Research at Whitman
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Gain Valuable Experience
Student-Faculty Research Thrives Here
At Whitman College, you’ll work with faculty who understand the value of research experiences for undergraduate students. Regardless of major or area of interest, students at Whitman have many opportunities to partner with faculty members on research that will have an impact on their field. Students often co-author papers with their professors, publish in leading peer-reviewed journals and present at prestigious conferences.
Professor Nicolaysen Inspires Next-Gen Volcano Researchers
Research Stories
Bill Neff ’67 & Rita Neff ’69 Provide Challenge Gift for Endowment To Expand Immersive Learning
Natalie Price ’25: Reaching for the Stars
New Endowment Paves the Way for Impactful Mentorship in Neuroscience
Hands-On Learning at Whitman
Check out student researchers as they explore, experiment and excel in their natural learning environments.
The Whitman Undergraduate Conference
The college showcases student research each spring in the annual Whitman Undergraduate Conference. This daylong celebration of scholarship and creativity is filled with oral presentations and a poster session where students can display their knowledge and the discoveries they made during research for their senior thesis and extracurricular research endeavors.
Explore Research Opportunities
Whitman College offers multiple ways for students to participate in research. Beyond the formal programs listed below, students interested in getting involved with faculty-student research are encouraged to look out for information sessions within their major department and talk with their advisors about which classes will provide an important foundation for contributing to original research.
In-Semester Research Awards
Abshire Scholar Awards are given each semester to student/faculty teams. Students are nominated by Whitman professors having a need for assistance in their scholarly pursuits. Learn more about the Abshire Scholar Award.
The Adam Dublin Award was established to support scholarly or creative work relating to multiculturalism in the United States or abroad. The award is named for the late Adam Dublin '96 in memory of his positive spirit and commitment to diversity while a student at Whitman. Learn more about the Adam Dublin Award.
Summer Research Awards
The purpose of the Faculty-Student Summer Research Scholarship is to make it possible for faculty to collaborate with continuing Whitman students in their professional work, allowing for a rich learning opportunity for students to gain first-hand knowledge of the methods and challenges of sustained scholarly work. These collaborative projects are expected to be of such quality that they might lead to publication, exhibition or performance. Learn more about the Faculty-Student Summer Research Awards.
Up to two Whitman students per year will be selected to join a summer research program at Friday Harbor Laboratories, an affiliate of the University of Washington. Living, dining, and travel expenses are paid for along with a stipend for the student. Students will be matched with faculty mentors and will contribute to projects investigating the physiology or ecology of marine organisms, within the spectacular and biodiverse environments of the San Juan Islands. A major component of this program is mentoring and professional development for student participants. Each year, the Biology department chair will announce the application process to Biology majors over winter break or early in the spring semester. Learn more about Friday Harbor Laboratories research internships.
Each year, Whitman students are selected to participate in summer research projects at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle, Washington. Students have been supported to work on projects ranging from the molecular evolution of HIV pathogenesis, to cellular markers of graft vs host disease (GvHD) in bone marrow and stem cell recipients, to cell cycle regulation in tumor cells, to efficacy of HPV vaccines. Learn more about the Fred Hutch SURP program.
Beginning in summer 2020, two Whitman students are selected each year for a summer research opportunity through the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Students will have the opportunity to work on a range of research projects at any of the Mayo Clinic research sites in Rochester, Minnesota, Jacksonville, Florida, or Scottsdale, Arizona. Potential research areas include biochemistry and molecular biology, metabolic disease, biomedical engineering and physiology, clinical and translational science, immunology, molecular pharmacology, neuroscience, and virology. Learn more about the Mayo Clinic SURF program.