CWU student researchers power solutions for the real world

Central Washington University proudly celebrated three decades of academic excellence and student innovation last month at the annual SOURCE conference.

Themed "empowerment," the May 14-15 event on the Ellensburg campus featured more than 300 presentations from across all colleges and disciplines, bringing together more than 400 attendees to celebrate the work, voices, and ideas of CWU students.

SOURCE — which stands for Symposium of University Research and Creative Expression — offers students an opportunity to present original work in a professional setting, helping them gain vital experience through mentorship, public speaking, and real-time feedback.

“SOURCE empowers students to find their voice and pursue their vision by allowing them to tell the story of their work in a professional conference atmosphere,” said Ash Perron, program coordinator for the Dean of Undergraduate Studies. “SOURCE participation improves job readiness and graduate school preparedness through mentorship, collaboration, and community engagement.”

This year’s conference featured 178 poster projects, 119 oral presentations and performances, and 13 recorded sessions.

Students from the College of the Sciences made up the largest percentage of presenters (43%), followed by the College of Education and Professional Studies (26%), the College of Arts and Humanities (19%), Douglas Honors College and community members (9%), and the College of Business (3%).

In 2024, education research organization foundry10 made a gift of $15,000 to the CWU Foundation to fund seven projects during the 2024-25 academic year. Those projects were presented at SOURCE 2025 and included music, aerospace engineering, and interdisciplinary work.

The CWU Foundation is proud to announce that foundry10 has renewed its support and offered $20,000 to support SOURCE for the 2025-26 academic year.

“As an education research organization, we at foundry10 strongly believe in the learning value of hands-on research experience,” Director of Research Samantha Bindman said. “Having the opportunity to contribute to the research process provides invaluable learning to inform students’ understanding of where research findings come from, to foster their critical thinking, and also to open the door to career pathways in research or many other related fields.”

One example of this investment in student development came from the CWU Horn Club, whose members traveled to Oregon to perform and present at the 2025 Northwest Horn Symposium.

“The grant I received from foundry10 made it possible for me and my peers in the CWU Horn Club to attend a conference without having to worry about anyone’s financial barriers,” said Julia McConnachie, President of the CWU Horn Club.

Other students pushed the boundaries of STEM research thanks to the financial support they received.

“The funding we received from foundry10 was instrumental in enabling our participation in the NASA University Student Launch Initiative,” said Al Veitas, who will graduate in 2026. “It gave us the opportunity to conduct multiple vehicle tests, allowing us to refine our design and achieve the most successful flight in our club’s history. It also ensured that every team member could travel to witness firsthand the culmination of nine months of hard work and dedication.

The CWU Wildcat Rocketry club participated in the NASA Student Launch, a nine-month long research initiative focused rocketry and STEM payload development.

This year’s challenge involved designing and launching a rocket capable of collecting environmental and flight data to estimate the probability of survival for STEMnauts (simulated astronaut figures) during flight. The data is then transmitted to a NASA ground station via radio communication.

With partners like foundry10, Central students are doing more than preparing for future careers; they’re building them.

“Thanks to foundry10’s generous support, students at SOURCE had the opportunity to present their work with confidence,” said Hideki Takei, former director of the Office of Undergraduate Research and current professor of IT management. “They gained valuable real-world experience in public speaking, critical thinking, and engaging with diverse audiences—skills that will serve them well as they move forward into academic, professional, and community leadership roles.”

The diverse participation in SOURCE from different campus units highlights the collaborative nature of CWU, fostering an environment where students can explore, innovate, and express themselves.

Dean of Undergraduate Studies Tishra Beeson said it simply: “Undergraduate research is one of the most promising high-impact practices to help increase rates of student retention, engagement, and persistence to graduation, and evidence shows that such research significantly benefits historically underserved students.”

Central will continue to lead the way in providing high-impact, student-centered research experiences that are powered by community, partnership, and the belief that students’ ideas can change the world.

To learn more about SOURCE and how you can support student research and creative expression at CWU, visit the SOURCE webpage.