A generous new gift from the Fletcher Jones Foundation will provide invaluable summer research opportunities to more University of the Pacific undergraduates across majors.

The $750,000 grant will be doubled through Pacific’s Powell Match program, creating a $1.5 million endowment to cover stipends, living expenses and research materials. The Fletcher Jones Foundation Undergraduate Research Endowment expands the university’s existing Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, which provides eight-week, faculty-mentored research experiences.

“Undergraduate research experiences are a core foundation of a Pacific education, providing students with hand-on learning, professional development opportunities and a deeper sense of academic purpose that helps prepare them for graduate school and the workforce,” said Pacific President Christopher Callahan.

“We are deeply grateful to the Fletcher Jones Foundation for its longstanding investment in Pacific and for this latest commitment, ensuring that generations of undergraduate students will benefit from working side-by-side with inspiring professors in meaningful, impactful summer research experiences—no matter their financial situation.”

National studies have shown that students who participate in undergraduate research are more likely to remain enrolled and graduate on time, often at significantly higher rates than their peers. 

Data from the Council on Undergraduate Research and the Association of American Colleges and Universities indicates that participation in research can boost retention by as much as 10% and increase graduation rates by 14%. 

More than 80 Pacific students have participated in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program since 2008. They benefit from both an individual research experience and a cohort-based program that fosters community, collaboration and shared learning across disciplines.

“Undergraduate research empowers students to apply classroom knowledge in real-world contexts, engage meaningfully with faculty mentors, and build skills and relationships that serve them throughout their lives and careers,” said Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Our students gain immeasurable confidence from these experiences and from communicating about their research to the broader community.”

At the end of the summer, students present their findings to the Pacific community. They also are encouraged to attend conferences and pursue additional networking, presentation and publication opportunities.

Last year, students’ research topics ranged from corneal tissue engineering to memory recall strategies to Filipino musical traditions. One student researcher developed machine learning software that uses AI to translate sign language from hand movements into written text.

Twelve more students from 10 different academic programs are completing research fellowships this summer.

“This opportunity has been a defining chapter in my undergraduate journey,” said Abdullah Choudhry ’25, a computer science major exploring the use of AI to predict the impact of underwater waste on marine ecosystems. Combining computer simulation and deep learning, Choudhry’s project forecasts debris accumulation in the Mediterranean Sea, in hopes of promoting timely intervention and cleanup of marine environments.

“The experience solidified my confidence in leading original research,” he said. “It pushed me to take initiative, navigate uncertainty, and bring a multi-phase project to completion, which has shaped the kind of work I now aspire to do, and has prepared me to take on even more ambitious projects in the future.”

Past undergraduate research fellows have gone on to impactful careers in academia, science, engineering, dentistry, law, veterinary medicine and more. One former researcher received an Emmy award for screenwriting earlier this year.

Undergraduate research is the latest of many Pacific programs to benefit from the university’s partnership with the Fletcher Jones Foundation, which spans nearly 45 years. The foundation also has made generous gifts supporting scholarships, professorships and endowed chairs, the university library and most recently, the Fletcher Jones Foundation Makerspace.

To learn about supporting undergraduate research at Pacific, contact Scott Biedermann ’05, ’20, vice president for development and alumni relations, at 209.946.2166 or sbiedermann@pacific.edu.