Fertile Ground for Research
Lewisburg and the surrounding region offer rich opportunities for learning beyond the classroom.
Research is action. Whether it moves us closer to understanding age-old mysteries or contributes to direct improvements in the life of our community, the work of our faculty and undergraduate researchers informs, effects and creates change. Evidence of that unfolding evolution surrounds Bucknell in the community that is both our home and a rich living laboratory.
On the water: A computer science and engineering double-major from Oley, Pa., Kit Jackson ’25 spent his summer in Bucknell’s Animal Behavior Lab, creating a sensor to track how mussels move and clean the Susquehanna River. Bucknell’s proximity to the river, as well as smaller streams like Bull Run, allows students to gain hands-on technical skills as they conduct a myriad of research projects including the development of filtration systems, pollutant benchmarking, conservation and stream clean-up.
On the water: A computer science and engineering double-major from Oley, Pa., Kit Jackson ’25 spent his summer in Bucknell’s Animal Behavior Lab, creating a sensor to track how mussels move and clean the Susquehanna River. Bucknell’s proximity to the river, as well as smaller streams like Bull Run, allows students to gain hands-on technical skills as they conduct a myriad of research projects including the development of filtration systems, pollutant benchmarking, conservation and stream clean-up.
Uncovering cultures: Eleanor Geno ’23 (center) is investigating the history of an Indigenous village that may have once existed at Bucknell’s newest site for student exploration and discovery — the Sylvan Dell Field Station in South Williamsport, Pa. Thanks to a collaboration between local partners and the Bucknell Center for Sustainability & the Environment, Sylvan Dell is a prime location for environmental research, regenerative agriculture study and wetlands preservation.
Advancing medical care: The Bucknell-Geisinger Research Initiative unites the region’s leading health care and higher education providers around their shared mission: to improve patient care and advance medical research through innovative educational programming.
Finding the light: the Forrest D. Brown Conference Center in Cowan, Pa. provides the perfect location for collecting specimens used in the labs of Professor Sarah Lower, biology, and Professor Doug Collins, chemistry, where students examine chemical signal evolution and environmental impacts on fireflies.
Appreciating artistic artifacts: The Samek Art Museum hosts an impressive collection of more than 5,500 artworks and artifacts that support teaching and research. The museum serves as an academic art lab where experimental art, innovative curatorial practices and co-curricular programming introduce new perspectives and generate new ways to engage audiences.