We believe hands-on, self-driven learning through research is an essential part of your educational journey – and it shouldn鈥檛 be just for graduate students. That鈥檚 why Randolph-Macon undergrads complete research projects through senior capstones, summer fellowships, and other unique coursework.
鈥淚鈥檝e loved digging these stories out of the back pages of newspapers and amplifying voices that were buried under everything else. The research has been a really fascinating look at the similarities between what we鈥檙e going through now and what people experienced over a hundred years ago.鈥
Grace Bakeman 鈥23 (鈥淎s Catchy as the Flu”: Gauging the Impact of the 1918 and the 2020 Pandemics on Concert Culture in the United States)
Undergraduate research is a direct, hands-on approach to learning that inspires students and helps to develop important skills necessary for successful careers and graduate school study. Through original research, students develop a deeper understanding of the scientific process and master skills in:
The Schapiro Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program was established in 1996 through a generous gift made by Ben 鈥64 and Peggy Schapiro to encourage Randolph-Macon students to pursue original research as undergraduates. SURF offers RMC students from all disciplines the unique opportunity to conduct nine weeks of full-time research, during the summer months, under the careful guidance of a faculty mentor. Students receive a stipend and free housing and spend the summer delving deeply into an original research question.
Hands-on study is at the heart of many RMC courses where students work together to answer an original research question under the guidance of faculty mentors. Through collaborative coursework, students write their own proposals and conduct group research throughout the duration of the course.
Randolph-Macon students, from a variety of disciplines, contribute to their field through original research during independent study or capstone projects. These projects let students conduct research for credit while working directly with a faculty mentor to refine questions, create a research plan and often, to present their research as well.
Each spring, the Randolph-Macon Student Symposium of Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity showcases this work.
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Eight Randolph-Macon chemistry students traveled to New Orleans to present research carried out during SURF this past summer.
This summer, three RMC students took part in an NSF-funded project to index species of fishes and macroinvertebrates in Kenyan rivers.
A change to Paraguay鈥檚 electoral system made for a near-perfect experiment for Eleanor Swager 鈥25 and Dr. Brian Turner.
