Photo essay: inside the lab


Two students work with a robotic arm at Clark University.
Adrian Ramirez ’25 and Richard Geli, M.S. ’25, work in the robotics lab.

Recent photos from the laboratory and creative spaces across the Clark campus offer a glimpse into some of the research and experiments being conducted by our faculty and students.

A student working in a lab with jars of colored liquid, Clark University.

By 2050, scientists and policymakers fear, farmers may not be able to produce enough food to feed the world’s growing population. Assistant professor of biology Chandra Jack and her students are studying microbe interactions in plants to help farmers grow more food.

A student working with a professor to record data for a biology lab, Clark University
A professor and students wearing protective eyewear work in a biology lab with specialized lighting equipment, Clark University.

Her research is funded by a $453,000 grant from the National Science Foundation and a $420,000 grant from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

A examines a plant specimen in a biology lab.


A film studies student works with a professor for a digital filmmaking class, Clark University.

Students in the Introduction to Digital Filmmaking course work collectively on an original film project while studying theory and practice. The workshop gives students the chance to direct, design, produce, act, and edit.

Students learning about the equipment in a digital filmmaking class
Students silhouetted by set lighting, set up tahe digital film camera, Clark University

A student mounting bat sensing devices in a tree in the Hadwen Arboretum, Clark

The HERO (Human-Environmental Regional Observatory) Program, led by geography professors Deborah Martin and John Rogan, engages student fellows in research to understand urban reforestation and its impact on communities. Their findings, which have shaped tree selection and community engagement strategies, support efforts to increase urban canopy cover and reduce energy usage in residential areas, contributing to greener, healthier cities across Massachusetts.

Student assembling bat sensory equipment, Clark University.
Partnering with Massachusetts’ Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and other agencies, HERO fellows study tree survivorship, growth, and community satisfaction with newly planted trees.
A team of researchers look at data coming from sensing equipment installed at the Hadwen Arboretum, Clark University.
Living laboratory: The Hadwen Arboretum, a 26-acre green space willed to Clark in 1907, serves as a focus for many of Clark’s environmental revitalization and research efforts.

A student mounting bat sensing devices in a tree in the Hadwen Arboretum, Clark

Investigations in Julio D’Arcy’s lab, in the Carson School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, are driven by pressing questions about energy, sustainability, and the future. Their research focuses on developing conducting polymers with versatile nanostructures, which have the potential to improve energy storage and conversion technologies and contribute to environmental solutions like water purification.

A student working with mechanical equipment in a lab, Clark University.
Student working with mechanical equipment in a lab, Clark University

Biology student, Luna Pagan ’27 stores samples for a dung beetle research project.
Luna Pagan ’27 conducts dung beetle research in the lab.

Evolutionary biologist Erin McCullough and her students study the mating rituals of dung beetles to understand how climate change might affect biodiversity

Biology Professor Erin McCullough and student gather samples in the Hadwen Arboretum for a dung beetle research project.
A biology professor and student work together with samples for a research study on dung beetles.

A student wearing a VR headset works with Mark Jacobs ’89, MFA ’25, on a virtual reality project, Clark University

Mark Jacobs ’89, MFA ’25, returned to Clark because he believes that virtual reality will be integral to the future of education. Jacobs is among the students working on a multi-discipline project in Central Mexico that will help policymakers and the public collectively understand how much is at stake under climate change.

people recording vr
A student blocking movements for a game in a motion studio, Clark University

Photos: Steven King, director of photography / university photographer


A closer look

Explore our programs from the perspective of our students.

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