College of the Pacific

Student Research

Undergraduate research means independent inquiry—engaging students in the pursuit of answers to their own questions that arise from an encounter with original sources, data, or scientific experimentation, depending on the field.  This self-directed learning is, for many students, a transformative learning experience.  Through this process,students are engaged, take ownership of their learning and encounter themselves and their strengths and weaknesses in new and unexpected ways.

For all these reasons, faculty in The College are widely involved in mentoring student research.  Last year, for example, 22 faculty oversaw 11 undergraduate research projects.  Many of these students present their research findings at the annual Pacific Undergraduate Research and Creativity Conference (PURCC), organized by Dr. Lydia Fox, Geosciences Department Chair, faculty member, and long-time champion of undergraduate research in The College.  In 2007, for example, 26 students presented posters while 12 students gave oral presentations on a wide variety of topics from the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities and engineering. 

Many students’ research is so outstanding that they are accepted at regional, national and international conferences to present their work.  Last year alone, students presented work at conferences as far away as Pennsylvania, New Orleans, and even Salzburg, Austria. And The College  sent twelve students to the National Conference for Undergraduate Research to present their work, the fifth year that our students have appeared on the program at this increasingly competitive student research venue.

This scholarly and creative activity grows directly out of the close faculty-student working relationships characteristic of the College which invite students into a shared journey of discovery with their instructors and mentors. 

At Pacific, student researchers gain access to research-university caliber faculty scholars but retain the one-on-one attention that is the hallmark of our small, liberal arts college setting.