THE COLLEGE /
RESEARCH SKILLS GET A TURBO BOOST IN A LIBERAL ARTS SETTING Student Science Research teaches students multidisciplinary skills By Lilledeshan Bose ’22
Shaun Weatherly ’22 (left), Professor Rebecca Lyons (right), and University of California, Riverside graduate student Sasha Karapetrova conduct research on the Learnard Glacier in Alaska.
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OCH TAMALE FALL 2021
COURTESY OF JASON WATERS
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very year, the University of Redlands hosts the Student Science Research program, in which around 30 students conduct hands-on, intensive research alongside their professors. During the 10-week summer program, students live on campus and receive a stipend for their work, thanks to the endowment support made possible by the John Stauffer Charitable Trust and other generous donors. Eric Hill, professor of physics and coordinator of the program, says the experience is a tremendous asset for students pursuing a career in science. Professors and students work on long-range projects, including tracking marine life off the Los Angeles coast with Professor of Biology Lei Lani Stelle, mathematical modeling with Professor of Math and Computer Science Steve Morics, and surveying bears and other wildlife at the Bear Paw Reserve with Hedco Chair for Environmental Studies Wendy McIntyre. Participants are chosen each year from dozens of applications. Many students create their experiments with the support of professors, who help them troubleshoot their projects. “It’s really rare for undergraduates to be this involved in research,” says Shaun Weatherly ’22, the Lewis Student Science Researcher. While many universities permit undergraduates to conduct research in federally funded projects, those students are usually only allowed to work on one or two problems, says Morics. “At Redlands, students have a lot more freedom to work on their experimental designs.” At the end of 10 weeks, students showcase the results of their research at a poster symposium.
