Introducing SciLine’s 2026 Summer Intern Class

SciLine is excited to welcome three summer interns to the team from June – August 2026, representing diverse academic backgrounds, geographies, skillsets, and perspectives.

Alisha Khodabocus, data analysis intern

Alisha Khodabocus is a 2026 data-science graduate from the College of William and Mary, where she served as a fact checker and copy chief for her campus newspaper, The Flat Hat. She has applied data science skills across a wide variety of sectors: from chemistry, to art conservation, to policy research. She also worked for Ballotpedia, where she created public-facing electoral district maps and managed database updates.

This summer, Alisha will analyze data from SciLine’s flagship expert matching service—identifying trends, gaps, and opportunities to more efficiently track news stories that emerge from the scientist-journalist connections SciLine makes.

Cat Murphy, data viz and graphics intern

Cat Murphy is an award-winning reporter, master’s student, and investigative journalism fellow at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, where she uses data to investigate and report on state and national issues. She has extensive experience creating compelling graphics and data visualizations to accompany news stories. Cat earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.

At SciLine, Cat will develop data-driven stories and graphics for SciLine’s TV-focused Experts on Camera program.

Sophia Rentschler, engagement intern

Sophia Rentschler is a science journalist and physics student at the University of Missouri. Her background includes bilingual social media work for the University of Missouri’s Latine research center, video production for NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, and journalism-partnership development in her role as co-president of her university’s chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ).

This summer, Sophia will support SciLine’s engagement team on social media strategy, outreach, and expanding the organization’s reach to new audiences, including Spanish-speaking communities.