Discovery’s Edge
Reed scientists revolutionize our understanding of land, sea, space, and the human body.
Scale is everything. Some mysteries require us to look up, toward the cosmos. Others demand we look down, into microscopic worlds. Still others ask us to look around—at our changing forests, warming oceans, and dynamic bodies. The scientists featured here pursue understanding across these vast scales, finding unexpected connections between the very large and very small. Their work reveals how tree canopies, ocean spray, black holes, and brain cells alike help tell the story of our universe and our place within it.
Land
Climbing to a New World
Could old-growth forest canopies hold the secret to keeping biodiversity, and our planet, intact? Botanist Steve Sillett ’89 has been researching up in the trees to find out.
Ghost Trees
Reed biology students have been scouring the Portland area for hybrid oak trees. Their journey could reshape the way we see our ecosystem.
Sea
In the Classroom and Out at Sea
Susan Rickards ’90 is a science teacher by day and a marine mammal researcher in any spare moment.
What Aerosols Can Tell Us About Climate
Trish Quinn ’82 examines sea spray, dust, and pollutants in our atmosphere to better understand their climate effects.
The Polar Pundit
Professor, public servant, and polar expert Kelly Falkner ’83 has a lot to show for her 40-year science career, including her very own Antarctic glacier.
Space
Shoot for the Star
Craig DeForest ’89 is leading NASA’s PUNCH mission to make 3-D observations of an underexplored region of space: the sun and its atmosphere.
Zooming Out: The Cosmic Web
Farhan Hasan ’18 wants to untangle the mysteries of the distant universe.
Vantage Point
To see a black hole, Shep Doeleman ’86 needed a telescope the size of a planet. So he built one.
Zooming In: Stringing It All Together
Naomi Gendler ’16 is on her way to finding the most fundamental explanation of our universe.
Reed Legends at Los Alamos
Mark Galassi ’87 and Tess Light ’91 are on the frontlines of nuclear nonproliferation.
Laser Focused
Alison Saunders ’11 has the biggest laser in the world and a dream: to understand what occurs in the cores of planets and stars.
Body
The Miracle Worker
Dr. Kevan Shokat ’86 isn’t just curing lung cancer. He’s reshaping the way scientists conquer disease.
Our Plastic-Stable Brains
Gina Turrigiano ’84 revolutionizes neuroscience with her research on brain plasticity.
Precision Pointe
With the discipline of a ballerina, Rachel Klevit ’78 investigates the proteins implicated in disease.
On the Future of Medicine
Roger Perlmutter ‘73 transforms scientific questions into lifesaving treatments.
Tags: Alumni, Climate, Sustainability, Environmental, Research