Yerkes Observatory is proud to once again offer our immersive, hands-on internship experience for undergraduate students. During their time in Williams Bay, our interns will engage with research focused on digitizing and utilizing the Yerkes glass plate collection and collecting data with our 24″ and 41″ research telescopes, support observatory outreach, education, and public programs, and explore the amazing science and outreach being done across Wisconsin and Illinois through seminars and excursions. Our 2025 interns will be joining us for 9 weeks this summer starting in June.

Whether it is by participating in our public programming or making a donation, your support of the observatory is what makes our internship program possible. Thank you for your continued support, and congratulations to our three incoming interns!

Bruce Ritter (left)

Hi, my name is Bruce! I’m from Seattle, WA where I’ll graduate in spring 2025 from the University of Washington (UW) with a major in astronomy and minor in data science. I’ve worked in public outreach at the Theodore Jacobsen Observatory in Seattle for the past year teaching about UW’s astronomy history, and I’m very excited to continue outreach work at Yerkes! My primary focus for research is white dwarf star endpoints and binary interactions, but I am always interested in new topics. Outside of astronomy I love to bike and explore nature.

Emma Linscomb (middle)

Hello, my name is Emma Linscomb! I am a physics major in the class of 2027 at Cornell University. I grew up in Houston, Texas. I have had a love of all things physics and astronomy from as far back as I can remember. I am currently an undergraduate research assistant in an observational cosmology lab, working on the Tomographic Ionized Carbon Intensity Mapping Experiment (TIME). In addition, I serve as the Vice President of the Cornell chapter of the Society of Physics Students, where I run mentorship programs, work with professors in the department on undergraduate issues, and interview Cornell physics alumni for our spotlight project, “A Physicist Is…”. I am beyond excited to work at Yerkes this summer not only because of the meaningful research and incredible history of the observatory, but also because of the public outreach and science communication opportunities that Yerkes offers. When I am not studying physics, I spend my free time singing with Hearsay A Cappella, baking for my friends, or practicing guitar.

Grace Nasrallah (right)

Hi, I’m Grace! I was born in California but spent most of my life in Syria. My country was riddled with power outages, but that made me curious about what the night sky and celestial bodies had to offer. Wherever I was in life, astronomy has always inspired me. More precisely, I am fascinated by the stars, galaxies, and the tools we use to study them, which led me to pursue a double major in astrophysics and math at Haverford College. When I’m not on my college’s observatory deck, I like playing the piano, dancing salsa, and building dioramas out of cardboard. As I continue to pursue my interest in astrophysical instruments, I hope to uncover the roots of our universe and other mysteries that await to be uncovered.