Research Zooms On

From Oregon Quarterly

Undergraduate Projects Overcome Distancing Obstacles

Our curiosity drives us to seek answers. Research is one of the things that makes us who we are. And undergraduate research is one of our priorities. Using the skills and knowledge they gain in classes of all academic disciplines, our students explore the questions that fascinate them, working on their own or with our faculty to investigate, discover, create, and innovate.

2020 Undergraduate Research Symposium YouTube Channel

Guitar playing

Untold Stories

Records of interviews with wives and children of Bracero farm workers reveal the impact of the program on Mexican families.

Behind the Braceros

Research by the Numbers

Tier 1

NATIONAL PUBLIC RESEARCH UNIVERSITY

80.5%

The number of students participating in a research project, creative activity, or research paper as part of their coursework

$126M

grants, contracts and competitive awards in Fiscal Year 2019

Meet Our Undergraduate Researchers

UO undergraduate researchers examined neuroscience and behavior, the philosophy of addiction, the history of Black protest at the UO, and more while completing projects in the humanities and sciences.

Odalis Aguilar-Aguilar

Class of 2022 • Latin American Studies and Spanish Major • Oaxaca, Mexico

Untold Stories: Expanding Bracero History with the Help of Women and Children of Bracero Farm Workers

“I really enjoy doing this type of research. I find their stories fascinating and believe immigrant workers, whether documented or not, deserve much more recognition for their great contribution to this country.”

Desirae Brown

BA ’20 (Sociology) • Portland, Oregon

Black Student Protest at the University of Oregon: Fifty Years in the Making

“To read all of that old work, to hear those voices—it was just really exciting. It gave me a strong sense of community. It made me feel proud to be a Duck—to see that I’m a part of history at the University of Oregon.”

Shane Cooney

BA ’19 (Philosophy) • BA ’20 (Political Science) • Bend, Oregon

Overwhelmed and Undermined: The Use of Psychoactive Substances and the Problem of Meaninglessness

“[Philosopher Albert Camus] gave me a beautiful articulation of the way I found myself in the world, and everything came together in a profound and intense way.”

Adeline Fecker

BS ’20 (Biology) • Portland, Oregon

Visual Input Principally Drives Zebrafish Social Behavior • Ecopoetry and Us

“I liked answering questions about autism spectrum disorder from two directions: brain to behavior and behavior to brain. From an educational standpoint, I learned a lot more.”

Donna Hooshmand

Class of 2021 • Computer Science and Math Major • Kerman, Iran

Longitudinal Analysis of Major Video Streaming Services in the US

“My family made a lot of sacrifices for me to be here. I want to make their sacrifices worth it.”

Neila “Nina” Kerkebane

BS ’20 (Economics) • Algiers, Algeria

The Impact of Tuition Increases on the Enrollment of Low-income Students

“I want to do research that can impact policy to better the lives of marginalized communities.”

Myriah Kunipo-Aguirre

BS ’20 (Human Physiology) • Carson, California

Los Angeles County Response to COVID-19

“It’s been very overwhelming with all the news. I wanted to create an accessible, organized information outlet for anyone in the community.”

Alina Salagean

Class of 2021 (Biology) • Beaverton, Oregon

Defining the roles of conserved DNA repair complexes in maintenance of C. elegans meiotic genome integrity

“I always leave the lab wanting to ask more questions! I’ve realized that the more you learn, the more you realize just how much you don’t know. And that’s so exciting.”