To apply:

Please send your resume and cover letter to Michelle Martinez, mamz@umich.edu, with the subject line “Data Centers Mapping Internship” by Friday Jan. 30.

The Tishman Center for Social Justice and the Environment at the University of Michigan School of Environment and Sustainability, in partnership with the Midwest Environmental Justice Network, is working to develop a map of data centers in the Midwest. Data Centers have seen an exponential growth in the Great Lakes region with the rise of generative AI.

As such, unregulated data centers present a threat to energy systems and water systems, poised to impact vulnerable communities hardest. The Tishman Center has been researching Environmental Justice [EJ] implications of AI Data Centers in Michigan for one year and seeks to build on the work of research team members by expanding the geographic scope of their GDS work, and include the voices of frontline and fenceline organizations.

This position is open to graduate students who have existing experience in GDS, GIS and ARC GIS Storymapping. The final product will be a map of data center locations in the Midwest, key energy and water systems, and socioeconomic data. It will also include the voices and opinions of EJ leadership across the Midwest. The student researcher will be joined by two other Graduate Students, and one PhD graduate student, and led by Michelle Martinez, Tishman Center Director.

Student(s) must be pursuing graduate degree(s) at UM-SEAS in GDS, BEC or EJ or another school focused on information systems, communication and technology. Relevant experience with GIS is required, commitment to environmental and social justice is necessary as well.

Student(s) must be able to seek out data sets, be self motivated, complete tasks independently, and attend weekly meetings with the data centers research team either remotely or in person at SEAS. These meetings are currently Mondays 12-1pm for the Winter 2026 Semester. Attend additional necessary client meetings.

Students should be eligible to travel throughout the period of the internship. All travel is paid by Tishman Center. Work days can be rearranged more flexibly from May through August.

Student(s) must demonstrate cultural competence for an economically and socially diverse set of circumstances.

Student(s) must be adaptive, interdisciplinary, and communicative; visionary and solutionary problem-solving skills including critical thought, creativity, and learning; have a commitment to community empowerment; commitment to equity within both human relationships and the natural world; and a deep sense of why accountability to a work plan is important.

Student(s) must also meet regularly with Director Martinez on workplan advancement, professional coaching, and troubleshooting.

Outputs: Environmental Justice map of Data Centers in the Midwest, presentation to clients
Outcomes: Better policy advocacy tools for Environmental Justice leaders in the Great Lakes Region and beyond.