Reaching for the Stars

Students Explore Myriad Species and Social Issues through Research

November 06, 2024

Kate Vanskike ('22 M.A.) | Marketing & Communications

At Gonzaga's Fall 2024 Undergraduate Research Showcase onOct. 5, 99 students presented 66 posters on their independent projects, most of which took place during summer opportunities with the Gonzaga Science Research Program, the McKinstry Fellowship, the Morris Fellowship, and the summer biomedical research program in Seattle offered through the UW School of Medicine-GU Health Partnership.

In the social sciences, studies included understanding Chinese adoption, political polarization and the impact of algorithms on social media, and comfort-focused TV habits. Health science projects ranged from viruses and cancer genes to cellular stress. Students also explored electroencephalograms (EEGs) as related to hearing and speech, behaviors related to autism, and safety sign comprehension among students in special education. In engineering, projects included transition metal catalysts and an engineering assessment of the Spokane Pavillion.

Biology and chemistry took the lead with the most projects. Students examined Rhinoceros beetles, European wool carder bees, salamanders, rainbow trout, mussels, sawfish, tadpoles, ticks and surveillance of tick-borne pathogens in Eastern Washington. Also under inspection were bacteria in soils, as well as mineral composition in the Little Spokane River, plus toxins and overall water quality trends in the Spokane River.

When initially choosing a research topic, some students knew exactly what they wanted to explore, while others didn’t. But all of them had the chance to interview with different faculty members to find some direction.

Kiyah Young-Wilson fell into the first category. When she started middle school, she was fairly certain about becoming a chemical engineer. That is, until a science teacher handed her Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “Astrophysics for People in a Hurry.”

galactic stars with photo of student

“I immediately fell in love with astrophysics,” Young-Wilson recalls, and thus began her journey to college to determine if it would remain her passion. The junior physics major says she gained several things from the opportunity to explore galactic center stars.

“First, I learned that astrophysics was truly the major for me. It is really easy for students of color, especially female students of color, to fall deep into impostor syndrome, and that begins to impact your ability to feel confident in the major you choose to study. However, seeing how much I was able to discover, learn and accomplish with only two and half years of studies in my arsenal gave me a lot of confidence and encouragement,” Young-Wilson says.

Second, it confirmed that pursuing a Ph.D. would be her best path forward. With funding from a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates program, Young-Wilson's summer research experience unfolded with physics professor Wolfgang Kerzendorf and a graduate assistant at Michigan State University.

“My graduate student mentor was extremely supportive in making sure that I had someone I could go to at any moment with questions, whether it be him or another student in his research group. He did his best to make me feel more like a member of the research rather than a temporary student,” Young-Wilson says. “It was like a family but also a great learning environment.”

student photo and image of dna

Senior biology major Laura Espinoza (above) was undecided on a topic – until she discovered the gene function research of Laura Diaz-Martinez, associate professor of biology, who ultimately assigned her to the ZNF16 project. The Diaz-Martinez lab explores previously unstudied genes involved in cancer. Last summer, the work was funded by the McKinstry Fellowship.

“As a young scientist, I had no idea where to even start, so the guidance provided by Dr. Diaz-Martinez was integral to my development as a researcher,” Espinoza says. “She has been a kind, reliable and motivating resource.”

In part due to her mentor’s influence, Espinoza’s passion for cell biology has grown into a decision to pursue graduate education.

Scholarly Work at GU, Explained

Gonzaga Science Research Program includes the departments of biology, chemistry and biochemistry, and physics. Funding by the M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust institutionalized the program in 2000 to support undergraduate research activities during the academic year and summer, providing faculty and student stipends and funds for research supplies.

Center for Undergraduate Research & Creative Inquiry (CURCI) facilitates and encourages undergraduate research and creative activities at Gonzaga University, providing opportunities for student development and transformation. Founded in the College of Arts and Sciences, expanded in 2021 to serve and support all GU undergraduate students in a wide range of disciplines. CURCI also co-leads the Spokane Intercollegiate Research Conference with Whitworth University, next held at Gonzaga, May 3, 2025.