Divers Alert Network has introduced three new interns who are working with the organization this summer to expand their knowledge of dive safety, dive research, and public outreach while supporting DAN’s operations and mission.
The DAN Internship Programme was created 24 years ago to give qualified students valuable experience in dive safety research. The scope of the programme aligns with DAN’s goals of helping divers in need, promoting dive safety through education, and expanding outreach and communication initiatives. The interns will spend time this summer at DAN’s headquarters in Durham, North Carolina, to work on various projects and research efforts.
Matthew Argame is a medical student who has recently completed the basic science portion of his medical education at St George’s University and plans to begin clinical rotations later this year. Argame earned his Master of Science in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University and holds scuba certifications including TDI Full Cave Diver, PADI Rescue Diver, and PADI Divemaster. Argame is honoured to be this year’s Diver’s Health and Safety Intern (a collaboration between DAN and the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society). He believes the internship at DAN welds together his interests and will provide him with the community, knowledge, and skill set needed to make the underwater world more sustainable, more accessible, and safer for all.
Liana van Woesik is a rising senior at the Florida Institute of Technology majoring in Marine Biology with a double minor in Communication and Sustainability. She is a PADI Divemaster and AAUS Scientific Diver who possesses a love of nature and the environment with a particular affinity for the world’s oceans. Van Woesik hopes to combine her passion for diving with her plans for continuing postgraduate education to make a positive impact on the marine environment and help humanity care for and preserve Earth’s biodiversity. She is excited to be part of the DAN team as a communications and marketing intern to learn from and contribute to DAN’s vision and mission.
Madeline Coombs is a senior at Texas Tech pursuing a degree in Biology with plans to further her education in medicine or medical research. She has been scuba diving since age 14 and obtained various diving certifications before becoming an instructor. She also has experience as a public safety and rescue diver and enjoys volunteering in this capacity. Coombs is excited to pair her love of diving with the sciences as a research intern this summer working at DAN.
