By Frannie Edwards-Hughes
On September 12, 2024, University of Puget Sound students gathered outside Wheelock to attend the annual Summer Research Symposium. For 10 weeks during the summer, selected students conducted full-time research and collaborated with their faculty advisors to develop and present their findings. Students chosen for summer research receive a stipend to cover their basic needs, allowing them to fully engage in their projects. Since students generate their own innovative ideas, they are passionate and driven in their pursuits. This opportunity for and commitment to research are critical, as they enable our university to explore new ideas and work toward solving problems across various disciplines.
The event ran from 4 to 6 p.m., giving students ample time to walk around and explore the projects that interested them. All the poster presentations were set up side by side, and each student presenting their summer research had an hour to present before switching with the person next to them. Both the Rotunda and the outdoor slab were filled with students, professors, faculty members and community members, all eager to learn about what these students had dedicated their summer researching. The presentations utilized various media, including poster boards, videos, interview clips, objects and props that highlighted aspects of their research, as well as handouts summarizing their findings or creations.
Students’ projects covered an impressively wide range of topics, from physics and biology, to ecology, sports, feminism, painting and poetry – the creativity was abundant. Miles Cruger, an English student, spent 23 consecutive days in the Boundary Waters, a protected wilderness area in Northern Minnesota, and during that time, they put together a collection of ecopoems that showcased their experience of truly connecting to a place. Miles’ project, like all the others, involved hyper-specificity in research, allowing them to craft questions and draw conclusions that may never have been otherwise explored. Walking around and hearing the passion and mastery behind students’ research was inspiring; their commitment to discovery– admirable.
Some students participating in summer research even chose to conduct their studies abroad. As a result, students returned with deep cultural understanding that was reflected in their findings. Research abroad offers students a valuable opportunity to experience a new environment and gain wider, more nuanced perspectives, as they have access to broaden perspectives and thus can achieve more comprehensive results. The data they gather and the conclusions they draw become enriched through their travels. Not only do students uncover unique findings while studying abroad, but they also enhance their language skills, build connections with people outside the university, and expand their overall cultural awareness — benefits that will be extremely helpful in their future academic and career pursuits.
Research, whether conducted abroad or right here in Tacoma, is essential for fostering a campus community that is open to new perspectives and eager to embrace findings that can drive meaningful change. Universities like Puget Sound are filled with radical thinkers and individuals determined to challenge the status quo. This is a powerful force, often showcased and strengthened through projects like summer research that challenge prevailing narratives or shed light on issues and systems in need of dismantling or alteration. We can use research not only to support our calls for change within our universities, but also to influence the wider world.