Undergraduate Research
Roll up your sleeves. Find lifelong mentors.
Learn how undergraduate research can transform your Oberlin education by expanding your intellectual community and honing your unique contribution.
Oberlin’s Research Culture
From mounting exhibitions in the Allen Memorial Art Museum to studying neurotoxicology and public health, Oberlin’s students and faculty make our campus a hub of innovative and impactful research. During both academic terms as well as Winter Term and summer, students have the opportunity to join a community of practicing artists, scientists, and scholars.
OUR Cohort Programs
Oberlin Undergraduate Research’s cohort programs were built to address the historic underrepresentation of certain groups in academic research. OUR cohort programs give students the opportunity to conduct research in a supportive and nurturing community that facilitates skill-building, networking, and creativity.
Science and Technology Research Opportunities for a New Generation
The Science and Technology Research Opportunities for a New Generation (STRONG) program is a pre-first-year, residential summer research program for students who have committed to attending Oberlin and who express an interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
STRONG Scholars Gabe Hosein and Lauriel Powell working in Professor Leslie Kwakye's Neuroscience Lab.
Oberlin College Research Fellowship
The Oberlin College Research Fellowship (OCRF) provides two summers of faculty-mentored research experiences to talented first-generation college students, Pell-grant-eligible students, and students of color at Oberlin College and Conservatory.
Priyanka Sen '19 presents her OCRF Research at the Senior Symposium, April 27, 2019.
Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship
The Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF) is a two-year undergraduate research and PhD-preparation program for students majoring in the humanities or social sciences. The program is designed to encourage students from underrepresented groups to pursue faculty careers in the academy.
Jacques Forbes ’19 received a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship for a research project analyzing the political behavior of conservative Black Americans.
Oberlin Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship
The Oberlin Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (OSURF) provides valuable faculty mentorship for students conducting quantitative research. With an emphasis on holistic support, including the cultivation of academic and professional skills, the program seeks to build confidence among students from a range of identities.
Student conducts atmospheric chemistry research in Professor Matthew Elrod's lab and in the instrumentation room.
OUR Featured Researchers
Each year Oberlin Undergraduate Research highlights the work of a cohort of student researchers whose projects are featured online and across campus. Meet the entire cohort for 2021-22.
Preadaptation as a Driver of Molecular Evolution
Andrew Crappito ’22
- Majors: Computer Science and Bass Performance
- Faculty Mentor: Aaron Goldman
Karanis Housing Project
Emily Hudson ’22
- Major: Triple major in Greek, Latin, and Comparative Literature
- Faculty Mentor: Drew Wilburn
4 in 1: Uncovering Hidden Species within Tiquilia palmeri
Gabriela Castillo '23
- STRONG Scholar
- Major: Biology and Theater
- Faculty Mentor: Mike Moore
War Metaphors and COVID-19
Maricel Mequi ’22
- Major: Psychology, Law & Society
- Faculty Mentor: Paul Thibodeau
An Autoethnographic Approach to Composing Japanese American Music
Noah Kawaguchi ’22
- Oberlin College Research Fellow (OCRF)
- Major: Jazz studies (saxophone) major, East Asian studies minor
- Faculty Mentors: Jan Miyake, Courtney-Savali Andrews
Grasping at the Roots: A Study of Sustainable Food Justice and Racial Healing Through Black Agrarian Histories
Vera Grace Menafee ’24
- Major: Africana Studies, Education Studies Concentration
- Faculty Mentor: Jay Fiskio
From the Classroom to the World
The Engaged Liberal Arts at Oberlin takes what you’re learning in your courses and puts it into practice through internships, research, study away experiences, winter term, career exploration, and beyond.
Resource Links
OUR Opportunities
On-Campus Research Events
Resources for Students and Faculty
Undergraduate Research Bulletins
Next Steps
An Oberlin education puts the liberal arts to work in achieving a life of meaning and purpose.
