At Gettysburg College, skill building happens with hands-on research. Psychology and biology double major Marina Lomeli ’28 has found Gettysburg’s Cross-Disciplinary Science Institute (X-SIG) summer research experience invaluable in helping her develop adaptability and opening her mind to future careers in psychology or health care.
Donning a white lab coat and picking up a clipboard, psychology major Marina Lomeli ’28 prepares for another day of summer research at Gettysburg College. As she reaches down to pick up her furry black-and-white research subject, she’s greeted by a little squeak of excitement from a creature that will yield insights for her research project through the Cross-Disciplinary Research Institute (X-SIG) at Gettysburg.
The X-SIG opportunity, supported by Psychology Prof. Sara Keefer, is giving Lomeli the chance to cultivate adaptability while conducting hands-on neuroscience research.
Alongside her fellow student researchers Sophia Hume ’28 and Megan Kane ’27, Lomeli is using rodent models to observe behavioral inflexibility in both female and male rats in response to food rewards and environmental cues. Lomeli hopes to apply the findings from her research to better understand reward-seeking and risk-taking behavior in humans.
Now participating in X-SIG for a second year, Lomeli, a STEM Scholar from Round Lake Beach, Illinois, believes this dynamic summer research experience at Gettysburg is preparing her for careers that may include psychiatric studies with the brain, cancer research, or a health care profession. The opportunity to conduct this type of research as an undergraduate sparked Lomeli’s interest in applying to and enrolling at Gettysburg.
“It’s been very beneficial to get to know professors and professionals in these fields, as well as get hands-on skills with these types of labs. These opportunities have helped me determine what I enjoy doing and identify things that I don’t think I would pursue in the future,” she said.
Lomeli first learned about Keefer’s research through her Brain and Behavior course she took with Keefer last fall.
“Building relationships with the professors here helps you get involved in these research projects. Those connections have given me so much more experience than I could have gotten if I had gone somewhere else,” she said. “Dr. Keefer wants students to be very involved but still is understanding if someone isn’t comfortable performing any part of the project. However, for the most part, I have been very comfortable doing everything and learning these different skills in the lab.”
Beyond practical skills, such as operating lab equipment, Lomeli highlights the data analysis she’s had to do, the personal growth she’s experienced as a researcher, and the comfort she’s developed with scientific writing in preparation for the annual X-SIG poster presentations that will take place in the fall.
“When you leave Gettysburg College at the end of your four years here, you’re able to apply the skills and what you’ve learned here to different fields.”
– Marina Lomeli ’28
This adaptability—being able to handle the myriad responsibilities of conducting and reporting research—has given Lomeli the confidence to explore new ideas as she considers her future career interests.
Looking ahead to her junior year at Gettysburg, Lomeli anticipates continuing research with Keefer and serving as a Peer Learning Associate (PLA) for a developmental psychology class.
Each summer, faculty and students regularly work together across multidisciplinary departments—including biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental studies, health sciences, mathematics, physics, and psychology—representing the true cross-disciplinary nature of the Gettysburg Approach.
In addition to academics, she is also exploring co-curricular interests through the Guided Pathways. She’s most looking forward to pursuing activities in the Leadership, Teamwork, and Collaboration Pathway, in addition to the Career Development Pathway, she said. These activities include serving as manager of the ice hockey club team, where she’ll help with program leadership and organization.
“I see the Guided Pathways helping me to get a well-rounded experience academically, while being more involved on campus, which is something I want to work on more,” she said. “The Guided Pathways offer you many different opportunities for things you can participate in.”
Lomeli also hopes to build on her previous involvement with the Latin American Students Association (LASA) and take part in Casa de La Cultura swim program instruction when the 2026-27 academic year begins.
From the classroom to the lab, and beyond the campus borders, Lomeli has come to appreciate Gettysburg’s all-encompassing education available to her at every turn.
“The education here is consequential,” she said. “When you leave Gettysburg College at the end of your four years here, you’re able to apply the skills and what you’ve learned here to different fields. It’s reassuring to know that all the work I’m putting in is bringing me closer to a better future.”
Pursue the academic subject that interests you with student-faculty research at Gettysburg College.
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By Michael Vyskocil
Photos by Tyler Caruso
Posted: 08/07/26