Through the Richter program, Occidental students have the opportunity to engage in international projects of scholarly merit across all disciplines that promote cross-cultural engagement.
Generously funded by the Joseph Edward Richter trust, which maintains the Paul K. and Evalyn E. Cook Richter Memorial Fund, Richter Faculty-led Research Abroad projects have sent Â鶹´«Ã½ students and their faculty mentors on research expeditions in Mexico, Scotland, Ecuador, Jamaica, Iceland, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Italy, Phillippines, Nepal, and Thailand.
Occidental’s rigorous Richter Faculty-led Research Program provides students the opportunity to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills beyond the classroom through mentored research opportunities and creative projects. Student participants will partner with cohorts to pursue individual or joint projects that together will answer an overarching research topic guided by their faculty mentor.
Assistant Professor of Media Arts and Culture Vivian Lin took three Occidental students to Nepal for a Faculty-Led Richter project. Read about their experiences helping local women use media to share their personal stories.
Occidental students conducted research on the Galápagos Islands alongside Assistant Professor of Urban & Environmental Policy Karla Peña thanks to a Richter Research Grant for faculty-led research. Learn about how they spent their time abroad!
Proposals are developed by faculty and with the support of their mentors, students conduct work that has a direct impact on communities around the world. By working in tandem with faculty, students develop mentorship connections that transcend the classroom environment. These partnerships have long-term impacts on students’ academic and professional careers.
Successful candidates are fully funded to do research for three weeks over the summer or winter break. While abroad, recipients work full time alongside their faculty mentor. Back on campus, some students will present their projects at the Occidental Undergraduate Research Conference or other Richter-focused events. Students have presented their projects at outside conferences and often utilize their work for senior comps projects. Many Richter scholars successfully pursue graduate fellowships and graduate degrees overseas.
“I have experienced academic, personal, and professional enrichment that I will carry with me beyond graduation. My time at La Selva Biological Station allowed me to continue learning about tropical ecology, conservation, insects, and microbial symbioses in real time, while deepening my connections with faculty, peers, and Costa Rican collaborators.â€
“I am forever thankful for this opportunity to learn so much about EEG preprocessing and Thai culture. These interactions helped advance my data collection skills and professionalism in the lab. I interacted with participants from different linguistic backgrounds and learned how to quickly build strong team dynamics in a new work environment.â€
