Ida Clarke grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in south-central South Dakota. She’s now a junior at Black Hills State University in Spearfish studying environmental physical science. Clarke says her background in chemistry, physics, and geology helped her land a summer internship at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead. Clarke says she plans to use what she’s learning to help her community get involved in
science.
Ida Clarke grew up in Oglala and graduated from the Red Cloud High School. She’s about to begin a ten-week internship at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead. Clarke says details of her internship are still in the works but she expects to spend much of her time working in the wastewater treatment plant.
“Coming from my background water’s considered sacred to life and it’s very important to protect it and to keep it clean. And also, that’s where I’ve drew my inspiration to go into water remediation research,” says Clarke
Clarke’s says her internship will transcend beyond the science lab.
“Yeah, it’s a huge opportunity for not just me but for other Native American students to see what kind of opportunities they can get. And I think with this experience I can share with my own community or my own family about what they do at the lab, and what kind of research they’re doing, and kind of give a little insight to the community and the public about what’s going on, and hopefully inviting some of them to come to Neutrino Day,” says Clarke.
Clarke says this internship will help her get experience in researching and will help with future career decisions. She is scheduled to graduate from BHSU in 2016.
