Location and Resources to Support Your Research
Undertaking research at Washington College means having the support and resources
that help you discover your research interests, hone your skills, unearth new information,
and create ways to share what you have learned with the world.
Research Facilities Research Outcomes
Unique Opportunities in a Unique Setting
Our location in historic Chestertown and rural Kent County provides a perfect backdrop for inquiry into rural America, the history of our country’s founding, and more. Our proximity to the Chester River and Chesapeake Bay, as well as our innovative lab spaces, makes Washington ideal for natural science research in the lab and the field. For social sciences, the arts, and humanities, students can also take advantage of our location to access Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Baltimore to enhance research projects. And the scale of the Eastern Shore mean students doing research in all fields of study have closer connections to people, places, and institutions that help them learn directly from sources, collaborate with community partners, and make an impact with what they learn, all while completing their degree.
Tracking Native American Cultural Heritage
on Maryland’s Upper Eastern Shore
Julie Markin, associate professor of anthropology and archaeology and director of archaeology, was recently awarded a $40,000 grant through the Maryland Historical Trust to study the indigenous cultural heritage of Maryland’s Upper Eastern Shore and its inhabitants’ social landscapes prior to contact with European settlers and explorers. The grant will provide for an archaeological survey and excavation of the watershed, conducted by the Washington College Archaeology Lab, as well as paid internships for students, public programming and presentations, and open lab opportunities which will be open to volunteers from the public at large.
Read the StoryCollege Research Facilities and Resources
The Clifton Miller Library provides access to collections, study spaces, the Office of Academic Skills, the
Quantitative Skills Center, VARDIS, IDEAWORKS, Educational Technology, and the Archives.
The library and archives are where our community of learners access the world. Library and Academic Technology
(LAT) empowers our community to discover, create, collaborate, and innovate.
The Virtual/Augmented Reality Imaging Studio (VARDIS) is a space where the Washington College community can view, explore, design and create
virtual and augmented reality experiences and utilize many different digitization
processes for use in research, instruction and creative endeavors.
The IDEAWORKS Innovation Center is home to the One Button Studio, which features sound, lighting, and video equipment,
and our makerspace, where ideas become tangible with modern digital tools and traditional
fabrication methods. Students can work on their own projects or get involved with
ongoing ones.
The Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture (IRPC) is dedicated to the rigorous study of religion’s influence on American and world
history and its contemporary importance for cultural and political life. Through scholarships,
research fellowships, international partnerships, and more, IRPC promotes research
and other experiential opportunities related to religion, politics, and culture.
The 5,000-acre River and Field Campus (RAFC) along the Chester River is a living field lab that fosters environmental projects that are scalable and transferable, with a liberal arts approach that will develop our students into citizens and leaders who understand the complexity of the issues from both the scientific and the human dimension. It provides students unique field research sites and opportunities, including for bird banding and studying native plantings and ecological restoration.
Many individual majors have specialized facilities and resources that can aid in research
specific to your discipline. Check your major's webpages for more information.
Centers of Excellence
Center for Environment & Society
Semans-Griswold Environmental Hall, home to the Washington College Center for Environment
and Society (CES), contains three innovative lab spaces. CES also has two research
vessels for projects in the Chester River. Students get firsthand opportunities to
study the Chesapeake Bay, North America’s largest estuary, and the surrounding habitat.
Rose O'Neill Literary House
The Washington College Rose O’Neill Literary House brings renowned writers across genres to campus each semester to give readings, participate in question-and-answer sessions, lead generative workshops, visit classrooms, and engage in other discussions with our students.
Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience
The Washington College Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience explores local and national history, and the Digital Scholarship in Museum Partnerships program works with local museums to digitize pieces within their collections.
Research Outcomes
Students across campus have participated in research that gets published—some even
earning co-author credits in peer-reviewed journals. The student-run academic journal,
Washington College Review, publishes student academic work twice a year, including a Senior Capstone Experience
(SCE) issue each fall.
Student research is also showcased in MuSE: A Community Museum, which hosts rotating exhibits highlighting Washington teaching, experiential learning,
and research. Exhibits are informational, interactive, and highly visual, creating
a dynamic space for learning and sharing.
Washington College values research and celebrates students’ success in making their
contributions to knowledge. The best student research projects are recognized for
their writing and research achievements, often monetarily.
The Ralph Thornton ’40 Research Prize honors the best completed student research in three categories: best project, best
proposal, and best overall. Thornton originally created a research fellowship in 2012
through a gift to the library meant to encourage students to use all the resources
available to them for independent research. In 2021, his gift was converted to a prize
to increase participation and celebrate students’ high-quality research.
The Black Studies Essay Award recognizes an outstanding research paper completed by a Washington College undergraduate
student related to Black Studies and written for a Black Studies course at Washington
College.
The William W. Warner Prize for Creative Writing on Nature and the Environment is awarded annually to the Washington College undergraduate who shows the greatest
aptitude for writing about nature and the environment. The winning entry will receive
a cash prize of $500.