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ESF Joins Six SUNY campuses for Internship Exchange Program with University of Puerto Rico and Para La Naturaleza
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Nov. 21, 2025 – The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is one of seven SUNYs participating in the second annual internship exchange program in partnership with the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) and the conservation organization Para La Naturaleza, providing SUNY students the opportunity to conduct hands-on research to take climate action and improve sustainability.
This year, seven SUNY campuses will participate in the internship exchange program with Para La Naturaleza in summer 2026, up from three. SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr announced the second annual internship opportunity during the recently concluded SOMOS Conference in Puerto Rico, where he also met with UPR’s system administrators to renew SUNY’s partnership commitment and invite UPR students back next summer to attend the Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Program.
“Hands-on experiences are fundamental to the learning and professional success of our students,” said King. “This internship program helps build stronger bonds between SUNY institutions and the University of Puerto Rico and helps future leaders conduct important research to improve conservation efforts and address climate change. We are proud to work with Para La Naturaleza to ensure the return of this internship exchange opportunity which helps build skills that will last a lifetime.”
Last year, five students from ESF joined their peers from SUNY Oneonta, and SUNY Buffalo to travel to Puerto Rico for the pilot program research exchange experience funded by the Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund. Mark Lichtenstein, ESF’s executive operating officer, played a key role in stewarding the trip for the students.
As part of the summer internship, students were able to examine and monitor Laguna Grande's water quality, visit the El Yunque rainforest to identify endemic species, explore unique canyons to identify geological formations, and discuss conservation strategies. The experience ended with a volunteer day at the local community. In addition, four UPR students were selected to conduct research over the summer at Upstate Medical and the State University of New York at Stony Brook.
“ESF is proud to continue participating in this program with the University of Puerto Rico and Para La Naturaleza, which strengthens our commitment to sustainability and global collaboration,” said ESF President Joanie Mahoney. “Internships that focus on environmental research give students invaluable, hands-on experience that prepares them to tackle real-world challenges. It’s opportunities such as these that help our students grow as leaders while making a meaningful impact on conservation efforts.”
Chancellor King made the announcement about the second year of the internship opportunity and connected with Para La Naturaleza as part of SUNY’s panel at the annual SOMOS conference in Puerto Rico. The panel included live student testimonies from last summer’s participants and a video highlighting SUNY’s strong connection with the University of Puerto Rico. The panel showcased the unique ways SUNY is collaborating with UPR, such as providing professional development resources for UPR faculty in AI in Teaching and offering UPR students access to our world-renowned research labs and expert faculty.
The SUNY campuses along with ESF selected to participate in this year’s program are: SUNY Albany, SUNY Cortland, Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Oneonta and SUNY Oswego.
About SUNY ESF
The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) is dedicated to the study of the environment, developing renewable technologies, and building a sustainable and resilient future through design, policy, and management of the environment and natural resources. Members of the College community share a passion for protecting the health of the planet and a deep commitment to the rigorous application of science to improve the way humans interact with the world. The College offers academic programs ranging from the associate of applied science to the Doctor of Philosophy. ESF students live, study and do research on the main campus in Syracuse, N.Y., and on 25,000 acres of field stations in a variety of ecosystems across the state.