humanities, research
Aerials May 2016

Paid Summer Research Enables Faculty-Student Collaboration

Over the summer, Lewis & Clark offers students paid, hands-on research experiences that rival those of graduate-level institutions.

Introductory Biomedical Imaging: Principles and Practice from Microscopy to MRI

NSF Grant to Enhance the Teaching of Biomedical Imaging

The National Science Foundation has awarded a three-year $400,000 grant to Professor of Physics Bethe Scalettar at Lewis & Clark and Professor of Physics Ralph Widenhorn at Portland State University. The funding will be used to create biomedical imaging lab activities that will be used in undergraduate courses around the country in conjunction with their related textbook.

2023
Assistant Professor of Physics Ben Olsen

Q&A with Ben Olsen, Assistant Professor of Physics

Assistant Professor of Physics Ben Olsen’s research examines exotic quantum phases using gasses of ultracold atomic lithium in order to study their dynamical behavior.

Associate Professor of Physics Michael Broide

Pamplin Fellows Announce 2022 Teacher of the Year

Associate Professor of Physics Michael Broide is the 2022 Teacher of the Year.
community engagement, Portland, sustainability
Tiny House Club members

Tiny House Emerges From Big Vision

L&C’s student-led Tiny House Club is building a sustainable dwelling for a Portland-area nonprofit.
Two students taking measurements in Tryon Creek.

New Minor Focuses on Earth’s Interrelated Systems

Lewis & Clark students will soon be able to pursue a new interdisciplinary minor in Earth system science.
Computer Science and Mathematics Major, faculty, Mathematics Minor, Physics Major
MoonRanger is a robotic lunar rover that will be flying the to Moon in 2022 to search for water on the South Pole. This is a cooperative ...

Reaching the Moon Thanks to Physics, Theatre, Math, and Dance

The supportive liberal arts community Ben Kolligs BA ’18 found at L&C provided him opportunities to discover his passion in robotics and to advance his career, even before he graduated. Next up, graduate studies in robotics at Carnegie Mellon University!
Rogers

2021 Rogers Science Research Tuesday Talks

Student-faculty collaborative research
faculty, Mathematics Major, Physics Major
Sean Richardson BA '20

National Science Foundation Honors Two Alumni

Two recent Lewis & Clark alumni have been awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships. Three other L&C alumni have been given honorable mentions.

feature, physics

Second NSF research grant awarded to Dr. Anber

Anber received a three-year, $135,000 National Science Foundation grant for his proposed project, “RUI: Higher-form ‘t Hooft Anomalies, Information Theory, and Continuity in Gauge Theories.”
alumni, career, entrepreneurship, feature, mathematics, physics, Portland
Kray (L) and Rose (R) at the grand opening party of Hydra's offices at General Industry.

Physics Alumni Cofound a 3D Printing Startup

After building a 3D printer for a class during his senior year, John Kray BA ’17 enlisted the help of Zach Rose BA ’18 to build and sell innovative desktop 3D printers. Their most recent model is so easy to use that Lewis & Clark purchased one for the physics lab.

alumni, collaborative research, faculty research, feature, physics, student profile, visual arts, watzek library
Physics professor Bethe Scaletter with Cyan Cowap BA '19 and James Abney.

Bringing Imaging to Life: Professor and Student Collaborate on Textbook

Watzek Librarian Parvaneh Abbaspour recently presented new alumna Cyan Cowap BA ’19 with an intriguing opportunity to illustrate the biomedical imaging textbook that Professor of Physics Bethe Scalettar and Lewis & Clark law school alumnus James Abney are writing.

admissions, alumni, biology, career, collaborative research, computer science, faculty research, faculty, Information Technology, Jens Mache, mathematics, overseas and off campus, Physics, research, student profile, student
Glick and colleagues after their first run on the BLT.

Bringing a High-Performance “BLT” to Life

Lewis & Clark’s high-performance computing (HPC) system has been propelled by a collaborative initiative driven by professors, staff members, and students. Although many are unaware of this HPC system—named BLT for its worker nodes “bacon, lettuce, and tomato”—it is paving the way for current and future research opportunities.
feature, physics
Dr. Anber

Dr. Mohamed Anber Selected as a KITP Scholar

The Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) has selected Assistant Professor of Physics Mohamed Anber as a KITP Scholar for 2019-2021.
AAUW, admissions, alumni, awards, career, faculty, feature, Giving, Neely Scholar, outcomes, physics, politics, Rena Ratte, Shannon O'Leary Award, student athletics, student-athlete, Track and Field

“Science translator” Katie Kowal wins Rhodes Scholarship

Becoming a finalist for the Rhodes and Marshall scholarship requires outstanding academic prowess and character. Katie Kowal BA ’17 interviewed for both scholarships following an endorsement from the college and much support from faculty who believed Kowal was a perfect candidate for these distinguished awards.
feature, physics

Lewis & Clark Student Aims High With Rocket Launch

Benno Kolland BA ’21, a rising sophomore from Santa Cruz, California, has built and launched a rocket to a height of two miles—higher than the altitude of Mount Hood. His next step? Bringing commercial space flight within reach.
feature, physics
Physics professor Mohamed Anber and physics major Ben Kolligs '18 work through a theoretical physics problem together.

Professors Boost Big Data Research With a New Computer Cluster

This summer Lewis & Clark acquired a computational server that will improve the speed and ease of research calculations. Researchers studying computational physics, genetic sequencing, and climate modeling have already begun to imagine how this powerful hardware will enhance their research.
physics

NSF Funds Physicist’s Approach to Research and Teaching

Just a year after joining Lewis & Clark, Assistant Professor Mohamed Anber is the recipient of a National Science Foundation grant in support of his work in elementary particle physics. With colleagues and students from other departments, Anber is helping build new research capabilities for asking and answering very big questions.
physics

New insights into the acoustics of the mandolin

Associate Professor and Department Chair of Physics Dr. Stephen Tufte has been awarded a $211,649 National Science Foundation (NSF) grant.

High energy physics: compactified gauge theories

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $79,278 grant to Dr. Mohamed Anber, Assistant Professor of Physics.
physics

Students Share Their Science Research Over Lunch

Each week in June and July, students in the John S. Rogers Research Program present their original findings in front of peers and faculty at the Science Brown Bags. The program is designed to prepare students for careers in science by facilitating student-faculty collaboration on research projects.
academic honor, science

Two graduates honored with Shannon T. O’Leary Award

Graduating seniors Irene Duba and Katie Kowal were selected this May as the inaugural recipients of the Shannon T. O’Leary Award.

O’Leary Honored by Council on Undergraduate Research

The Physics and Astronomy Division of the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) has chosen Associate Professor Shannon T. O’Leary as the 2017 recipient of their Mentor Award. This annual award recognizes a professor for their exemplary work with undergraduate student researchers.

Recent Alumna Bridges the Gap in Science Policy

Student-athlete Katie Kowal BA ’17, winner of Lewis & Clark’s highest academic honor—the Rena Ratte Award—earned degrees in both physics and political science. As the Boulder, Colorado, native heads off to begin a two-year fellowship at the Science and Technology Policy Institute, Katie shares some of her favorite and formative Lewis & Clark memories.
Simran Handa BA '19 works with Greg Hermann, professor of biology and department chair,  on his cell biology research. Handa is one of se...

A STEM Program Blooms

Lewis & Clark creates pathways to success for first-generation college students interested in science and math.

New Senior Project Site

Today Watzek Library is launching the new and improved Senior Projects site. The site contains electronic theses and studio art capstone images submitted to Watzek Library over the past several years.
Eve Lowenstein B.A. '16

Eve Lowenstein ’16 Wins Goldwater Scholarship

Eve Lowenstein B.A. ’16 is one of just 252 scholars selected from a field of 1,150 students nominated by 415 institutions nationwide. Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships are widely considered the preeminent awards for undergraduates preparing for science careers. Irene Duba B.A. ’16 garnered an honorable mention. 

Assistant Professor of Physics Shannon O’Leary lands major NSF research grant

The National Science Foundation has awarded Lewis & Clark $195,008 in support of Assistant Professor of Physics Shannon O’Leary’s project, “RUI: Coherence-Derived Light Fluctuations for Atomic Magnetometry.”  

Lasers and Magnetic Fields

Assistant Professor of Physics Shannon O’Leary receives funding from the National Science Foundation.
colloquia, open to the public, physics, science

Fall 2014 Physics Colloquia

Presentations by students, faculty, and outside speakers.
Aojie Zheng '15 and Assistant Professor of Physics Shannon O'Leary

Summer student research: Measuring magnetic fields

Aojie Zheng ’15 is working with Assistant Professor of Physics Shannon O’Leary to study how laser light can be used to detect and measure magnetic fields. She reflects on this experience in the following Q&A.

Intern Profile: Amaya Lucas ’15

Meet Amaya Lucas ’15, a math and physics major and intern at FEI, a microscopy company in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Robert Pirtle Graduation Speaker

Physics Major Robert Pritle is the 2014 graduation speaker.
collaboration, math, open to the public, physics, research, science

2014 Rogers Science Research Brown Bag Presentations

Students discuss their research projects during a series of brown-bag talks on Tuesdays in June and July. Each presentation is 15 minutes; there are generally 3-4 talks per session. For more information about projects see project descriptions.

L&C Collaborative Research

We’re excited to announce the launch of a new web site, profiling student-faculty research and creative activities at the College of Arts & Sciences. In addition to fostering awareness of these activities, we hope the projects on this site will spark the interests of students and encourage them to pursue the many opportunities available for student research at Lewis & Clark.

Shannon O’Leary Invited Speaker at APS

Shannon O’Leary  presents her research to the Northwest Section of the American Physical Society, May 3, 2014.
Benjamin Hoffman B.A. '13

National Science Foundation honors five alumni for leadership potential

Five Lewis & Clark alumni received prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowships for demonstrating promise as leaders in their fields.
Colin Gavin '15

Three students honored with Goldwater science awards

Colin Gavin ’15, Sarah Lowenstein ’15, and Keira Roberts ’15 received prestigious scholarships for their exceptional work in the sciences. The three students are among the 283 recipients of Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships this spring, selected from a field of 1,166 applicants nationwide.
Russia's minister of atomic energy, Aleksandr Rumyantsev, second from left, at a 2002 dinner for Thomas L. Neff, second from right, who h...

Alumnus’ work transforms Russian warheads into American electricity

The idea of Thomas L. Neff B.A. ’65 evolved into the Megatons to Megawatts program, which has transformed 20,000 Russian warheads into roughly 10 percent of all electricity generated in the United States.
Reuben Peterson '14 and Amaya Lucas '15 conduct research with holographic optical tweezers.

Students present research findings at Northwest conference

Lewis & Clark students presented a diverse array of research findings to an audience of more than 500 people at the Murdock College Science Research Program’s recent Conference on Undergraduate Research.

Powerful microscope provides new focus for sciences

With a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Lewis & Clark has acquired a laser scanning confocal microscope for research use by students and faculty in the biology, chemistry, and physics departments.

Students expand the field of atomic optics with summer research

Alaina Green B.A. ’13 and Aojie Zheng ’15 are working with Assitant Professor of Chemistry Shannon O’Leary to investigate how laser frequency noise can be used to make precise measurements of magnetic fields. In the following Q&A, Green and Zheng reflect on their experience.

NSF Grant Broadens Research & Training Capabilities at LC

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Lewis & Clark College a $306,119 grant to purchase a laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM).
Professor of Physics Bethe Scalettar

Student researches molecular defects that can cause Alzheimer’s disease

Ben Robinson ’15 is working alongside Professor of Physics Bethe Scalettar to study the ways in which high-resolution microscopes can help us understand memory formation. Their cutting-edge research contributes to a field currently studying the causes of diseases like Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s.

Students use holographic tweezers to study microscopic bubbles

Amaya Lucas ’15 and Reuben Peterson ’14 are working with Assistant Professor of Physics Shannon O’Leary to discover whether or not holographic optical tweezers are well suited in the study of microscopic bubbles.