The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center is offering a paid summer internship to an enrolled U of A undergraduate or graduate student to contribute to the creation of an issue of Arroyo, the annual WRRC publication that focuses on a critical Arizona water issue. This internship provides an opportunity to gain experience researching and writing about water issues. It is made possible by the generosity of Gene Sander and Louise M. Canfield-Sander, with the goal of fostering student research and engagement with water resources. Arroyo is recognized as a source of objective, accurate, and understandable information. It reaches a wide audience that includes policy makers and water professionals, as well as the interested public.
The 2026 Arroyo will draw on the WRRC’s 2026 Annual Conference, Water for Tech, Mining & Energy: Pathways to Arizona's Future, to be held April 14–15 at the U of A student union. It will focus on the challenges and opportunities for water stewardship of the mining, energy, and technology sectors and will cover innovative strategies, best practices, regulatory frameworks, municipal-industrial partnerships, and environmental considerations. Under guidance from WRRC personnel, the intern will produce a draft Arroyo, using materials from the conference augmented with public information resources and interviews.
Requirements: The applicant must be an enrolled graduate or undergraduate student at the University of Arizona who will continue to be enrolled in the Fall 2026 semester.
The position requires excellent writing skills, specifically, the ability to write clearly, objectively, and effectively; good time management skills; good research skills; and some familiarity with water resources issues in Arizona. Graphic design experience is a plus.
The intern will work approximately 20 hours per week for 12 weeks scheduled flexibly between May 18 and August 21, 2026 for a stipend of $5,000. The intern is encouraged to work at the WRRC offices in Tucson, but remote applicants will be considered. Attendance at the 2026 conference is strongly encouraged.
To Apply:
Complete and submit the application form online at: https://wrrc.arizona.edu/form/summer-arroyo-internship, along with a writing sample and a letter of recommendation. If preferred, letters of recommendation may be emailed directly to Susanna Eden at seden@arizona.edu.
The writing sample may be on any topic; however, it should not be a technical report. It should avoid jargon and be understandable by general readers. The sample should be less than 1,000 words and should be submitted in PDF. Applicants are encouraged to look at previous issues of Arroyo on the WRRC website at http://wrrc.arizona.edu/publications/arroyo.
The letter of recommendation should come from a faculty member familiar with the applicant’s research and writing skills.
Applications are due no later than 5:00 p.m., Monday March 9, 2026.
Please direct any questions to seden@arizona.edu.