Austin Grant, a senior majoring in aquatic sciences with a minor in military science and leadership, spent the
summer gaining knowledge about the inner workings and project considerations of the Army Corps of Engineers, working in the St. Louis District.
A cadet in the Purdue Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program, Grant found out about the internship through his cadre within the ROTC. He applied for the internship program offer through Cadet Command and was selected for the opportunity over other cadets in the country.
According to the US Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District post on Linked In, Grant and his three fellow cadets “gained hands-on experience, built leadership skills and contributed to our mission in meaningful ways.”
Among the many projects Grant and his fellow cadets participated in, they completed a fully interactive tour of Lock and Dam 25 to allow foremen and engineers to take a look at the jobsite prior to construction without actually being physically at the project. They also created an updated poster to be used at local career fairs.
While Grant says he wasn’t able to directly apply his FNR coursework to the internship, it enabled him to
communicate with professionals working on the projects.
“Networking with other biologists, I was able to understand and give input about their projects,” the Fishers, Indiana, native said. “This led to creating good networking opportunities and connected me with some really good people. I worked with and spoke with some very important and respected people within the Army Corps of Engineers, such as Major General Kimberly Peeples and Colonel Andy Pannier, both who hold very important roles within the Army Corps of Engineers and the Army. Major General Peeples holds the title of president of the Mississippi River Commission, a job that is personally appointed by the president.”
Grant learned behind the scenes details about building and facility updates.
“I learned that it takes a lot of money to build these massive infrastructure updates to these dams and locks,” he shared. “I enjoyed talking with other fishery biologists in the field who are working on how we can make these big projects environmentally friendly for local fishes. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of extra funding in these multibillion dollar projects for environmental concerns. Even if there is funding, they are not entirely sure if the environmental projects will have any return on investment."
The internship offered Grant an inside look at a professional opportunity he hopes to participate in upon graduation.
“I have known for a while that I want to work with the Army Corps of Engineers on the civilian side and this opportunity only opened more doors to seek other positions with the Corps,” Grant said. “The most challenging part of the internship was living in a big city and adapting to living out of a hotel room, but I had an amazing time in St. Louis living with other cadets for the internship.”
During his time in FNR, Grant has been involved in the Purdue student chapter of the American Fisheries Society, Purdue’s Bass Fishing Club and the Purdue ROTC program.
A photo collage of images from Austin Grant's summer internship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 
