Employment and Internships

Employment

2026 Opportunities and Student Research

Vintage Poster Contest: This year, the State of the Rockies project invited students to submit a digital image of an original 1970s vintage-style poster that captures our attention and includes a message or "motto" that calls on us to support today's conservation actions and policies for environmental protection. This is an updated version of our traditional ‘national parks slogan’ themed poster contest. Students were asked to take a stand on a social, political, or economic issue that impacts our region and is addressed in the 2025 Conservation in the West poll.

• Relevant 2026 Conservation in the West Poll Questions
  • Q1. Loss of habitat for fish & wildlife
  • Q2. Inadequate water supplies
  • Q3. Uncontrollable wildfires that threaten homes & property
  • Q4. Pollution of rivers, lakes, & streams
  • Q5. Population declines of fish & wildlife
  • Q6. Loss of Natural Areas
  • Q8. Climate change
  • Q9. The impact of oil & gas drilling on our land, air, & water
  • Q11. Rollbacks of laws that protect our land, water & wildlife

Student Photo Contest: Each year, the State of the Rockies project invites students to submit up to three photos and a description of each photo(s) taken from the Rocky Mountain West that reminds us why, how, and/or what conservation efforts are necessary to preserve and protect nature. Students are required to describe how their photo submission(s) relate to a conservation topic covered by this year's State of the Rockies Conservation in the West poll.

• Relevant 2026 Conservation in the West Poll Questions
  • Q4. Pollution of rivers, lakes, & streams
  • Q5. Population declines of fish & wildlife
  • Q6. Loss of Natural Areas
  • Q8. Climate change
  • Q11. Rollbacks of laws that protect our land, water & wildlife

Waldo Canyon: The Waldo Canyon project looks at the aftermath and ecosystem recovery of Waldo Canyon after the 2012 wildfire. Students test scientific ecological concepts and theories of US western forest succession in this demographic study of Ponderosa pine forest establishment following fire in the Rocky Mountains of southern Colorado.

• Relevant 2026 Conservation in the West Poll Questions
  • Q3. Uncontrollable wildfires that threaten homes & property
  • Q5. Population declines of fish & wildlife
  • Q6. Loss of Natural Areas
  • Q8. Climate change
  • Q11. Rollbacks of laws that protect our land, water & wildlife

Social Action Institute: The Colorado College Social Action Institute is a 6 week mentored internship program emphasizing student engagement in activist and/or advocacy work that aims to uphold/construct participatory democracy by addressing the criminalization of immigrant communities, low-wage workers, and other vulnerable populations. Students affiliated with the Colorado College Social Action Institute worked with Conservation Colorado in Denver, a leading environmental organization dedicated to protecting Colorado's environment and bringing people into policy.

• Relevant 2026 Conservation in the West Poll Questions
  • Q2. Inadequate water supplies
  • Q7. The rising cost of living
  • Q8. Climate change

Dark Skies: This past research year included a vast variety of dark sky themed projects, including faculty-mentored research projects and independent study. The faculty-mentored research, under the guidance of professors Michelan Wilson, Guanyi Yang, and Andres Azqueta Gavaldon, examines ecological and economic impacts of light pollution on aquatic ecosystems and fisheries, and the impact of exposure to artificial light during pregnancy on infant health. Independent research projects include themes of dark sky preservation in Bears Ears National Monument and the relation between urban development and light pollution pervasiveness in the Rocky Mountain West Region.

• Relevant 2026 Conservation in the West Poll Questions
  • Q1. Loss of habitat for fish & wildlife
  • Q6. Loss of Natural Areas
  • Q8. Climate change
  • Q11. Rollbacks of laws that protect our land, water & wildlife

Film Productions: Student film projects include productions of short films titled Rootbound, Still Water, and The Beast of Our Time. Each film offers a different perspective/stylistic analysis on current environmental affairs.

• Relevant 2026 Conservation in the West Poll Questions
  • Q1. Loss of habitat for fish & wildlife
  • Q2. Inadequate water supplies
  • Q5. Population declines of fish & wildlife
  • Q6. Loss of Natural Areas
  • Q8. Climate change
  • Q11. Rollbacks of laws that protect our land, water & wildlife

 "When I began working for the State of the Rockies, I immediately learned the importance of the project. Combining research, information, and education to improve awareness of environmental issues in the Rocky Mountain West; State of the Rockies makes a difference. Since joining the team, I have been able to integrate my passion for art and graphic design with this mission. This summer, I am a project assistant for the team researching regrowth in the Waldo Canyon burn scar and a graphic designer for the Anthropogenic. I believe that no other job would allow me to work on projects that are as deeply important, interconnected, collaborative, and fun as the State of the Rockies!"  —  Macy McCauley '26 (from Loveland, CO),  Education major

Internships