This paid fellowship will provide a graduate student in Western Pennsylvania with the opportunity to deepen their academic understanding of environmental issues affecting the heavily-fracked region around Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The fellow will work in close collaboration with FracTracker’s expert team and with their academic advisor.

This position was developed in partnership with the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies and The Heinz Endowments.

Fellowship Description

The environmental health fellow will perform research and geo-spatial data collection, processing, and analysis with a focus on environmental health issues associated with oil, gas, and petrochemical development. Specific projects and research interests will be identified by the fellow in consultation with FracTracker staff and the fellow’s graduate program advisor. While multiple projects might be undertaken, a signature capstone project and blog post on www.fractracker.org will be the primary foci of the experience.

Apply today to:

• Conduct independent study relevant to your coursework
• Deepen your understanding of environmental health issues and solutions
• Learn and Apply GIS skills
• Obtain valuable resume-building experience
• Make new connections in the field of environmental health

This position is not eligible for health benefits, but approved travel expenses for relevant research, meetings, and fieldwork will be reimbursed. Fellows will work out of the Pittsburgh FracTracker office.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the fellow will revolve around their capstone project. They may also be asked to assist with daily work and time sensitive projects of the organization. Responsibilities will vary, but may include:

• Spatial analyses and mapping using GIS software
• Data mining, cleaning, and management
• Field research (e.g. mobile app documentation, interviews, air or water monitoring, etc.)
• Meetings with staff, partners, and/or experts
• Written contributions to the FracTracker blog at www.fractracker.org
• Translation of data into information and stories for the blog
• Developing educational outreach materials

Qualifications

This fellowship is dedicated to current graduate students in Western Pennsylvania only. The candidate should possess the following qualifications:

• Interest in protecting public health from risks associated with unconventional oil and gas and/or petrochemical development
• Working knowledge of geographic information systems (GIS) and Microsoft Office products (especially Word and Excel)
• Ability to assist with researching spatial data availability from internal and external sources; collect, assimilate, analyze, and interpret data and draw sound conclusions; prepare oral and written reports
• Attention to detail
• Excellent written and oral English communication and research skills
• Ability to tackle challenging problems with minimal guidance
• Experience presenting data and information in creative, visually compelling ways is a plus

Completed studies in environmental or public health, environmental science, environmental policy or environmental law, environmental engineering, chemistry, biology, economics, marketing, or nonprofit management are desired, but not mandatory.

TO APPLY

To apply, please fill out the form below. The application deadline is Friday, April 3rd at 5pm. 

Selected candidates will be contacted for an interview with FracTracker staff members. First-round interviews will take place between April 13th – April 24th.

Once the fellow has been selected, all first-round candidates will be notified regarding the result of their application by April 10th.

Second-round interviews will take place between May 4th – May 15th, with the final candidate being selected by May 20th at the latest. All first-round candidates will be notified regarding the result of their application at that time.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Shannon Smith at smith@fractracker.org.

FracTracker is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, citizenship status, age, veteran status, or disability.

Environmental Health Fellowship Application Form

You must click the “submit” button in order for us to receive your application!

Timeline

Learn more about FracTracker’s fellowships, internships, and visiting scholar program here.