize is that, although I had some specialized tasks, Copper Canyon overall offers one of the most holistic publishing internships. Unlike interning for one of the “Big Five Publishers” (conglomerates like HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and MacMillian), where one would have to specialize in a specific department, interns at an independent publisher like Copper Canyon receive hands-on experience in all departments.
I, like many young people interested in books, thought that the most important step was in editorial, that most of the exciting work of poetry publishing happened during intimate work with author and language. And my assumption makes sense: I came directly from completing a Reed research thesis on poetry. Most of my immediate experience with poetry was as someone who engages intellectually with the text. But this isn’t what publishing is all about.
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Summer Internship Award: Anti-Human Trafficking Work at San Diego ComiCon
Being a “real superhero” (with a really cool cape) and working ComiCon 2016 to inform the public about the realities of Human Trafficking
Anti-Human Trafficking work is not one of those jobs you can just shake off when you get home. The facts and figures, the faces of victims and survivors, the ever-looming problems of running out resources even as more and more victims are identified - they’re like gnats constantly buzzing around your face. It’s hard not to get emotionally invested, to not want to lash out at people who seem like they’re indifferent. I came home emotionally drained and fuming from ComiCon this year, despite what my smiling face might show in the picture above. The blatant indifference, the callousness people treated me with when I tried to share my message infuriated me. When you find yourself a part of a powerful and global movement, you want to share that with the world. When they don’t listen, you want to scream.