Kerstin Alander, a Lone Star College-Montgomery and Texas A&M graduate, has been awarded a prestigious Agricultural and National Resources Policy (ANRP) internship to research and monitor global agricultural issues.
The internship is in Rome where Alander works with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations on its Global Early Warning System (GEWS) and assists the team in disease intelligence and risk assessment activities.
Alander also participates in data mining, scanning and searching for unusual events, and sharing information through daily global early warning system meetings.
“Everyone who works here is incredibly nice,” blogged Alander from Rome. “For those of you who don’t know, the U.N. staff is very diverse, with only so many staff members allowed from each donating nation. The scientist who I am directly under is extremely nice and so is the other member of the GEWS.”
Alander majored in both environmental science and entomology at Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and was the only student selected for the Rome internship.
She is a graduate of The Woodlands High School (2009) and graduated from LSC-Montgomery in 2011 with her associate degree before transferring to Texas A&M University to earn her bachelor’s degree. While a student at LSC, Alander was a Maverick Leader, serving the community and the college by helping at official functions, providing information and assistance to administration, faculty, staff, students and visitors.
Alander’s goal is to work for either the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization on vector borne diseases.
The Agricultural and Natural Resources Policy (ANRP) Internship Program is one of the premier leadership opportunities in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University. Through this program, students complete exciting, policy-focused internships for a semester while earning academic credit and gaining knowledge and skills that will distinguish them from their peers. Former interns highlight increased research abilities, a better understanding of complex organizations/systems, and the development of interpersonal communication skills. Most importantly, students learn to understand the policy process through hands-on experience. Learn more about the internship program at agintern.tamu.edu/about/.
Lone Star College has been opening doors to a better community for more than 40 years. Founded in 1973, LSC remains steadfast in its commitment to student success and credential completion. Today, with almost 83,000 students in credit classes, and a total enrollment of more than 95,000, Lone Star College is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the nation. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., is the chancellor of LSC, which consists of six colleges including LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood, LSC-Montgomery, LSC-North Harris, LSC-Tomball and LSC-University Park, seven centers, LSC-University Center at Montgomery, LSC-University Center at University Park, Lone Star Corporate College, and LSC-Online.
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