Undergraduate Fellows
At the University of Dayton, you'll have many opportunities for experiential learning. Through the Hanley Sustainability Institute, we offer the undergraduate fellowship and Sustainability Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) programs.
HSI Undergraduate Sustainability Fellowship Program
The Undergraduate Sustainability Fellowship offers paid, full-time internship opportunities for students to explore sustainability as a career and contribute to real-world projects. The program includes both campus and community placements.
The Campus Cohort works alongside sustainability professionals and operations staff in areas ranging from Dining Services to Residential Properties. Past projects have focused on topics such as waste reduction and standardization, residential energy analysis, and food access initiatives.
The Community Cohort supports regional sustainability projects through partner organizations. Past host sites have included the City of Dayton Office of Sustainability, the City of Kettering Office of Sustainability, and Five Rivers MetroParks.
What sets this fellowship apart from a typical internship or co-op is its emphasis on active reflection and cohort learning. Students are supported and co-mentored by both their direct project supervisor and HSI staff professionals.
Sustainability Undergraduate Research Fellowship
A gift from University of Dayton graduate John Alberici led to the creation of the Sustainability Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. Alberici, a 1967 graduate, served in the U.S. Army before joining his family's construction company in St. Louis, Mo. He is now the chairman emeritus of Alberici Corporation and Flintco, LLC.
The fellowship advances two of the Hanley Sustainability Institute’s priorities, enhancing undergrad experiences in sustainability and catalyzing transdisciplinary research and scholarship.
Through a competitive review process, HSI selects a cohort of outstanding undergraduate students to work on transdisciplinary research projects in sustainability. Each student spends a full academic year (including summer) working on a project guided by one or more faculty members. Students receive a stipend for their summer work and an allowance to offset research expenses.
Past projects include:
- Groundwater Contamination in Relation to Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions of the Miami Conservancy District Field Site
- Eco and Radical Feminism and Environmental Justice Policy
- Advancing Sustainability in Dayton, Ohio, through GIS-Driven Urban Planning Strategies
