Economics major and environmental studies minor Diana Schoder '17 is spending the summer working on an exciting combination of her academic interests as a Center for Peace and Global Citizenship-sponsored intern at the Open Space Institute (OSI) in New York City. OSI is a leading institution in environmental conservation, and works to protect natural and historic landscapes for conservation and public enjoyment.

Schoder is working on conservation efforts in the Northeast. As part of the Institute's Conservation Capital program, she is finding resources for land trusts and researching water funds, a new form of conservation finance in which investments collected from water users are used to preserve key channels that filter and regulate water supply.

"I believe that economics is a powerful tool for furthering the social good and solving environmental issues," she says.

After being inspired by political science classes taught by Visiting Assistant Professor Thomas Donahue and environmental science courses with Postdoctoral Fellow Steven Smith, Schoder looked for an internship that would help her gain a practical understanding of the two academic disciplines outside the classroom.

"My favorite part of the internship is the research," she says. "I love that a significant part of my internship is learning about everything from geology to finance. And being able to incorporate that knowledge into my work is extremely rewarding."

—Hina Fathima '15

"Summer Centered" is a series exploring our students' Center-funded summer work.