During the fall 2023 semester, the Abshire and Hubbard endowments support nine faculty-student research teams, including four in the sciences:
Assistant Professor of Computer Science Jordan Wirfs-Brock (pictured, right) and LJ Friedman ’25 (pictured, left) are conducting a mixed-methods research study to describe the current state of hybrid educational practices at Whitman in the post-COVID landscape. They seek to understand to what extent faculty and students are using hybrid learning technologies and techniques, what attitudes faculty and students have about hybrid learning, and what behavioral, technological, and cultural barriers might limit its use.
Kenzie Bay ’25 and Beck Maguire ’24 are assisting Assistant Professor of Biology Matthew Tien with research into the marine-bacterium isolated from the Puget Sound Cobetia marina and its ability to cycle nitrogen and carbon. In marine water ecosystems, such bacteria are vital to transforming unusable chemical compounds into usable nutrients for all other lifeforms.
Isabelle Chang ’25 is assisting Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology Rachel Wilson with her research on endometriosis—a disease for which there is no reliable, noninvasive diagnostic tool. Wilson’s postdoctoral work suggests that the noninvasive imaging modality of positron emission tomography (PET) can be used for diagnosis. In relation to this finding, Wilson and Chang are performing immunohistochemistry assays to gauge the prevalence of estrogen receptors in intestines.
Grace F. Phillips Professor of Geology Pat Spencer is collaborating with Marlo Jamieson ’25 to identify, characterize and describe mammal fossils from the RULO site, about 15 miles north-northwest of Walla Walla. The team is collecting more fossils from the field, reconstructing fragmented or broken fossils, as well as working to determine the contexts in which the fossils were preserved and interpret the ecosystem in which they are found.
Applications for faculty-student research collaborations in the spring semester are due by Friday, Nov. 10.
