Undergraduate News

Ishan Abraham BA ’26 and a team of collaborators are developing an AI-powered learning system that delivers hints during hands-on cybersecurity exercises. Their work will be presented at next year’s 21st International Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security in Wilmington, North Carolina.

As the calendar year draws to a close, we’ve compiled a sampling of top stories from the undergraduate college, the graduate school, and the law school.

Students received hands-on data science experience with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, predicting the climate and habitat vulnerabilities of the species in our region.

The M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust has recognized Greta Binford, professor of biology, with the 2025 Lynwood W. Swanson Scientific Research Award. The honor celebrates her nationally recognized research on spider biodiversity and venom evolution—much of it conducted alongside undergraduate researchers.

Through internships and post-graduate careers, Lewis & Clark students and alumni are helping the Portland Pickles baseball team thrive.

Lewis & Clark students are finding real-world meaning in narrative medicine—an emerging field that blends writing, empathy, and health care. For graduates like Edie Tavel BA ’23, an internship experience led directly to a full-time role at Fora Health.

PBS is streaming Classroom 4, which captures the transformative Inside-Out course taught by Professor Reiko Hillyer, where students break down the walls imposed by incarceration to study, connect, and change each other.

This year’s ENVX Symposium, Common Ground: How We Can Engage Across Difference With a Shared Love of Land, was held September 29 through October 3. The symposium united panelists and students in dialogue founded upon months of community conversation and outreach.

Students in L&C’s Applied Data Science Practicum worked with the Multnomah County Health Department to analyze cancer-related deaths in the area, using large-scale datasets to identify trends and demographic connections. In the process, they gained real-world skills, knowledge, and networks that will impact their future careers.

Lewis & Clark partnered with the Albina Music Trust to preserve Portland’s Black musical heritage, bringing Albina’s songs to campus through a panel discussion and immersive sound installation.

The student newspaper’s recent slate of state awards—along with a national ranking from The Princeton Review—attest to the team’s talents, grit, versatility, and sense of community.

Lewis & Clark ranks No. 26 on Princeton Review’s 2026 list of Top 50 Green Colleges, earning national recognition for its strong culture of environmental responsibility and sustainability. The honor appears in the newly released Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2026 Edition, which profiles 388 institutions that demonstrate an exceptional commitment to environmental stewardship.

Faculty members Lina Darwich and Katherine FitzGibbon have received endowed professorships for their outstanding scholarly record.

The river otter, beloved for its scrappiness, teamwork, and Pacific Northwest roots, is officially Lewis & Clark’s new mascot. The adorable, semiaquatic mammal emerged as the top choice among students, alumni, and employees.

Lewis & Clark swimmer Ezra Billings BA ’26 was named the Oregon Small College Men’s Collegiate Athlete of the Year by Sport Oregon. A native of Fairbanks, Alaska, Billings won four events at the Northwest Conference Championship Meet and became the first L&C student to win Northwest Conference Men’s Swimmer of the Year honors.