This summer, five Ohio Sea Grant summer interns are getting involved in Lake Erie science and outreach to help address the region’s most important environmental and economic issues.
Sam Holtz, a rising junior at Harvard University studying Environmental Engineering and Environmental Public Policy
Interns will represent the program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) alongside other partners, working on four different projects centered around Lake Erie and environmental research and conservation.
As program ambassadors, the interns will attend outreach events throughout the summer to engage the public and come together to promote environmental conservation.
“The Ohio Sea Grant summer internship program is impactful in several ways,” said Extension Educator Dr. Scott Hardy, who oversees the program. “The interns gain valuable experience in the environmental field and get to network with a wide range of local professionals.”
Likewise, Hardy continued, partner communities benefit from the interns’ energy and public engagement, and Ohio Sea Grant benefits from an increased capacity for outreach and education.
One intern, Sam Holtz, is a rising junior at Harvard University studying Environmental Engineering and Environmental Public Policy. She grew up in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and loves spending time near water, especially Lake Erie and the Chagrin River.
This summer, Holtz is working with Ohio Sea Grant and the Fresh Water Institute as a water economy intern. She will assist with projects focused on watershed management, pollution prevention, and public education, contributing to emerging research on Ohio’s waterways and providing new research findings to the scientific community and the public.
Ren Harris, a 2026 Case Western Reserve University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and computer science
During the internship, Holtz is excited to learn from the scientists and others who interact with Lake Erie and understand just how important the body of water is to the community. She said she looks forward to using what she learns during the internship to give back to her community.
Another intern, Ren Harris, is a 2026 graduate of Case Western Reserve University with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and computer science. Through the summer internship, Harris will be analyzing soil samples collected from Lake Erie for an Ohio Sea Grant research project led by Dr. Beverly Saylor of Case Western.
The project, titled “Spatial and Temporal Variation in the Mass Accumulation of Sediment, Nutrients, and Contaminants in Lake Erie’s Central Basin” involves studying ancient sediments to yield new environmental insights about Lake Erie. Through the internship, Harris is looking forward to combining data analytics and environmental conservation.
Grace Telesz is a rising senior studying environmental science at the University of Pittsburgh. This summer, Telesz will be working with Ohio Sea Grant, program partners, and Plastic Free Cleveland on the BOTtttle Project, which stands for Beach and On-water Trash Trapping Tech Team for Lake Erie. The project focuses on marine debris, and Grace will attend several outreach events, participate in nurdle (tiny plastic pellet) collection during beach clean-ups, and help people and communities reduce single-use plastics.
Telesz said she is looking forward to combining her love of the environment and art during her internship and finding creative ways to engage youth on environmental topics.
Grace Telesz, a rising senior environmental science major at the University of Pittsburgh
Len Rincon Martinez is a rising senior at Case Western Reserve University with a double major in environmental studies and cognitive science. This summer, Martinez will be working with the Cuyahoga River Area of Concern (AOC) Advisory Committee and focusing on community engagement and environmental outreach within the watershed.
Through the internship, Martinez is looking forward to advancing community outreach initiatives and public engagement strategies. He is also excited about creating and promoting educational materials to underrepresented communities.
Len Rincon Martinez, a rising senior at Case Western Reserve University with a double major in environmental studies and cognitive science
Jingning Zhu, a rising senior geological sciences major at Case Western, will also work on Dr. Saylor’s sedimentation research project. Working with both Ohio Sea Grant and Case Western, Zhu will assist with geochemical and mineralogical analysis of Lake Erie sediment cores to understand environmental changes in the lake.
This summer, Zhu is hoping to gain hands-on experience with analytical instrumentation and is excited to learn about how geochemical data can tell Lake Erie’s environmental story.
Jingning Zhu, rising senior geological sciences major at Case Western Reserve University
In addition, interns will attend weekly professional development sessions with NOAA and participate in online peer review sessions, helping them become future leaders in environmental conservation, policy, and advocacy.
“The goal is to help create opportunities for undergraduate students in regional water management and protection while increasing Ohio Sea Grant’s ability to broaden the impacts of our work,” Hardy said of the internship program. “It’s a win – win for all involved.”
Ohio Sea Grant is supported by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension, and NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 34 Sea Grant programs nation-wide dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources. Stone Laboratory is Ohio State’s island campus on Lake Erie and is the research, education, and outreach facility of Ohio Sea Grant and part of CFAES School of Environment and Natural Resources.