Pacific Celebrates 30 Years of Undergraduate Research
In November, Pacific University celebrated 30 years of undergraduate research. During the annual Undergraduate Research Conference, students gave a sneak peek at research they’d done on the way to completing their senior projects, and alumni returned to campus to reconnect and reminisce with the faculty members who supported their own research experiences as students.
As the No. 1 private research university in the Northwest, Pacific’s undergraduate research programs are a cornerstone of the hands-on, experiential learning environment that prepares students for success. Many Pacific students focus on the natural sciences, like Ethan Hlawaty ‘25, who is researching ciliates in water, or Brodie Buchert ’25, who worked with alumna and faculty member Kara Lanning ’07 to study the sustainability of reclaimed natural areas in the Portland region.
But research isn’t limited to the natural sciences. Kailani Ibanez ‘27 used her own family history to study oral history and storytelling in Filipino-American communities.
For many Pacific alumni, the undergraduate experience is a launching point for careers in research. They include alumni like Maggie Wigness ’10, a senior computer scientist helping the Army develop the next generation of self-driving military vehicles. Wigness’ own research projects at Pacific — developing an algorithm to more accurately predict rankings college football teams — helped her launch her post-graduate studies and career.
“When you apply to graduate school, professors are looking for students who can do research,” Wigness said. “Because I had that experience, and because we published our algorithm at a sports statistics conference, schools had good evidence that I would be an asset to their research.”
Undergraduate research at Pacific would not be possible without the support of our community. Please consider a donation to support experiential learning so that students can continue groundbreaking and innovative research.