Divers Alert Network welcomes 2023 interns
July 2, 2023Divers Alert Network has announced the addition of three new interns to their team. These interns will be working with DAN throughout the summer to gain knowledge in dive safety, research, and public outreach, while also supporting DAN’s mission and operations.
Established 24 years ago, the DAN Internship Programme aims to provide qualified students with valuable experience in dive safety research. The programme aligns with DAN’s objectives of assisting divers in need, promoting dive safety education, and expanding outreach and communication initiatives. The interns will be based at DAN’s headquarters in Durham, North Carolina, where they will work on various projects and research endeavors.
The first intern, Matthew Argame, is a medical student who has recently completed the basic science portion of his medical education at St George’s University. Argame holds scuba certifications, including TDI Full Cave Diver, PADI Rescue Diver, and PADI Divemaster. He also earned a Master of Science in Narrative Medicine from Columbia University. Argame is honored to be selected as this year’s Diver’s Health and Safety Intern, a collaboration between DAN and the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society. He believes this internship at DAN will merge his interests and equip him with the necessary community, knowledge, and skills to make the underwater world more sustainable, accessible, and safer for everyone.
The second intern, Liana van Woesik, is a rising senior at the Florida Institute of Technology, majoring in Marine Biology with double minors in Communication and Sustainability. As a PADI Divemaster and AAUS Scientific Diver, van Woesik has a deep passion for nature and the environment, particularly the world’s oceans. She aims to combine her love for diving with her plans for postgraduate education to make a positive impact on the marine environment and contribute to the preservation of Earth’s biodiversity. Van Woesik is thrilled to join the DAN team as a communications and marketing intern, where she can learn from and contribute to DAN’s vision and mission.
The third intern, Madeline Coombs, is a senior at Texas Tech, pursuing a degree in Biology with future plans in medicine or medical research. Coombs has been scuba diving since the age of 14 and has obtained various diving certifications, eventually becoming an instructor. She also has experience as a public safety and rescue diver and enjoys volunteering in this capacity. Coombs is excited to combine her passion for diving with her scientific studies as a research intern at DAN this summer.
