The South Florida Sun Sentinel is pleased to announce the formation of a reporting internship in the fields of science and technology, which is designed to give undergraduate or graduate students interested in those fields an opportunity to spend 10-12 weeks in our newsroom covering trends and developments that emerge in South Florida.
This internship is a pilot project funded through the estate of Robert E. Williams Ph.D., a nuclear engineer and physicist who spent 30 years of his career at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Center for Neutron Research in Gaithersburg, Maryland, where he focused on cold source reactors. His work in the field earned him two silver medals from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the parent agency of NIST.
“Bob” was also passionate about social justice issues, and had a deep interest in the sustainability of the First Amendment and the news media. David Lyons, a South Florida Sun Sentinel senior staff writer, was a lifelong friend who is helping to facilitate this internship in Bob’s memory, and to broaden the newspaper’s coverage in the areas of research and innovation.
In recognition of those interests, and in furtherance of the public’s interest in South Florida’s emerging developments in science, technology and medicine, the South Florida Sun Sentinel welcomes like-minded student journalists who wish to further their skills in reporting and analyzing news and trends as they emerge from startup companies, research centers and academic settings in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties.
The topics could range from developments in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to climate change issues, robotics and new surgical techniques.
The successful applicant, who would work in a newsroom environment with other Sun Sentinel writers and come under the supervision of the newspaper’s editors, should prepare a 750-word essay that discusses how he or she would benefit from this work, as well as how the public might benefit from the work emanating from the internship. Candidates should also submit a short letter describing their background, career goals and internship objectives; a resume with three references; and two to four clips demonstrating proficiency in writing on STEM topics.
Interested applicants should submit their essay, resume, and clips to internships@sunsentinel.com
