Prairie Research Institute

Illinois State Geological Survey

Internships

Paul Edwin Potter Internship Program

The Paul Edwin Potter Internship Program immerses students in projects that address geologic issues in Illinois. For 10 weeks during the summer, student interns will work with and learn from the professional geologists at ISGS. 

Both undergraduate and master’s students from any accredited U.S. higher-education institution are eligible.

Each intern will receive:

  • a $5,000 stipend
  • $2,500 food and housing allowance

About Paul Potter

During his lengthy career as a geologist and professor of geology, Paul Edwin Potter (1925–2020) made numerous significant contributions to sedimentology and stratigraphy. He wrote several textbooks and was one of the first geologists to conduct research on sedimentary basins. Early in his career, he worked for nine years at the Illinois State Geological Survey; he conducted research and mentored staff at ISGS and the state geological surveys in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana; and taught at the University of Cincinnati, continuing to work with students as an Emeritus Professor long after his formal retirement. Thanks to his generous bequest, ISGS was able to launch the Paul Edwin Potter Internship Program in 2022.