Launching a summer of faculty-mentored research and inquiry
From investigating environmental toxins in common products to studying the genetics of coral bleaching, St. Olaf College students participating in this summer’s Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (CURI) program are tackling real-world questions through firsthand, faculty-mentored research. On Wednesday, June 11, participating students shared their project proposals during the program’s opening symposium — offering a glimpse into the curiosity and collaboration that defines the CURI summer research experience.
The symposium, hosted in Regents Hall of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, featured 38 presentations from 82 students working alongside 30 faculty and staff members. Over the course of 10 weeks, these researchers will work to bring greater understanding to topics across the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, all while gaining technical experience, exploring academic passions, and contributing to emerging scholarship.
“CURI seeks to cultivate an intellectually vibrant community where students engage in hands-on research that promotes critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and professional-like experiences,” Professor of Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science and CURI Director Jill Dietz says. “By fostering close mentorship between faculty and students, we aim to nurture a lifelong curiosity, prepare students for advanced studies and careers, and enhance the intellectual and cultural life of our college.”
Many of the projects on display at the symposium tackled questions rooted in environmental health. Samuel Freimuth ‘28, Trinamanjari Sarkar ‘28, and Professor of Chemistry Douglas Beussman ’92, for example, are examining the compounds released by burning various candle waxes and vaporizing e-cigarette liquids. By running samples through gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, they are identifying potentially hazardous chemicals that may be inhaled indoors. Meanwhile, Isabella Charter ‘27 and Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies and Director of Natural Lands Charles Umbanhowar are focusing on prairie restoration, studying whether X-ray scans of specific native grass seeds can predict their likelihood to germinate.
Another student, Evgenia Roth ‘26, is researching (with the supervision of Associate Professor of Biology Jean Porterfield) how manganese can be used as a coral growth marker without causing stress to the organism, combining microscopy with genetic analysis to understand coral health in a time of global bleaching events. Her presentation was followed by a talk by Meheware Abiy ‘27 (also under Porterfield), who is studying how microplastics impact cell viability in the freshwater microorganism Tetrahymena. His project, funded by the St. Olaf TRIO McNair Scholars Program, will use gene expression analysis to identify antioxidant responses, offering potential insight into how microplastics affect more complex organisms.
In the realm of forensic science, Eliza Champion ‘27 and Beussman proposed a novel approach to ghost gun investigations. Her work uses isotope ratio mass spectrometry to determine whether 3D-printed firearm parts can be matched to the plastic filament used to make them — potentially offering law enforcement a new tool to trace unregistered weapons.
The symposium also featured research in the humanities and social sciences. Lara Oliveira Cutrim ‘26 plans to analyze peer and AI-generated feedback in Spanish writing classes, studying how different revision methods affect students’ ability to write inference-based paragraphs. A team made up of Constanza Belen Montes Valenzuela ‘26, Logan Samuelson ‘26, Eyuel Woldehanna ‘27, and Associate Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies and Department Chair of Environmental Studies Seth Binder will examine the limits of economic growth through the lens of biophysical constraints and technological innovation. By building a theoretical model, they hope to quantify whether there is a true upper limit to sustainable development — and how variables like population and energy use interact to shape our future.
While the topics may vary widely, the common thread across the CURI symposium is student curiosity — and the mentorship that helps it flourish.
“I hope current participants learn technical skills appropriate to their field, learn to work in a team, understand and value both the hard and soft skills they bring to research teams, reflect on what will help them take the next step after graduating from St. Olaf, and have fun with the other Oles who are on campus this summer,” Dietz says.