November 8th-9th, 2024 — Whitman co-hosted the annual Murdock College Science Research Conference in Vancouver, Washington. Twenty-two Whitman students studying life sciences and physical sciences showcased oral and poster research presentations. President Sarah Bolton delivered Friday morning’s welcome speech for the Conference, which is hosted by the M.J. Murdock Trust. The M.J. Murdock Trust is a financial supporter of scientific research in the Pacific Northwest, particularly private institutions such as Whitman through the Murdock College Science Research Foundation. Student-faculty research has grown immensely since the Murdock Trust provided Whitman with a grant to establish a research endowment. 

Last summer, 100 Whitman students conducted research, largely in the sciences, alongside faculty. Many students conduct research in the sciences during the academic year. While the Murdock Conference is a unique opportunity, many Whitman students who conduct research also present at other specialty conferences such as the American Chemical Society Conference and the Geological Society of America Conference. 

Assistant Professor of Psychology Nancy Day, who has a small research grant from the M.J. Murdock Trust, participated in the Murdock Conference during her time as a student at Whitman. As an undergraduate, Day researched how foraging experience affects the structure of bee brains. This year, Day helped facilitate Whitman students and judged student posters. 

“A lot of faculty members are really excited to do research with students in their labs. I know it’s something that I find … a lot of joy in,” Day said. 

Professor of Geology, Kirsten Nicolaysen, says that, while no geology students attended the Murdock Conference this year (the Conference only recently began emphasizing environmental sciences), two Whitman geology students presented at a conference in October and several will attend a conference in December.

Nicolaysen gave a speech at the Murdock Conference this weekend about her experience at a previous Murdock Conference, where she participated in a game in which she simulated how countries might make decisions involving climate change. This game inspired her to develop the “Climate” first year seminar and change her research from studying volcanoes to studying a possible method for taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and the ocean. 

“It’s really helpful for other faculty members to hear about how they can diversify or morph or change their research direction to rejuvenate and reinvigorate what it is that they’re doing. And of course, when faculty members reinvigorate their research program, it opens up enormous opportunities for students,” Nicolaysen said.

Nicolaysen says that Whitman does a fantastic job supporting student research, with opportunities such as the Abshire/Hubbard/Soden Research Scholar Award for student-faculty scientific research. 

Mark Hendricks, a professor of chemistry, says that a student from his lab presented at the Murdock Conference on the high throughput synthesis of metallic nano-crystals. Metallic nanocrystals can be used for the control and test lines on COVID-19 and pregnancy tests, drug delivery, and possibly to destroy local cancer cells. Hendricks and his students are interested in the basic science of these crystals. 

Eli Main and Amber Bakken, juniors, are Physics majors who did summer research with Professor Andrés Aragoneses and Professor Kurt Hoffman, respectively. Main studied the impact of dual optical feedback on the dynamics of a photonic neuron. He spent his summer using mirrors and lasers to collect data and get a result from a complicated output. Bakken researched band gaps in periodic cylindrical lattices, playing frequencies through a system of PVC pipes. 

“I thought [the Murdock College Science Research Conference] would be a really good opportunity to practice explaining my research and … explaining anything in a scientific format,” Bakken said. 

“This is a really unique opportunity where undergrads are able to share the cutting edges of their fields that they’re actively looking at,” Main said. 

Senior Abed Jomaa is a Brain, Behavior and Cognition major who presented his research on why certain individuals struggling with alcoholism do not respond well to certain treatments. Jomaa conducted this research alongside a leading expert in the field of pharmacogenomics, Dr. Richard Weinshilboum, at the Mayo Clinic this past summer. While finding scientific research may be more difficult at a small liberal arts college, Jomaa says, he finds professors to be a valuable asset.

“There’s always opportunities. You just have to look for them. And I think professors will be a great resource … to guide you and direct you,” Jomaa said.