Wyatt Frame ’25 Talks to Whales with Project CETI

Describe what you’re doing this summer in your internship.  

I have had the pleasure of being the summer intern for Project CETI, a nonprofit research organization based in the United States and Dominica that is using cutting edge data collection and processing techniques to listen to and translate communication with sperm whales. Under CETI, I have worked closely with the nonprofit team to help develop collaborations, social media posts, internal memos, and have conducted research on upcoming publications & press.

How did Oberlin shape or influence you to pursue this internship?

Getting the chance to supplement my mathematics and statistics courses with sociology, philosophy, history, computer science, and more has consistently motivated me to appreciate the types of research that emphasize interdisciplinary collaboration in the way that CETI does. Since working with CETI, I have learned a considerable amount about linguistics and marine biology, fields that I had never been exposed to in the past.  

How does pursuing this internship align with your post-college life and career goals?  

I have been looking for an involved experience in the professional world throughout my time at Oberlin, and my leaders at CETI have done a great job mentoring me through my first time with daily operations, communication, and organization in the workplace. I feel strongly that what I have learned this summer will carry over following graduation into whatever workplace I experience next.

How has the liberal arts education and way of thinking shaped how you approach science and research?

Coming from a mathematics background, working with and learning about the processes of a large-scale, long-term scientific project has been considerably different compared to the theoretical mathematics that I have studied. Seeing the number of moving parts and involved parties working under Project CETI is something that I had not gotten a close look at in my studies leading up to this. In that sense, I’ve gained a genuine appreciation for dedicated research and how a broad inquisitiveness can become a greater whole through collaboration. I hope to take what I’ve learned in my work studying mathematics and one day bring that to the table in an interdisciplinary project like CETI.

If you're interested in a summer internship, connect with the Career Exploration & Development team to learn more about exploring career interests, gaining real-world experience, and developing a professional network.