Chet Udell ’05 Featured by Eos for Innovative Career in Music and Science

A passion for experimental music has taken Chet Udell ’05 from the Stetson University School of Music to an interdisciplinary career spanning composition, engineering, instrument design, and environmental science. His distinctive professional journey was recently featured by Eos, the science publication of the American Geophysical Union, as part of its 2026 Career Issue.

Udell came to Stetson on a trombone performance scholarship and earned his Bachelor of Music with an Outside Field in Digital Art in 2005. While at Stetson, a programming course designed for musicians sparked his interest in the relationship between music and technology. He began taking mathematics and physics courses to deepen his understanding of sound and instrument design, helping lay the foundation for the interdisciplinary work that would follow.

Today, Udell is an associate professor at Oregon State University and directs the Openly Published Environmental Sensing Lab (OPEnS Lab), where students develop technologies for environmental research. His work encompasses both scientific and musical instrument design, including the SpiderHarp and Optron. The SpiderHarp was also recognized as a finalist in the international Guthman Musical Instrument Competition.

Most recently, Udell completed a yearlong residency at Oregon State’s Hatfield Marine Science Center, where he created interactive audio installations that use sound to help visitors explore and understand ocean and coastal environments.

Udell’s career demonstrates how musical study can foster connections across disciplines and lead to innovative work in unexpected fields. The Stetson University School of Music congratulates him on this recent recognition and his continued work at the intersection of music, technology, and science.