2026 Environment and Policy Internships (EPIC): California State Water Resources Control Board, Office of Information Management and Analysis (SWRCB-OIMA)
Job Title: California State Water Resources Control Board Intern
Department/Team: Office of Information Management and Analysis at the California State Water Resources Control Board
Location: Remote; option for hybrid in Sacramento, California
Duration: 35-40 hours per week for ten weeks over the summer
Reports to: Anna Holder (Open Data Science, Equity & Tribal Coordinator), Greg Gearhardt (Deputy Director), and/or Andrew Hamilton (Assistant Deputy Director)
Areas of Interest: Data science, water data accessibility, water data visualization and storytelling, tribal water data, data and equity
About the California Water Resources Control Board:
The State Water Board’s mission is to preserve, enhance, and restore the quality of California’s water resources and drinking water for the protection of the environment, public health, and all beneficial uses, and to ensure proper water resource allocation and efficient use, for the benefit of present and future generations.
About the Office of Information Management and Analysis:
The Office of Information Management and Analysis (OIMA) was established in 2008 to serve as an advocate for data management, a bridge between data collectors and users, as well as provide transparency of the Water Board’s information management infrastructure. OIMA’s purpose is to empower & support people, so that our water data systems educate communities & inform decisions to protect the environment and public health.
The following four values are at the core of who we are as an office within the Water Boards, and how we work:
- We build trust: we strive to be a trusted source of water data, information, and processes, and we invest the time and space required to build, rebuild, and maintain trusting relationships.
- We adapt: we strive to be adaptable and innovative in how we work and the products, services, and resources we develop.
- We work in partnership: collaboration and partnerships are key to who we are and how we work. We believe the way we work directly impacts what we produce.
- We drive quality: we strive to produce quality information, data, products, and services. We know the quality of the systems and processes we use determine the outcomes we are able to achieve.
See the OIMA Values Statement for how each of these values have been operationalized into behaviors that we are all empowered, expected, and held accountable to demonstrating.
Position Description/Scope of Work:
Fellows typically select one or two projects to focus on during their 10-week fellowship. The fellow will be paired with a primary supervisor/mentor who will support the fellow throughout the fellowship and will help introduce the fellow to various collaborators and specialists on projects or other topics of interest. Fellows are asked to work independently and as part of teams with mentors and collaborators, with opportunities to co-work with team members, and present projects to OIMA management and staff for further feedback and guidance.
OIMA’s charge is to provide many options for candidate projects related to turning water data into useful information. Some of the candidate projects for the fellowship are described below, although it is important to note that we likely have many others for the fellow to choose from depending on their interests, skills, and start date.
Examples of specific projects and tools that past fellows have worked on include:
- Development and iteration of a Tribal Water Data Map and associated User Manual to increase awareness of and access to the Water Board’s water data resources that intersect with Tribal matters and needs.
- Revamp our Safe to Swim Map and associated documentation to make it more user friendly and improve communication / interpretation of data used in the map.
List of Potential Projects or Project Themes:
When onboarding new fellows and interns in our office, we try to match the skills, interests and focus of the people with our candidate projects. Projects continue to evolve and OIMA is confident we can find an exciting project centered around the work of the Water Boards and/or the California Water Quality Monitoring Council that will suit fellow interests and skill sets.
Below is a list of projects activities and themes that have been explored in past fellowships with OIMA, and could continue to be explored and worked on by future fellows:
- Build on existing or develop new data tools that inform important intersections between water resource management and racial equity, tribal data, and public health (e.g., Tribal Water Data Map and User Manual, Safe to Swim Map)
- Help manage data and increase the value and accessibility of the Water Board’s data via scripts and visualization software to transform and flow data towards open data publication sites to ensure Water Board data is available, reliable, consistent, accessible, secure, and timely.
- Aid in the development of web services (e.g., application program interfaces, or APIs) and creation of public data products
- Help improve how the Water Board’s monitoring programs collect, use, manage, and publish data
- Help improve the Water Board’s data quality and how data quality is measured and communicated
- Explore how to improve geospatial data related to public water systems or other Water Boards datasets
- Design data storytelling projects around the data ecosystem(s) needed to inform on safety, reliability, and affordability in public water systems or other Water Boards topics
Some of the additional products our team has helped create can be seen in this year’s Water Quality Status Report, on our Webpage, and GitHub.
Desired Skills/Qualifications:
In addition to a strong interest in water resources, water quality, and how human and environmental systems interact with water data, the successful candidate will have one or more of the following desired qualities, skills and abilities:
- Ability or interest in engaging with the public using data or technology to address stakeholder interests and achieve outcomes
- Ability to analyze data using various levels of data science skills to identify insights or build decision-support tools
- Interest and ability to work on a team
- Experience or interest in learning more about interest-based stakeholder processes
- Experience or interest in building knowledge of watershed management principles and water quality assessment procedures and policies
- Knowledge of current suite of methods and approaches needed to efficiently collect, store and make accessible data to inform management questions about bioaccumulation, bioassessment, ecological flows, watershed/stream health
- Knowledge of principles and practices to apply statistics and biometry to the design and review of water quality monitoring programs aimed at answering complex management questions
Logistics:
- EPIC fellows are required to work full-time (35-40 hours per week) for 10 weeks over the summer, and will receive a stipend of $8,000 - $9,500, depending on financial need. This stipend is intended to help cover living and transportation expenses during the fellowship, which the student is expected to arrange and coordinate.
- Preferred start date is in mid-June 2026 (exact date to be agreed upon by you and the supervisor).
2025 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Chloe Cheng
2024 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Kevin Song
2023 Stanford EPIC Fellows: Sam Prieto-Serrano and Josh Davenport
2022 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Alexis Perez
2021 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Brook Thompson
2020 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Jennifer Wang
2019 Stanford EPIC Fellow: Lindsay Young
Eligibility:
Stanford undergraduates from all academic disciplines are encouraged to apply, and applicants may vary in academic interests, public service involvement, and experience. Learn more about our previous EPIC cohorts! Students must be enrolled for winter and spring quarters of this year and be in good academic standing to be eligible for a fellowship. Students may not be serving a suspension and may not be on a Leave of Absence (LOA).
Freshman, Sophomores, Juniors, and Co-terms are eligible; Graduating seniors cannot apply for the February deadline, and are ineligible for additional financial aid beyond the base stipend. Graduating seniors may apply if there is a Round 2 deadline in the spring quarter. All students, including co-term students, must be in the undergraduate billing group in spring quarter (this is important!). Student athletes should confirm the impact of any awarded stipend on their athletic eligibility by contacting the Compliance Services Office prior to submitting their application. Please refer to the Haas Center for Public Service's website for additional Cardinal Quarter Undergraduate Fellowship Program Policies and Requirements.
Note: students are only eligible for one Stanford-funded full-time experiential learning opportunity during the summer, and are not permitted to engage in another full-time internship, job, coursework, or volunteer opportunity. Students are responsible for arranging and paying for their own housing and transportation during the fellowship.
Requirements:
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Spring Quarter:
- Commit to working full-time (35-40 hours week) for 10 consecutive weeks
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Complete an online program orientation through the Haas Center for Public Service
- This will include designing a personal learning plan that you will share with your site supervisor and academic mentor
- Complete the Engaging in Ethical and Effective Service in-person workshop or worksheet
- If you are working internationally, complete the International Academy Canvas course, and participate in pre-departure orientation with Stanford Global Risk
- Meet with your assigned Stanford academic mentor at least once prior to the start of the fellowship (more check-ins during and after your experience are encouraged)
- Attend EPIC cohort building events and activities in spring quarter, as your schedule allows
- Complete and submit all required forms and paperwork
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Summer Quarter:
- Engage in your full-time fellowship (starting no later than July 6, 2026; exact start date to be determined with your site supervisor)
- Attend EPIC cohort building events and activities in the summer, as your schedule allows
- Submit a mid-summer evaluation
- Submit a final project report, complete a program evaluation, and correspond with donor(s) as requested by program staff
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Fall Quarter:
- Debrief with your academic mentor at least once
- Attend a de-briefing meeting for the purpose of reflecting upon and evaluating summer experiences
- Participate in outreach activities to share your experiences and help publicize the program
*Failure to complete any of the requirements may result in the student's stipend being rescinded in part or in full.
Fundamental Standard:
Violations of Undergraduate Fellowships program policies are violations of the Fundamental Standard and may be referred to the Office of Community Standards. Students who fail to abide by the policies set forth by the Undergraduate Fellowships Program, the Haas Center for Public Service, and Stanford University will have low/no priority for future Haas Center funding opportunities and programs. The Haas Center reserves the right to rescind funding at any given point and time should they be apprised of any policy violations as outlined above.
More information about this fellowship opportunity is available through Cardinal Quarter. This program is one of more than 500 Cardinal Quarter opportunities through which Stanford students pursue a full-time summer or quarter-long public service experience with Stanford support. Check out Stanford University's Cardinal Service site.
