Research & Creative Activities
at Western Washington University

      		 Merrill Peterson
      Biology
          Front page newspaper image of website
        		Collaborative effort between Computer Science and Biology Students to create an online identification guide to more than 1,200 species of moths.
        http://pnwmoths.biol.wwu.edu
          Image of a Grammia ornata moth
        		 Grammia ornata
        © 2012 Merrill Peterson
          Image of a Nadata gibbosa moth
        		 Nadata gibbosa
        © 2012 Merrill Peterson
          Image of a Paonias myops moth
        		 Paonias myops
        © 2012 Merrill Peterson
          Image of a Tyria jacobaeae moth
        		 Tyria jacobaeae
        © 2012 Merrill Peterson
        		Gigi Berardi
        Environmental Studies
          Image of food being served
        		Resilience Farm Project
        (NIFA-CRIS-USDA funded)
          image of two students working at table
        		Fresh, Local, Organic, Seasonable, and Sustainable (FLOSS) Foods
          magnifying glass over the definition of the word "research"
        		Brian Bingham
        Shannon Point Marine Center
        		Collecting intertidal sea anemone for studies of symbiosis.
          PAM fluorometer measuring algae in an anemone
        		PAM fluorometry can be used to study photosynthesis of symbiotic algae living in the tissues of sea anemones.
          student using a PAM fluorometer in tidal pools
        		Field studies show that intense light and high temperature can affect symbiosis, leading to bleaching of the anemones.
          magnifying glass over the definition of the word "research"
        		Wayne Landis' Graduate Student Eleanor Hines
        Institute of Environmental Toxicology
          student with a variety of landscape plants
        		Stormwater Research Center at WSU Puyallup


        Calculation of risk to Coho Salmon due to the various components of an urban landsape
          student in field of Stormwater Research Center
        		Stormwater Research Center at WSU Puyallup




        and how the implementation of low impact development (LID or green infrastructure) may reduce the risk.
          magnifying glass over the definition of the word "research"
        		Marion Brodhagen
        Biology
          Students around poster
        		Brodhagen Lab Group, June 2012 Isolation of native soil microbes that break down biodegradable plastic polymers
          student grinding fungi
        		Grinding the fungi for DNA extraction – Andrew Ely
          student loading DNA
        		Loading DNA for analysis by gel electrophoresis     - Graham Bailes
          student working at computer
        		Bioinformatic analysis – Megan Leonhard
        		Native soil bacteria that degrade “compostable” plastics
          image of fungi
        		Native fungi that degrade “compostable” plastics
          magnifying glass over the definition of the word "research"
        		Robin Matthews
        Institute for Watershed Studies
          Image of Algae
        		 Micrasterias (desmid) from Vogler Lake - Freshwater Algae Program
          Image of Algae
        		Eremosphaera (green algae) from Highwood Pond - Freshwater Algae Program
        		Closterium (common desmid) - Freshwater algae program
          image of algae
        		Eunotia hemicyclus (uncommon diatom) from Evan Pond - Freshwater algae program
          Student sampling Lake Cavanaugh
        		 Jessie Rosanbalm sampling Lake Cavanaugh – IWS Small Lakes Program
          Student sampling Fazon Lake and duck
        		 Peter Bryant sampling Fazon Lake - IWS Small Lakes Program
          Image of Lake Whatcom
        		 Lake Whatcom shoreline - IWS has studied Lake Whatcom since 1962
          image of IWS staff on boat at Lake Whatcom
        		 Mike Hilles (IWS Staff) sampling Lake Whatcom
          Early sampling boat -- WWU was WWSC
        		 Early Institute for Freshwater Studies (IWS) sampling boat
        		Janet Finlay
        Psychology
          stuend working in lab
        		Megan Maynes studying behavior in a transgenic mouse model of brain dysfunction associated with schizophrenia.
          student working on computer
        		Hannah  Manning studying behavior in a transgenic mouse model of brain dysfunction associated with schizophrenia.
        Students who presented at the annual Society for Neuroscience Meeting WWU undergraduate students, Nicole Bazar, Ginger Dunham, Chelsea Newton, Twee Nguyen, Trish Reppar, Andrea Schiller, and Ilana Snitkovski, present their research at the annual Society for Neuroscience Meeting
          Lab students relaxing after an evening trail ride

         

        All work and no horseplay …
        Finlay Lab on an evening trail ride.
          magnifying glass over the definition of the word "research"
        		Ken Rines
        Physics/Astronomy
          student staning under a telescope
        		Steven Wilhelmy on a research trip to the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory (FLWO) on Mt. Hopkins in Arizona. Steven collected new spectra of galaxies in clusters to test models of galaxy formation.  Steven is pictured with a FLWO 1.5-m telescope and the FAST spectrograph used to measure redshifts of galaxies for his senior thesis project. 
          Student standing under a telescope
        		Steven pictured with the MMT 6.5-m (diameter) telescope also on Mt Hopkins used by other students to collect data for their project.

     

    Research by College or Program

     

    If you would like your research or creative activity featured here please contact Tracey Finch

    Page Updated 11.28.2012