Lab life
Retreats, milestones and boats on the Charles
The lab has taken an annual retreat since 2012. Here's a glimpse of what life in the Churchman lab is like.
Through the years
Choose a collection
Browse a few highlights, then open any collection to explore its 28 albums and 1004 photographs.
Annual tradition · 2012–2026
Lab retreats
Chalk talks, shared meals, long hikes and the annual group portrait—one retreat for every year we gathered.
2026 Lab Retreat
Chalk talks, cooking, evening presentations, a group hike and portraits on the farmhouse steps.
92 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman, Ines Patop, Hope Merens
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Photos by Ines Patop
Photos by Hope Merens
2025 Lab Retreat
Two days of chalk talks, cooking, games, hiking and early autumn color.
87 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman, Claire Nuessmeier, Hope Merens, Lisa Hansen, Ines Patop
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Photos by Claire Nuessmeier
Photos by Hope Merens
Photos by Lisa Hansen
Photos by Ines Patop
2024 Lab Retreat
Chalk talks, shared meals, orchard apples, hiking and a late-summer group portrait.
46 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman, Hope Merens, Lisa Hansen, Mike Kourkoulakos, Ana-Maria Raicu, Mary Couvillion
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Photos by Hope Merens
Photos by Lisa Hansen
Photos by Mike Kourkoulakos
Photos by Ana-Maria Raicu
Photos by Mary Couvillion
2023 Lab Retreat
Summer hiking, group portraits, farmhouse cooking and an impromptu dance on the lawn.
29 photographs Photos by Robert Ietswaart, Gyan Prakash, Stirling Churchman, Ryan Acbay
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Photos by Robert Ietswaart
Photos by Gyan Prakash
Photos by Stirling Churchman
Photos by Ryan Acbay
2022 Lab Retreat
Autumn color, chalk talks, communal cooking, drone portraits and hikes around the farm.
62 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman, Jake Bridgers, Hope Merens, Gyan Prakash
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Photos by Jake Bridgers
Photos by Hope Merens
Photos by Gyan Prakash
2021 Lab Retreat
An outdoor local retreat with backyard chalk talks, a farm visit, alpacas and plenty of dog cameos.
16 photographs Photos by Dan Davidi, Hope Merens, Brendan Smalec, Robert Ietswaart
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Photos by Dan Davidi
Photos by Hope Merens
Photos by Brendan Smalec
Photos by Robert Ietswaart
2019 Lab Retreat
Kayaking, chalk talks, shared cooking and a cold-weather group portrait on the shore.
25 photographs Photos by Churchman Lab members
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Photos by Churchman Lab members
2018 Lab Retreat
A summit hike, big group selfies, shared meals and an evening back at the house.
11 photographs Photos by Churchman Lab members
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Photos by Churchman Lab members
2017 Lab Retreat
A boat trip, rocky shoreline walks, lobster dinner and plenty of sea air.
17 photographs Photos by Churchman Lab members
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Photos by Churchman Lab members
2016 Lab Retreat
Chalk talks, a lobster dinner, a fire outside the retreat house and hikes around Jordan Pond and Bubble Rock.
7 photographs Photos by Churchman Lab members
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Photos by Churchman Lab members
2015 Lab Retreat
The fourth annual retreat combined chalk talks at the house, time by the harbor, games on the lawn and a long series of group portraits on the dock.
47 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
2014 Lab Retreat
The third annual retreat brought chalk talks, shared cooking and hikes around Jordan Pond, Bubble Rock and western Mount Desert Island.
105 photographs Photos by Churchman Lab members
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Photos by Churchman Lab members
2013 Lab Retreat
The second annual retreat paired chalk talks and shared meals with coastal hikes—even as a federal shutdown closed Acadia National Park.
101 photographs Photos by Churchman Lab members
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Photos by Churchman Lab members
2012 Lab Retreat
The first annual Churchman Lab retreat established the tradition: scientific chalk talks, shared cooking and long autumn hikes on Mount Desert Island.
203 photographs Photos by Andreas Mayer, Mary Couvillion, Magdalena Murawska
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Photos by Andreas Mayer
Photos by Mary Couvillion
Photos by Magdalena Murawska
Thesis days & new candidates · 2016–2026
Milestones & defenses
Thesis defenses, candidacy dinners and the celebrations that follow big scientific milestones.
Hope’s PhD Defense
Hope’s defense talk, friends and colleagues celebrating afterwards, and congratulations for Dr. Merens.
18 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman, Hope Merens
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Photos by Hope Merens
Claire & Lisa Become PhD Candidates
A lab dinner in Harvard Square celebrating Claire and Lisa becoming PhD candidates.
6 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Jake’s Thesis Defense
Group portraits after Jake’s thesis defense, with the lab rearranging itself beneath a handmade congratulations banner.
13 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Tommy’s Thesis Defense
Group portraits from Tommy Tullius’s thesis celebration beneath a handmade “Congrats Dr. Tullius” banner.
3 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Blake’s Thesis Defense & Celebration
Preparations for Blake Tye’s thesis defense followed by an exuberant celebration with Jenga and an ice luge.
11 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman, Churchman Lab members
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Photos by Churchman Lab members
Heather’s Thesis Defense
Heather Drexler’s thesis defense followed by a lab group portrait, a congratulatory cake and a celebratory toast.
3 photographs Photos by Churchman Lab members
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Photos by Churchman Lab members
Kevin’s Thesis Defense
Kevin Harlen’s thesis talk, a reception, and a round of “Pin the P on the CTD” at the chalkboard.
16 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Boats, dinners & celebrations · 2013–2022
Outings & celebrations
Cruises, conferences, baby showers and send-offs from the life of the lab beyond Longwood Avenue.
Lab Cruise on the Charles
A summer evening on the Charles with a very patient photographer and increasingly exuberant group portraits.
13 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Katja’s Baby Shower
An outdoor baby shower for Katja, with friends, family and plenty of group portraits.
11 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Lab Summer Cruise
Riverside group portraits from the lab’s 2021 summer cruise on the Charles.
11 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Ice Cream Outing
A farewell ice-cream outing for Seth, with the lab gathered outside JP Licks at One Brigham Circle.
14 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
Harpoon Brewery Outing
A day that followed the lab from its benches to a Harpoon Brewery tour and dinner.
12 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
The first years · 2011–2012
Building the lab
The original empty room, unpacking day and the small collection of photographs from the lab’s first year.
Inside the New Lab
The new lab’s benches, instruments, cold storage, coffee station and unmistakable red chairs.
22 photographs Photos by Stirling Churchman
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Photos by Stirling Churchman
The Lab’s First Year
Boxes arriving for the new lab, the first Churchman Lab outing for ice cream on Nava’s birthday, and the Churchman–Gray holiday party at FuGaKu.
3 photographs Photos by Churchman Lab members