Internship, Fellowship, and Scholarship

MESA/STEM Center On-Campus Internship

The purpose of the MESA/STEM Center On-Campus Internship Program is to provide STEM students with a research-focused and team-based on-campus STEM internship opportunity that is led by a STEM faculty mentor. All students who participate in this internship MUST ATTEND AND PRESENT at the STEMposium happening during the Spring semester.

The application period for this academic year is now open. Please make sure to read the FULL DESCRIPTION of the internship projects in full before applying.

Students will be notified via email if they were selected in October 2026.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 30th, 2026 at 5pm

There will be an informational session on September 16th at 3:30pm in Room 1807.

If you have any questions, please contact Vanessa Corona by visiting her in Room 1805A, emailing her at vanessa.corona@napavalley.edu or call (707) 256-7282.

Click here to apply

Criteria for Evaluation

Must be enrolled in the MESA Center Program
Must be eligible to work in the United States
Unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended
Updated resume

2026-2027 Internship Projects

Internship #1: *Effects of liquid smoke exposure on Escherichia coli* attachment and biofilm formation Led by Dr. Tatiana Reznikova**	The ability of bacteria to attach to surfaces and form biofilms allows them to survive environmental stresses and plays an important role in microbial persistence and interactions within microbial communities. The purpose of this project is to investigate how liquid smoke exposure affects Escherichia coli surface attachment and biofilm formation. Initially, concentrations of liquid smoke that affect bacterial growth will be determined. Attachment and biofilm formation will then be assessed under sub-inhibitory exposure conditions. This project will provide students with hands-on experience in biological laboratory techniques and introduce them to experimental design and data analysis. Project Prerequisites: Completion of at least one semester of biology (BIOL 120/105) AND chemistry (CHEM 110).
Internship #2: Undergraduate Geology Research Internship Led by Professor Cari Roughley	This internship project examines granitic rock samples from the Argus Range and Slate Range in the Mojave Desert region of California. The main question of the project is: “What do the mineral composition and textures of these granitic rocks tell us about the magmatic processes involved in the formation of the rocks?” Granite may look simple in a hand sample, but the minerals and textures of the rocks provide insight into how the magma formed, cooled, crystallized, and changed over time. Students will examine a collection of 20 rock samples, quantify mineral percentages through the process of point counting, and classify each sample according to QAPF classification. Students will also look at thin sections of each sample under microscope to further identify minerals, textures, and additional features not visible in hand sample. This project is an opportunity to engage in geology as a researcher, and be introduced to igneous petrology, petrographic microscopy, mineral identification, quantitative analysis, and scientific interpretation. No project prerequisites. An interest in geology, minerals, chemistry, data science, and/or computer science is great!
Internship #3 The Art of Mathematical Discovery Led by Professor Shawna Bynum	**THIS PROJECT MAY INCLUDE A CONFERENCE PRESENTATION IN MARCH 2027 Mathematics is more than solving textbook problems—it is a creative process of discovery. In this internship, students will experience mathematical research by investigating open-ended questions, developing conjectures, testing ideas, and communicating original mathematical insights. Working as a collaborative research team, students will investigate a challenging problem in pure mathematics through experimentation, visualization, logical reasoning, and proof. The specific research direction will be selected after the internship begins based on the interests of the group. Project Prerequisites: Successfully completed or are currently enrolled in Calculus II (MATH C2220).
Internship #4 Exploring Math with 3D Printing Led by Professor Shawna Bynum	In this project, students will explore mathematics through 3D printing. After exploring different possibilities, students will select a project based on team interests, such as knots and topology, unusual shadows and projections, higher-dimensional geometry, symmetry, polyhedra, or tilings. Each project will culminate in a physical 3D-printed object used to investigate or demonstrate mathematics. No prior 3D-printing or CAD experience is required. Project Prerequisites: Successfully completed or are currently enrolled in Calculus I (MATH C2210).
Internship #5 Energy Conversion Systems Led by Professor Antonio Castro	Energy conversion systems are essential to have energy available in usable forms. The purpose of this internship is for students to become familiar with energy conversions systems, model and simulate them, and build some of them to measure their actual efficiency. Students will build a solar-to-electrical, an electrical-to-thermal, and a potential-to-kinetic energy system. An example of a solar-to-electrical energy system is a photovoltaic system, better known as a solar panel. Students will learn and work on interdisciplinary skills, including electrical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical. Project Prerequisites: Successfully completed or are currently enrolled in PHYS 120 or PHYS 140.
Internship #6 Modeling Spotify's Recommendation System Using a Dynamic Feedback Model Led by Professor Ksenia Kitaeva	**THIS PROJECT MAY INCLUDE A CONFERENCE PRESENTATION IN MARCH 2027 Streaming services such as Spotify use recommendation systems that continuously adapt to users' listening habits. Every song a listener plays, skips, or saves provides new information that influences future recommendations, creating a dynamic feedback system in which user preferences and recommendations evolve together over time. In this project, students will investigate how a simple first-order differential equation can model changes in a user's interest in a particular music genre or artist. This project will focus on how differential equations describe the evolution of user engagement, equilibrium behavior, and long-term trends. Students will analyze how different model parameters influence the rate at which recommendations adapt and discuss the strengths and limitations of using differential equations to represent real-world recommendation systems. Project Prerequisites: Successfully completed or are currently enrolled in Differential Equations (MATH 222).
Internship #7 Can you make an AI perform better simply by changing how you ask the question? Led by Professor Emery Stafford	Students will investigate generative AI through experiments involving prompt engineering. This project will allow students to get an overview of how modern large language models work, interact directly with the LLM of their choice and investigate methods to study the accuracy, consistency, instruction-following, hallucinations, or the effects of different prompting strategies. No prior AI or programming experience is required—curiosity and willingness to investigate are the most important qualifications. No project prerequisites.

Touro University Summer Research Event

Touro University is looking for current Napa Valley College students to participate in summer research projects that are being led by Touro faculty. The program will run from June 15th - August 7th, 2026.

The application period is now closed. Students will be notified via their NVC email if they are selected and next steps.

If you have any questions about the projects or the timeline, please contact Vanessa Corona by visiting her in Room 1805A or emailing her at vanessa.corona@napavalley.edu

MESA/STEM Center Transfer Scholarship

The MESA/STEM Advisory Board is providing Achievement Awards to MESA/STEM Transfer members.
These awards are made possible by the generous donations from the MESA/STEM Advisory Board and various local individuals, organizations, and businesses. We are grateful for the support they offer to NVC MESA/STEM students.

The application period is now closed. Students can check in Spring 2027 for a new announcement.

Please note that this scholarship is only available to students who are enrolled in the MESA/STEM Center program AND that are transferring to a 4-year institution.

NVC partner in the following fellowship:

Article of past Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowhsip Participants

*Please note that Napa Valley College will not be participating in the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship this academic year*

ANNOUNCEMENT

The EISENHOWER COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRANSPORTATION FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM provides funding for the pursuit of an Associate’s Degree or specialized training in transportation related fields. The program objective is to attract qualified students to the fields of transportation education and research, and advance transportation workforce development. The Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program encompasses all modes of transportation. The program is intended to help upgrade the scope of knowledge of the entire transportation community in the United States and encompasses all modes of transportation.

CHECK OUT THESE oTHER RESOURCES:

Scholarships and Resources for DACA and Dream Act students: