RISE program in WWU’s College of the Environment gives undergrads valuable research opportunities

This summer, eight undergraduates dove headlong into a new faculty-mentored research program in Western’s College of the Environment.  

RISE (Research Immersive Summer Experience) provided paid hands-on research experience for undergraduates who had just finished their first or second year and showed interest in environmental and energy research.  

Students in the RISE program worked closely with one of four faculty advisors in energy studies, environmental chemistry, ecotoxicology, and disaster risk reduction to develop and engage in new research or contribute to a larger grant-funded study.  

“Most undergraduate research opportunities go to upper-division students, declared majors with more knowledge and experience,” said Teena Gabrielson, dean of the College of the Environment. “RISE is all about building confidence and connection earlier, which we know are key components for successful degree completion.”  

Creating the RISE program was a collaborative effort, many years in the making. The College wanted a program that combined faculty and peer mentorship with research opportunities to give students who are first in their families to attend college a chance to get research experience early in their college journey.    

“A lot of research shows that early on in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers, the more competence students can gain in their research and studies, the more confidence they have moving forward and persisting within STEM,” said Shalini Singh, the College of the Environment’s recruitment and retention adviser. 

An immersive opportunity

It can be hard for students to find research opportunities when they don’t have previous research experience.  

“When I was an undergrad, I worked two jobs. Eventually, I quit one of the jobs to do unpaid research, but not everybody’s in a position to do that,” said Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences Ian Moran, who spent the summer mentoring two ecotoxicology interns. “I’m really appreciative that the RISE program is a paid internship that opens the opportunity to more students, not just folks who can afford to work for free.”

RISE participants are paid for 20 hours a week for 8-10 weeks over summer quarter.  

“This is a great opportunity, and it’s not often that students get paid for research,” said Randy Payne, a second-year biology pre-major from Mount Vernon, Ohio, who worked in Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences Manuel Montaño’s environmental chemistry research group. “It is great to gain experience with research and it’s also awesome to make connections with advisors.”

In addition to mentoring students in his research group, Montaño brought all eight students together for weekly team-building and professional development workshops.  

The group gatherings go beyond the lab to talk about everything from research ethics, how to find and read case studies, communicating science research, resume building, and more.

“The RISE program has made research feel a lot more accessible,” said Payne. “Research seemed very intimidating at first, but this program made me feel a lot more confident and comfortable with it.”

RISE includes a lot of foundation building because at this point in their education, students have not been exposed to reading scientific papers or may not know what all is involved in “doing research.“

“I used to think research was easy — that all I had to do was read a bit and jump into the experiment,” said Selihom Habte, a pre-med student from Vancouver starting her third year at Western this fall. She learned quickly that reading and preparation take up about 90% of the time, and the actual experiment and results are just the final step.

It’s a lot to do in 10 weeks. In Moran’s lab, Habte and research partner Kea Lani Diamond, a third-year environmental studies major from Kent, began by reading background scientific literature, then proceeded through designing their experiments, documenting procedures, preparing materials for the experiments, collecting data, analyzing and storing data, and finally working towards disseminating the research.  

“One of the things I’m most excited about with the RISE program is that having lab experience can be the deciding factor in whether one pursues a career in science,” said Moran.

Exploring possibilities & taking on challenges  

In this pilot year, students finishing their first or second year at Western who expressed an interest in STEM were invited to apply. At this point, many students haven’t declared a major yet and are still exploring possible specialties.

Irene Ramos Martinez, who is from the Yakima area and worked in Montaño’s lab, is a second year at WWU this fall and wants to pursue a career in science. RISE offered a chance to try out environmental chemistry and toxicology.

Students did not need to have completed coursework in the lab they applied to work in, so many were learning as they went along.

“It’s really interesting starting from zero,” said Kenia Hernandez, a second-year electrical and computer engineering major from Walnut, California. “I’m leaning in. I didn’t know anything about this, but now I know a little bit more than the average person. Definitely more!”  

Hernandez and Lourdes Buffin, a third-year Environmental Sciences major from Spokane, were in Associate Professor Froylán Sifuentes’ research lab working on interconnected applied energy research projects.  

“I like the days when we ask a question, and Froy goes on an hour-long mini lecture,” laughed Buffin. “It’s helpful! I learn a lot on those days.”

Because they’re new to the subject matter, sometimes they have to take a detour.

“Well, in order to answer that, we have to go a couple steps back," said Sifuentes, pointing to a wall of whiteboards filled with diagrams and definitions.

Hernandez sifted through municipal codes and utility websites to gather data about how Washington utilities incentivize customers to use renewable energy, and Buffin surveyed local utilities about their incentive programs around virtual power plants. Both projects were interdisciplinary, combining economics, urban planning, regulations and rules as well as engineering and computer science. And both require a lot of reading, scouring massive documents and websites to glean important details.

“Developing your own critical thinking skills is important,” said Sifuentes. “Digging through the slow way is how the skills develop. The struggle. The friction, to use an energy term.”

Making a contribution

All four research groups are doing work that contributes to a larger study or helps with a graduate student’s thesis work.  

Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Rebekah Paci-Green was approached by the Whatcom County Fire District 11 earlier this year about helping Lummi Island create an evacuation plan in case of wildfire, tsunami, earthquake, or other disaster.  

This summer, Madisyn Cook, a third-year Environmental Policy major from Dallas, Texas, and Rebeca Galpani, a second year from Burien, undertook the first step in that project by surveying Lummi Island’s residents to gauge their current state of emergency preparedness.

Just the beginning

Even if it was just a taste, the RISE students got to experience research from start to finish, ups and downs, from disappointment to elation. From cleaning the lab and having to redo experiments, to going out into the field to gather data, making new connections and learning how to present their work.

“The RISE program has given me a better understanding as to what it means to do research,” said Buffin. “I have received first-hand experience in gathering data, working out methods to problem-solve, working as a team, and exploring ways in which the outcomes of my research could be useful to larger concepts.”

At the end of the quarter, the eight RISE students came together to present posters of their research in front of other students, faculty, and staff. After an intense summer, they were leaving with the confidence that comes with designing and completing their own research along with an expanded community of peers and mentors.

“I really appreciate the opportunity for mentorship that this program allows,” said Hernandez. “Being first gen, there are a lot of things I didn’t know about university research or grad school, and this was a very big learning experience for me.”

Learn more about RISE (Research Immersive Summer Experience) and WWU’s College of the Environment.

Jennifer Nerad covers Western’s College of the Environment and College of Business and Economics for the Office of University Communications. Have a great story idea? Reach out to her at neradj@wwu.edu.