Student Research

Mount Mercy prides itself on our instructor-scholars, a dedicated group of faculty committed equally to teaching in their discipline and to mentoring students in research and creative works.

Recent Research Projects

Because of this strong and ever-growing series of student-faculty interaction, you’ll learn through hands-on research and experience the deep academic work usually reserved for students at larger institutions.

  • Three-Strikes Laws and Their Effects on Society
  • Applying Psychology to Increase Water Conservation
  • Synthesizing Human Trafficking Screening Tools and Identifying Barriers to Help for Marginalized Populations
  • Oncology-Fertility Support in Breast Cancer Patients
  • Father Involvement in the NICU
  • Recognizing the Humanitarian Crisis at the U.S./Mexico Border through Franciso Cantu's Memoir, The Line Becomes a River
  • Developing a Personality Assessment App for Author Dave Mitchell
  • Studies of Lichen Distribution on a Linn County (Iowa) Hill Prairie
  • The Invisible Problem of Human Trafficking
  • Iowa Watch: Statewide Journalism Projects
  • Light Effects on the Growth of Raphanus sativus
  • The Impact Student Engagement has on Post-Graduation Success
  • The Harmful Effects of Radon and its Levels in the Mount Mercy University Community
  • Putting the Goth in American Gothic (Public Art Project)

Student Research Facts

  • Research and creative opportunities are available for students in nearly every major and many minors.
  • Most projects are completed through one-on-one or small group work between faculty and students. Students share in discovery and creation.
  • Students are more likely to remain engaged in learning when offered hands-on opportunities.
Many research and creative works culminate in a presentation during Scholarship Festival, held on campus each spring. This annual event features student research presentations and creative works during poster sessions, interdisciplinary panels, and creative performances.