For the past 25 years, School of Engineering and Computer Science Dean Elizabeth Orwin has been an internationally recognized expert on research involving corneas, the clear outer surface of the eye.

Undergraduate student Mackenzie Tobertga ’27 began her research more recently—just three months ago—but was granted the unique opportunity to work alongside the dean as part of Pacific’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship. The fellowship provides undergraduate students at Pacific with the opportunity to conduct research usually reserved for the graduate level.

“Dean Orwin strongly supports Pacific’s student-centered approach and has created fantastic learning opportunities for her students,” said Gretchen Edwalds-Gilbert, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “I come from a background of undergraduate research, and I know the impact it can have on students’ lives and careers.”

Tobertga, a third-year bioengineering major from Sacramento, is one of six students in the program. Students are paired with faculty mentors and receive a personal stipend and money for summer housing and research materials.

Tobertga has been considering whether she wants to focus on research or go a more traditional route with manufacturing for a career path. Her work this summer has helped give her the answer.

“I decided the only way for me to figure this out is by experiencing it myself. This research program gives me an opportunity to do so,” she said. “The opportunities I have had here at Pacific have solidified things for me; I believe I’m going to focus on research.

“I think every day about how fortunate I am to work side-by-side with a dean, especially someone as accomplished as Dean Orwin.”

The dean, in turn, is grateful for the work of her mentee.

“Mackenzie has worked very diligently and shows great interest in research,” Orwin said. "I have been fortunate over the years at Harvey Mudd College and now here at Pacific to have motivated students interested in research. They inspire me. We are having a very productive summer.”

The research in Orwin’s lab involves tissue engineering a cornea.

“What we are trying to do is recreate tissue to replace one that has been damaged by trauma or disease,” Orwin said. “You need the cornea for vision and there are many people who have issues with blindness due to burns, vitamin deficiencies or disease and need to have a corneal replacement.”

Over the summer, Tobertga has been working on producing protein fibers to use as the scaffold for an engineered cornea. She learned about electro spinning to make the fibers and operating a scanning electron microscope, which takes images of the fibers.

She has branched out further by working as a student steward at the new Fletcher Jones Foundation Makerspace on the Stockton Campus, a 10,000-square-foot facility where students from any discipline can access an extensive array of equipment.

Her experiences are already creating opportunities beyond campus.

Orwin said she is hoping to bring Tobertga with her to an international tissue conference in Germany next May. Tobertga also recently attended the National Society of Black Engineers conference at USC.

“It’s an honor just to be considered for opportunities such as these,” Tobertga said. “I am learning so much, and it’s very exciting.”