Daisy Ademoye looking into a powerful microscope in the Mind and Brain lab

Student Research

At Occidental, undergraduate research isn’t an add-on, it’s part of how you learn. Through faculty-mentored research and independent projects in Los Angeles and around the world, you’ll investigate questions that matter, and contribute new ideas through scholarship and creative work.

Research opportunities are woven into your undergraduate experience from the start. Whether your interests lie in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, or arts, you can take on topics with real-world impact while developing the curiosity, confidence, and critical thinking that define a liberal arts education.

Working closely with faculty mentors, you'll contribute to research that advances knowledge while discovering what inspires you. Whether you're conducting fieldwork, analyzing data, creating original scholarship, or producing creative work, you'll gain the experience to think independently, collaborate across disciplines, and make meaningful contributions even before you graduate.

How to Get Started
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Undergraduate Research Center

Why Participate in Undergraduate Research

Whether your research project involves testing a scientific hypothesis, composing a new piece of music, or studying human behavior, you'll build the analytical, creative, and collaborative skills that prepare you for graduate study, meaningful careers, and a lifetime of inquiry.

  • Develop close mentoring relationships with faculty
  • Build research, writing, and presentation skills
  • Explore original questions from different disciplines
  • Prepare for graduate study, fellowships, and your career

A Deep Dive Into Student Research

Head into open waters with Bianca Dal Bó ’24 Ruby Siehl ’24, two Oxy undergrads who conduct research onboard the Atlantis research vessel with Professor of Biology Shana Goffredi.

Types of Research Opportunities

Faculty-mentored and independent research projects

You can work alongside faculty on projects in labs, archives, field sites, and community settings, gaining hands-on experience through close mentorship. Many students also pursue independent research, transforming their ideas into original scholarship with faculty guidance.
Summer research programs

Summer research gives you the chance to really immerse yourself in a project, working with faculty mentors through funded programs and structured research experiences that support in-depth exploration and discovery.
International research

Through faculty-led and independent research options abroad, you can explore new cultures, address global challenges, and gain firsthand experience that broadens both your education and perspective. Funding is available.
Senior comprehensives

Throughout your major, you’ll build the knowledge and research skills that prepare you for Oxy’s senior comprehensive project (“senior comps”). This culminating experience challenges you to investigate an original question or create new work with the oversight of faculty.

My first year, I worked as a research assistant exploring the role of education in reducing recidivism. That summer, I became an independent researcher through the Summer Research Program, working with Prof. Mora on trade interdependence. I continued my research at the International Fund for Agricultural Development, conducting impact assessments on developing projects and creating an asset index.

Daria Undeland
Economics major
Daria Undeland headshot

The fact that Oxy is not a ‘research institution’ is actually a huge benefit for you. The opportunities saved for graduate students and postdocs at larger universities are available to you here. Learn about your professors’ research and reach out to them if you are at all interested in their work!

Alana Pizarro
Biology major
Alana Pizarro headshot
Occidental College environmental science students conducting field research, using a transect tape measure across a shallow, clear stream bed lined with smooth stones and autumn-colored riparian vegetation.

Research Centers, Hubs, and Groups

Oxy's research centers and facilities support student research across disciplines, providing access to faculty expertise, specialized resources, and collaborative spaces for discovery.

Two people in a lab setting, wearing blue jackets

Find Support for Your Research

Research at Occidental is built on mentorship. Dedicated faculty mentors help you find opportunities, shape your ideas, and develop your project, while academic departments and the Undergraduate Research Center provide funding, guidance, and resources every step of the way.

  • Occidental students on a faculty-led research trip to the La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. The group studies plants and animals of the tropical rain forest in an intensive and immersive program.

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  • Geology professor Ann Blythe and her students in GEO105 take a field trip to Vasquez Rocks, San Andreas Fault Road Cut in Palmdale, and the Devils Punchbowl in Pearblossom.

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  • Students in Professor Jesse Mora’s economics class, "Firm-Level International Trade and Investment," take a tour of the Port of Long Beach.

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  • Clarasophia Gust ’19 collects water samples and data in Eaton Canyon as a summer intern for the Council for Watershed Health, part of Oxy’s InternLA program.

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  • Josh Medina '19 undertook a multi-year project to 3-D digitize bird specimens at the Moore Lab of Zoology that culminated in a submitted journal article, an appearance on NPR’s Science Friday, and an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.

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  • Alice Feng ’20 and Alexandra Pfleegor ’20 give presentations on STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects to students at Buchanan Street Elementary School in the Highland Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

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  • A student presents the results of her summer research to peers and faculty at the Undergraduate Research Center's annual Summer Research Conference.

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Learning in Depth

Oxy’s emphasis on undergraduate research allows you to dig in to the subjects you’re most passionate about and gain valuable hands-on experience. Students and their faculty mentors collaborate directly on work that is both rigorous and rewarding.

Student Research in the News

Daisy Ademoye looking into a powerful microscope in the Mind and Brain lab
Tackling Real-World Challenges Through Summer Research

Student projects address urgent questions—from understanding how substance abuse alters plasticity in the brain to designing fire-resilient landscapes and advancing renewable energy.
a composite images of two students examining a rock face and then examining rock samples in plastic bags
Geology Students Dig into Plate Tectonics in Calabria

Two geology majors joined their professor on a summer research trip in southern Italy to gather samples and study tectonic plate movements through mineral dating.
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Recent Graduate Lead Author in Journal Publication

Building on years of research and close mentorship at Oxy, Bianca Dal Bó ’24 is lead author of a paper about methane-fueled deep-sea spiders in a prestigious journal.