Northland College has revised its academic programs as of Fall 2024. Some pages may refer to previous programs while updates are made to reflect our refocused offerings.

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Undergraduate Research

The path to discovery.

If you ever wondered about anything at all—like, what kind of wildlife live in the canopy of old growth trees—you’ll likely have the opportunity to research the answers to your questions during your four years here. The combination of our location, our faculty (inquisitive!), and our relationships with agencies and nonprofits make Northland College one of the best places on Earth for research experiences.

This is a benefit of a smaller college. Not only will you have access to faculty, you’ll likely develop a research project with them. Our faculty choose to work and live here because they love it and they love learning more about this region—and the world.

Through senior capstone projects, classroom experiences, internships, work study, and paid research positions, you’ll have the opportunity to dive into areas that are of interest to you, like: freshwater issues, sociology and social justice, local foods, natural resources, climate science, geology, Native American studies, mathematics, gender and women’s studies, and outdoor education.

Many students have published their findings in scientific journals and presented their work at professional conferences across the country, giving them a leg up for graduate school and careers. Each spring we host an Honors Day Research Showcase where you can share your research work with the public.

Research Partners

View Our Recent Partners

National

AIDS United
American Lung Association
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
John C. Bock Foundation
LimnoTech
National Science Foundation
US Department of Agriculture
US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
US Department of Justice
US Environmental Protection Agency
US Fish and Wildlife Service
US Forest Service
US Geological Survey
US National Park Service

Tribal

Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Grand Portage Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians

State

Central Michigan University
Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, Office of Energy Innovation
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin-Madison
University of Wisconsin-Madison, Division of Extension
Wisconsin Department of Administration, Coastal Management Program
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Tobacco Prevention and Control Program
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Wisconsin Sea Grant

Regional/Local

Ashland County
Bayfield County
Brico Fund
City of Ashland
Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation
Great Lakes Commission
Great Lakes Fishery Commission
Great Lakes Inventory and Monitoring Network
Lake Owen Association
Mackinac Island Foundation
Medical College of Wisconsin, Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program
NorthLakes Community Clinic
Northwest Passage
Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative

Students in the Field

Pink Explosion
After a chance discovery, junior Allison Kohler and three professors researched whether flying squirrels fluoresce pink in the night. Allison became the lead author of a published paper and the center of a popular news story.

Costa Rica Wildlife
In collaboration with Costa Rica’s National System of Conservation Areas, Max Beal spent six weeks setting camera traps to obtain population numbers on jaguars and pumas.

Accidental Discovery
In a study of white pine canopies, Madison Laughlin inadvertently documented a tree frog almost seventy feet above the ground–more than double the highest previously on record. Her findings were published in the scientific journal Ecology.

Investigating Coastal Wetlands
As part of a collaborative research project with fisheries scientists from around the Great Lakes, Mary Griggs Burke Center for Freshwater Innovation student researchers set nets in the Fish Creek Sloughs to collect data on young fish.

Pop Bottles to Pharmaceuticals
Professor Nick Robertson and student researchers are conducting intensive research on the synthesis and chemical recycling of plastics. Their work appears in the journal Chemical Communications.

Freshwater Research
Andy Kasun took top prize at the American Geophysical Union virtual poster showcase for his research on the impacts of major flood events at North Fish Creek. His work shows how a local trout stream has responded to human disturbance over time.