Summer internships | Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences

DEOHS undergraduate students get hands-on job experience as interns with health agencies, nonprofits and private companies in Washington and beyond.

Our department’s field internship requirement provides students majoring in Environmental Public Health the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned in the classroom in an actual work setting, preparing them for well-paying careers.

Read about our interns' experiences below.

Planning for your internship? Contact Career Services Manager Dan Poux for a career services appointment to discuss.

Sean Atijera wears a black button-up shirt and stands near stairs.

Transfer student finds community, career connections

Sean Atijera, environmental public health major, appreciates the many resources found on a large campus

Kailee Sisounthone smiles wearing a hard hat, safety vest and sunglasses on a bridge over a river.

On the job: Kailee Sisounthone

DEOHS undergraduate helps protect electrical workers with Seattle City Light internship

Maegan Chua sits at a table with others, smiling at the camera. On the table are fliers, a clip board, water bottles, a decorative pot, a red plastic tool box and a box of ziploc bags. Yellow, orange and green balloons are verically along the left side of the photo. Boxes are stacked in the background. It is clear those in the photo are at a table, participating in a fair or festival, handing out information. Green tablecloths are on the tables.

On the job: Maegan Chua

DEOHS undergrad’s perspective on environmental health deepens after internship

Orhan Eribac stands wearing a life vest by the water's edge in a field with mountains in the background.

Looking out for the health of workers who protect our environment

DEOHS graduate student monitors job hazards for conservation workers through internship with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Kaidan St. Louis stands in a safety vest looking into a recycling bin in a backyard while holding it open.

On the job | Kaidan St Louis

DEOHS undergrad inspires sustainability in Recycle Corps internship with WM

A young man with glasses and wearing a white lab coat holds bouquets of flowers and is surrounded by his family.

A launching pad into medical school

A BS in Environmental Health laid the foundation for Dr. Troy Yi’s career as a pediatrician

A woman in a hijab with eyes closed wearing traditional eyeliner.

Lowering lead exposure from traditional eyeliners

DEOHS MS student Aesha Mokashi works with King County and Afghan Health Initiative to reduce children’s lead exposure in local Afghan communities

Anika Rajput sits on a bench on the UW campus with greenery in the background.

On the job | Anika Rajput

DEOHS undergrad supports food safety efforts in internship with UW Environmental Health & Safety

On the job | Kailee Sisounthone & Allison Seamon

Summer of sustainability: DEOHS undergraduate students educate communities on recycling

On the job | Graham Tewksbury

DEOHS undergraduate student’s summer internship with Boeing sparks career interest in corporate environmental sustainability

A man with dark hair and glasses stands in a radiation safety lab holding a sign that reads "Warning, Do not enter, Alignment in process. Class 4 laser"

On the job | Matthew Deinitchenko

DEOHS undergraduate student inspects lasers to keep lab workers safe from radiation

A young woman in a black tank top sits at a table looking at a computer.

On the job | Xiaoyu Sun

DEOHS undergraduate student builds tool to help prevent wastewater overflows

two women holding balloons decorate an outdoor booth

On the job | Shivani Jain

DEOHS undergraduate student develops training on how climate change and health inequities impact people with asthma

Screenshot of Cassady Surefleet from a video of her describing her internship experience

On the job | Cassady Surfleet

Fast, chaotic, humbling: Protecting workers and the environment in rural Alaska

Belen Salguero stands in front of a wall mural showing Denver skyline with text: "Denver Public Health & Environment. Empowering Denver's Communities to Live Better, Longer"

Ensuring respect and support for marginalized communities

Environmental Health major delves into public health in Denver through the National Environmental Public Health Internship Program

Greta Gunning stands smiling in a JRCOSTEP uniform in front of a sign reading "Zuni Reservation. You are Entering Zuni-Land. Welcome"

Prioritizing relationships in public health

Environmental health major interns with Indian Health Service through program sponsored by US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

Diana Marquez stands in front of an enclosure of cows at a dairy farm with a notebook in her hands.

Building trust with farmworkers

DEOHS master's student in Occupational Hygiene interns with Washington State Department of Labor & Industries in the Yakima Valley

Closeup photo of Everetta Rasyid smiling, wearing a brown hijab outside.

Supporting safer chemicals for consumers

DEOHS master's student in Applied Toxicology screens printing chemicals for safety as an intern with HP

Photo of a man giving a thumbs up at the summit of a mountain.

Supporting toxic-site cleanup in the Pacific Northwest

DEOHS master's student in Applied Toxicology interns with EPA Superfund and Emergency Management

Pandher, wearing a face mask, standing next to a sidewalk with evergreens in the background.

Protecting Washington workers in the pandemic

DEOHS environmental health major responds to workers' concerns about COVID-19 and more while interning with Washington State Department of Labor & Industries

Peterson standing in front of a canyon in the Badlands.

Protecting health in the Great Plains

DEOHS environmental health major takes on the COVID-19 crisis and more while interning with the Indian Health Service

Gombart standing in a hole surrounded by rocks and soil, holding out a ball of soil in his extended right hand.

Safe water for all

DEOHS environmental health major gets down in the dirt for public health

A young woman wearing a lab coat and safety goggles stands in a University of Washington laboratory.

On the job | Scyler Li

Promoting safe laboratory practices at the UW

A woman kneels on a grassy lawn next to health department signage.

On the job | Suhani Patel

Protecting community health through pool inspections and mosquito control

A young man with a hardhat looks into the camera.

On the job | Zakary Reimann

Using video technology to document chemical exposures

A young woman sits at a computer work station.

On the job | Jennifer Kim

Protecting worker health and safety through workplace inspections

Woman smiling at camera.

On the job | Mariah Dittmore

Enjoying the fast pace at a global engineering and design company

Hannah on-site for her summer internship

On the job | Hannah Echt

Promoting safe workplaces and making professional connections

Jenny in front of a canyon

On the job | Jenny Pak

Serving the health needs of the Navajo Nation

girl in hardhat

On the job | Angela Zhu

Getting hands-on at local businesses and asking questions in the field

A woman smiles as she sits next to a computer monitor.

On the job | Juliet Lopez

Navigating dirty restaurants and wide open spaces as a DEOHS summer intern