Research at Portland State

Research is an integral part of life at Portland State. Every day, researchers and students alike work together to make change, explore the unknown and solve the issues facing our society. This week, we celebrate those successes with a series of events that honors and calls attention to our community's exceptional research, scholarship and creativity.

Research Week 2023

Portland State University's Research Week 2023 is Monday, May 8, through Friday, May 12. It's a series of free events highlighting the remarkable work of PSU students, faculty and staff.

Some of the featured events include:

Tuesday, May 9th
- Join faculty and student panelists for Introducing the Center for Internships, Mentoring & Research to learn about student research opportunities and exciting new offerings.

Wednesday, May 10th
- Get a glimpse inside The Extreme Virus Lab at PSU with world-renowned "virus hunter" and vaccine expert Dr. Ken Stedman, or join Dr. Laurie McNeil for Good Vibrations: The Interplay of Music and Physics.

Thursday, May 11th
- Hear Students Discuss: Navigating Undergraduate Research, a panel designed by students, for students in a wide range of majors, to help more students connect with exciting opportunities.
- CLAS hosts So You Want to Write a Book... featuring four humanities faculty members who will share all the ups, downs, and unexpected detours along their journeys to publishing success.

Friday, May 12th
- Lead researcher Kacy McKinney and the Homelessness Research and Action Collaborative (HRAC) bring you Changing the Narrative and ReShaping Research, with the artists, researchers, and storytellers who collaborated to create Changing the Narrative: Stories of Student Homelessness and Housing Instability, a Comics Studies project that challenges stereotypes around poverty and homelessness.

Research Week concludes Friday evening with PSU's annual Research Awards Celebration.

Learn more about Research Week 2023

Undergraduate Research

Undergraduate research is a growing opportunity for students at Portland State, that provides hands-on experience and a chance to sharpen critical thinking skills. For many students, participation in research as an undergraduate shapes their college career and builds a pathway to graduation and beyond. Students are able to explore and discover beyond the textbook as well as develop mentor relationships and deepen peer connections. These opportunities show that at Portland State, the possibilities are limitless.

Undergraduate Research at PSU

Research in Action: Highlighting PSU Researchers

The Changing Northwest

Ask a skier and they’ll tell you the seasons are getting shorter. Ask a hunter and they’ll tell you herds are being driven out by fire. Ask a fisher and they’ll tell you salmon runs are smaller. Climate change is transforming the Pacific Northwest.

“It’s helpful for us to be able to quantify what to expect so we can prepare for it,” says Kelly Gleason, an assistant professor of eco-hydro-climatology at Portland State University. “The future is going to be very different than what we’re used to."

Gleason is one of many Portland State researchers working to understand exactly what’s happening to our climate so scientists can develop effective mitigation strategies.

Seeing Science: Cycle City

As is fitting for a university in a city renowned for its bike infrastructure, Portland State is a hub of world-class transportation research. Much of this is conducted at PSU’s Transportation Research and Education Center (TREC). TREC is funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation and works with sister centers at partner universities to conduct research that improves mobility and builds strong communities. Here’s what recent studies by TREC researchers have revealed about getting around by bike.

Learn more about bikes

Global Impact: Sustainability research about the world

Portland State scientists are tackling environmental issues around the globe. Recent research by faculty and students explores the future of forest ecosystems in Chile, preserving national treasurers in China, injustice and the rising tides in Japan, facing deforestation in Nepal and the relationship between wine, water and climate change in Australia.

More about PSU's global impact

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