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Oxford’s Innovative Student Research

Female student pointing to research presentation

At Oxford College, research isn’t just something that happens later in your academic career—it’s an integral part of the experience, starting from your first year. Oxford students have multiple opportunities to conduct research with renowned faculty members in a wide array of fields. This hands-on approach allows students to gain invaluable experience that will serve them well not only at Emory but also in their future careers.

There are two main ways students can participate in research at Oxford: the Oxford Research Scholars (ORS) program and the Summer Undergraduate Research at Emory/Oxford (SURE) program.

A student and teacher smiling together in front of an organ.
Oxford Student Ajani Claxton-Warner (left) and Oxford College professor Emorja Roberson (right) partnered on a project focusing on music and storytelling in three song arrangements that use Psalm 23 for text.

Summer Undergraduate Research at Emory/Oxford (SURE)

Launched 35 years ago as an initiative to support students in the natural sciences, SURE has since grown to encompass those studying the social sciences, humanities and the arts. The program provides students with free housing and 10 weeks of independent research working directly with professors.

The SURE–Oxford program is an extension of Emory’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) program. In SURE-Oxford, students work with Oxford faculty for 10 weeks in the summer as a researcher on projects in the areas of environmental science, biology, chemistry, visual art, and more.

After conducting their research, students present their research posters in the Oxford Science Building and on the Atlanta campus to showcase your results. They also participate in the larger SURE program on the Atlanta campus in weekly career mentoring and ethics sessions.

What Do Oxford Students Say about SURE?

Oxford Student Ajani Claxton-Warner was inspired to conduct research on historical African American music, and found a perfect faculty partner in Oxford College professor Emorja Roberson. In the SURE program, The two partnered on a project focusing on music and storytelling in three song arrangements that use Psalm 23 for text.

“The practice of intentional listening, then going deeper to articulate what you’re feeling, was entirely new to me,” says Claxton-Warner, whose research inspired him to write poetry and songs.

“The privilege of this exploration is it challenged me to develop a more well-rounded sense of how to tell stories within different frameworks,” he adds.

Another Oxford student, Min Ji Choi, worked with Oxford faculty member Dr. Anette Neuman in the SURE program to develop a method to facilitate the synthesis of disubstituted 1,3,4-thiadiazoles, which can be used to discover drugs.

Because Oxford College does not have graduate students, Dr. Neuman was my mentor and my PI. In other words, our research lab consisted of only me and Dr. Neuman…Thanks to the SURE program and Dr. Neuman’s guidance, I am more confident in persevering through academic challenges and pursuing my passion in chemistry.

These are just two of many Oxford students who have grown their research skills and confidence while making their mark on the world through the SURE-Oxford program.

two female students looking through a microscope

Oxford Research Scholars (ORS)

The Oxford Research Scholars program provides students with the opportunity to work directly with faculty members for a full academic year on research projects. Through this program, students have collaborated on research in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, and physical education.

Students then get to present their work during the annual Oxford Research Scholars Spring Symposium. Participants learn how research leads to knowledge creation, get introduced to current research within their discipline, and learn how research is organized and funded.

Oxford College-Halle Institute Global Research Scholars Program

A few lucky ORS students may also have the opportunity to take their research global through the Halle Institute Global Research Scholars Program. Select research projects can get funding to add a 1 or 2 week research component conducted outside of the United States. The program extends the close faculty mentorship of the ORS program by introducing an ORS student scholar to field-based research in the faculty member’s discipline.

Learn More

Whether you’re interested in the humanities, sciences, or visual arts, Oxford provides a student research environment that nurtures curiosity and allows students to make meaningful contributions to the world. If you’re ready to dive into the world of research as an undergraduate, Oxford is the place to be.

To learn more, join our mailing list or email oxadmission@emory.edu with any questions.

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