(Please send completed applications to CIE@uncw.edu)
Blue Economy Internships
Since 2020 a dedicated group of local and regional innovators, business leaders, entrepreneurs, university faculty and researchers have worked together to form the Alliance for the Blue Economy (www.Allbluenc.org). The All Blue group has identified and is promoting 5 sectors within our regional blue economy; Sustainable Aquaculture and Fishery Resources, Blue Sustainable and Regenerative Travel, Regional Resiliency, Ocean Engineering and Marine Robotics, and Marine Biotechnology. All Blue has engaged with hundreds of regional and national stakeholders to develop critical tasks for each of these sectors. The goal is to create a transformative impact on the SE North Carolina, resulting in a sustainable economy that can thrive, even as the region prepares for growth. To that end we are seeking student interns across the University’s many outstanding academic and research units. There are identified needs for students from business and marketing, entrepreneurship, hospitality, business analytics, coastal engineering, and Marine Sciences among others. Goals of these internships include Identifying promising students that want to engage in the blue economy, promote involvement of UNCW students and faculty in the blue economy, and interns will be compensated for activities in the blue economy on a semester-by-semester basis.
Blue Economy Research
Internship to Support the Alliance for the Blue Economy
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Hear from Past Interns:
Kelsey Pearson
UNCW Undergraduate student Kelsey Pearson was awarded an All Blue internship with Wilmington-based Local Catch, which was founded by UNCW Alumnus Landon Hill (Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurship Studies '20). Here’s what she had to say about her experience:
“Working as an intern with Local Catch really gave me a taste of what the real world is like and how exciting it is. I enjoyed learning new skills like Canva as well as training in marketing and sales. I believe that having a broader experience will be beneficial in the future! Working with Landon has been very educational and inspirational. Being able to work next to someone that is capable of starting their own business has been such a privilege. I also was able to experience what it is like building a company and seeing all the hard work put into it. I hope to continue to have a position with Local Catch in the future!”
Rachel O'Connor
Rachel O'Connor worked with Valerie Robertson on the Going Green Magazine. She wrote articles on North Carolina's blue economy, specifically an introduction to living shorelines, the history of North Carolina's shipbuilding economy and its impacts, invasive lionfish which also included email and in-person interviews with several stakeholders, and an introduction to the blue economy.