Cornell Food and Brand Lab Internship 

This is no 9-5 internship. It’s a lot of work, but a lot of fun as well. Most weeks you’ll only be in the lab three days a week 9am-4pm. The rest of the time you’ll be working on your projects, whether that is from the comfort of your home or a café on campus in the sun. Some days are pretty crazy, you’ll be on film for PBS one minute, and running field studies the next. Some days, you can kick back for the day at 11am. There’s always work to do, but ultimately you get one you want from the experience. The more you get involved, the more you’ll come away feeling like you’ve had a big impact. For example, many of previous interns have had their summer projects or written articles published.

 

The following are two sample schedules to give you a taste of the wide range of things you’ll be involved in.

 

Week 2

 

Monday: In the Lab

9am-11am: Assigned weekly project.

11am-1pm: Given a list of projects to choose from to create an online survey.

1pm-5pm: Meetings about chosen summer project.

 

Tuesday: At home

10am-4pm: Working at café in sun on projects

7pm-9pm: Cinema observation study: observing and coding people’s eating behavior whilst watch “This is the end”.

 

Wednesday: Consumer Conference “Food Solutions Camp”

8.30-9.30am: Meet and greet professionals from various companies such as Wegmans, General Mills, Culinery Institute of America etc.

9.30-12pm: Watch presentations based on behavioral solutions Food and Brand lab can offer to companies.

12-1pm: Buffet lunch with everyone

1pm-1.30pm: Tour of Food and Brand Lab

1.30pm-4.30pm: Brainstorming current consumer food trends in groups and how the Food and Brand lab can address these new trends/issues.

 

Thursday: Consumer Conference “Food Solutions Camp”

8.30am-9am: Breakfast

9am-11am: Focus group, where the professionals asked us as consumers about our consumer behavior, and what we would like to see.

11am-1pm: Camp conclusion, where the team created an industry specific wish list and 5 year plan for the Food and Brand Lab.

 

Friday: Lab

9am-11am: Assigned online studies based on our choices, and given individual meetings.

1.30pm-4.30pm: Two professionals from Indianapolis Museum meet with us to ask for insights about how they can conceptualize an exhibition on eating behavior at their museum.

 

Week 5

 

Monday: In the Lab

9am-11pm: Progress meeting for summer projects

12pm-1.30pm: Attended Brian’s presentation on his new book at a local library fundraiser

2.30pm-4pm: Sit in on meeting with vice president of Nutrition, at Kellogg’s.

 

Tuesday: At home

10am-4pm: Worked from home

 

Wednesday: In the Lab

9am-1pm: Film crew from PBS came and filmed in the lab. Interns were filmed doing demonstrations from some of the lab’s research, and also interviewed.

 

Thursday: Field Study, at Supermarket

11am-5pm: Recruiting participants for a survey at a local supermarket for a field study: “Does chewing gum reduce impulse purchases”

5.30pm-9pm: Mini Golf, paintballing and meal with interns.

 

Friday: Field study, at Supermarket

11am-5pm: Recruiting participants for a survey at a local supermarket for a field study: “Does chewing gum reduce impulse purchases”