Undergraduate Research at Trinity

Spring Research Day

Two sentence summary.

Undergraduate Research for All: Our Story

At a small Catholic liberal arts women’s college tucked into a quiet corner of the Nation’s Capital, undergraduate research did not begin as an institutional priority. It began as a necessity.

For decades, Trinity has excelled at forming thoughtful, ethically grounded graduates—women prepared to serve, lead, and advocate. Rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition, the institution emphasized critical thinking, moral reasoning, and a deep commitment to social justice. But as the landscape of higher education shifted, so too did the aspirations of its students. More young women were arriving on campus determined to pursue careers in medicine, biotechnology, engineering, data science, and public health. They were ambitious. They were capable. And they needed research experience to compete.

In 2012, the STEM program recognized a pattern: talented students were graduating with strong GPAs but lacking the hands-on research credentials required for competitive graduate and professional programs. However, at the time, Trinity did not have the research infrastructure to house an undergraduate research program on campus. It was then when students were encouraged and mentored to apply to and participate in summer undergraduate research experiences at other research intensive institutions. We had great success for a number of years, with students placed in programs at institutions such as: Harvard, the National Institutes of Health, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Stanford University.

Students began presenting posters at national and regional conferences. They co-authored abstracts. A few published manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. Students were gaining acceptances into graduate programs. Within a few years, STEM majors were not just participating in research—they were expecting it.

The impact of undergraduate research was undeniable and momentum was building. Funding increased incrementally. A summer research program was formalized. A campus-wide research symposium was launched, Spring Research Day, and was initially dominated by STEM focused programs. But, something unexpected happened at that first symposium.

The humanities and social sciences joined the STEM programs in orchestrating and delivering authentic undergraduate research experiences.

A historian reimagined archival work as collaborative scholarship, guiding students to curate digital exhibits on local immigrant communities. A psychology professor developed community-based participatory research projects focused on women’s mental health. English faculty mentored students in literary analysis that evolved into conference presentations. Political science students conducted survey research on civic engagement among young women voters.