Caine Ryan ’26: Studying Unexplored Species [Video]
A Whitman-funded internship gives a BBMB major immersive learning opportunities
Whitman College junior Caine Ryan is a Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (BBMB) major from Wilsonville, Oregon, who is taking his learning beyond the classroom. Thanks to a Whitman Internship Grant, Ryan is a Fish Culture Technician at the CTUIR (Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation) Mussel and Lamprey Lab, part of the Water & Environmental Center.
“I got the ability to study species that aren’t really studied anywhere else in the world.
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Caine Ryan ’26
From spawning rare lamprey to studying Pacific freshwater mussels, Ryan’s work blends science with cultural significance, offering real-world experience that can’t be taught from a textbook.