Nathan Smith Interns in Houston Through Augustana Program

2012 Jul 25

Thirteen Augustana College students are currently completing internships in Houston, Texas, as part of the Texas Medical Center summer research internship program and will return at the beginning of August.

Nathan Smith, a senior from Bensenville, Ill. majoring in biochemistry, chemistry, and pre-medicine. Smith is interning in Houston at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Now in its seventh year, the Augustana College internship program sends 10-15 students to the Texas Medical Center to serve as full-time interns in a variety of disciplines.

Dr. Heidi Storl, professor of philosophy and the director of the Texas Medical Center internships at Augustana, said "Students are chosen on the basis of their academic and personal merits."

This summer Augustana students are conducting research in biochemistry, psychology, public health, neuroscience, speech pathology, clinical ethics and human resources.

At Augustana, students choosing to complete an internship can receive financial support from the college thanks to a program launched in 2009 called Augie Choice. Focused on advancing student learning in the liberal arts, Augie Choice grants students in their junior year or beyond the opportunity to receive a one-time grant of $2,000 to offset the expenses of study abroad, an internship or research project. Augie Choice funding, which recently surpassed the $1.5-million milestone, is a visible symbol of the college's commitment to experiential learning as a way of preparing students to stand out among their peers.

About Augustana: Founded in 1860 and situated on a 115-acre campus near the Mississippi River, Augustana College is a private, liberal arts institution affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The college enrolls 2,500 students from diverse geographic, social, ethnic and religious backgrounds and offers nearly 90 majors and related areas of study. Augustana employs 182 full-time faculty and has a student-faculty ratio of 12:1. Augustana continues to do what it has always done: challenge and prepare students for lives of leadership and service in our complex, ever-changing world.