Science and Research

Student in sound testing lab. 

On a nature walk around USM’s campus, a little boy picked up a leaf, tore off a corner, and looked right at me — one of my favorite shots of all time.

Physical therapy specialist Catherine McDonald works with WALL-E the pug in the Veterinary Hospital therapy room. He’s named after a Pixar robot, and his mom Cara Smelter made him a license plate for his cart.

Students from UMass Boston’s School for the Environment trade the classroom for coastal waters during a field research trip to the university’s Nantucket Field Station. Immersed in the island’s marshes and seagrass beds, they observe marine life up close—learning to see, feel, and understand the ecosystems that shape our coasts. For many, it’s their first time experiencing the environment they study, transforming curiosity into connection.

Forensic science students work to lift fingerprints from inside a repurposed house on campus.

Grad students working together in a biology lab.

A chimpanzee is moved in preparation for a historic surgery to remove a tumor from his spine. 

Professor Lana Swartz examines how shadowy internet scammers are using AI to dupe more people through both common and complex frauds.

Dr. Gray Xu observes a lens in which he will place in front of a laser to focus the beam.

A Biological Sciences PhD student transfers fruit flies to a holding station that monitors their activity as part of a study on how sleep patterns affect health and aging.