2007 FOSSIL LAB INTERNSHIP

Using a pin vice, Tim prepares a bison bone. Using the microscope allows
him to see the fine details of the bone surface and carefully clean it.
Photo M. E. Perez

This summer, three Chicago Public High School students got to experience what it is like to prepare fossils at the University of Chicago’s Fossil Lab. Working alongside professional fossil preparators, these students were immersed in the process of cleaning, stabilizing, and preserving fossils during their four-week internship. Under the direction of Lab Volunteer Coordinator, Stephanie Crofts, all three students learned special techniques and utilized a variety of tools while uncovering and cleaning fossils from a variety of locations.

The three students, Tim, Alora, and Dimetrios, are all interested in science as a future career. This internship provided them with the unique experience of working in an active lab and research environment and will prepare and equip them to study science in the future.

Click here to learn what working in a fossil lab is really like through Tim’s personal stories and daily journal entries.