At Muhlenberg, research is a fundamental example of hands-on learning and a distinct part of the undergraduate experience.
It provides a space where problems can be dissected, questions pulled apart — it’s a space where new ideas emerge, are tested and refined.
Our students conduct research in disciplines across campus, including the arts and humanities, as well as the natural and social sciences. Some are examining the disruption of memory in slime mold while others are exploring the liminal relationship between book and body.
Your research experience will leave you with so much more than the answers you set out to explore. The opportunity to work with faculty to design, execute and present your findings will unlock a new level of understanding in the world and your own potential.
Intensive research opportunities are available for students over the summer months. These experiences to collaborate with faculty on research in any field — be it the natural sciences or humanities — can be student- or faculty-driven and are funded through a variety of sources.
Research efforts don’t stop when classes return. It’s during the school year that many students visit conferences to present findings from research projects, including those that spanned the summer months. Find out how to continue or jumpstart research projects during the fall and spring semesters.
Every year students from across the curriculum present their research and scholarship in this interdisciplinary poster fair to showcase their hard work and discoveries.
Take on challenges and forge connections with hands-on learning.
Rigorous and challenging academics are part of Muhlenberg's foundation.
Connect with the resources at the Trexler Library to help with your research journey.
Research at Muhlenberg
“Don’t be afraid to suggest an idea to a professor if there’s something that you are passionate about. It can be a really cool opportunity.”— Kira Wiener '25 , Psychology and Public Health Double Major
“As I continue to decide on my academic focus moving forward, I was introduced to many real-world applications of the concepts I learned during my freshman year at Muhlenberg.”— Chase Kusko '27 , Major Undeclared
“[This research experience] has been very eye-opening...The more you find answers, the more questions you have.”— Jenny Maxwell '24 , Business Administration Major
“I really think I have the tools to ask the right questions and use creative methods and work with others and collaborate and communicate to drive scientific progress.”— Sam McDonough '24 , Psychology and French & Francophone Studies Double Major
“Learning more about genetics and how genes operate will help me as a clinician and a future researcher.”— Anam Ali ’25 , Biochemistry Major and Spanish Minor
Muhlenberg students conduct research in every field imaginable. Whether within the sciences, humanities or arts, our Mules are exploring and discovering.
Kusko took part in a 10-week research program at Lehigh University where he and a team of student researchers examined the effectiveness of medication on TBIs.
Mahy, a softball player, researched “normative” endings to athletic careers (graduation, etc) versus “non-normative” endings (injuries, mental health, etc).
At Muhlenberg, Casey Goldberg ’26 developed the ability to understand scientific literature, a skill she uses as a biotech intern for Sen-Jam Pharmaceuticals.
The College received a grant to explore the founding of the original Allentown Public Library. Watch Framm and Chen discuss their work on WFMZ.
Regina, a mathematics major and Asian studies minor, presented her research at the world’s largest math conference in January 2023.
Christina, a public health major and environmental science minor, is researching the initiation of substance abuse among adolescents in Guam.
The former student-athlete arrived at her environmental science major after studying tropical and marine ecology during a semester abroad in Panama.
A 1993 paper Bruce Wightman co-authored laid groundwork for the research that earned Gary Ruvkun and Victor Ambros the 2024 Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology. Wightman was interviewed for a “Scientific American” story about the work.
Kira Wiener ’25, who is interested in a career in sustainable architecture, spent the summer planning and executing this on-campus research project.
Kaya Mahy ’25, a psychology major and public health minor who plays on the softball team, explored the effects of “normative” endings to athletic careers (graduation, end of eligibility) versus “non-normative” endings (injuries, mental health struggles, the onset of the pandemic).
