Epic Advantage collaborative research
As part of your Epic Journey, every student is offered an Epic Advantage. This is Earlham’s guarantee that you’ll have access to a fully funded, career-discerning experience, such as an internship or faculty-led research experience.
Simply put: You’ll be given $5,000 to do something groundbreaking, game changing and resumé building.
And using your funding for collaborative research is a good investment in your future career.
Researching in partnership
Epic Advantage collaborative research is done in partnership with local scientists and other scholars at universities in the United States and abroad. These experts seek to broaden student’s experiences, knowledge and contributions to the field they are studying. Whether embarking on an Epic Advantage trip or designing their own internship, students have the chance to engage in multidisciplinary research.
What can you expect?
Epic Advantage research is one great opportunity you are offered through our Epic Journey. You’ll be embarking on a unique experience and testing your ability to practice skills you’ve learned in the classroom. You will also learn to work in a group and navigate different personalities, interests and goals.
You’ll form close personal bonds with experts in your field and peers with similar interests, as you are tested and challenged through this new and exciting opportunity. Whether traveling abroad, visiting home or staying local, Epic Advantage experiences are designed to expand your knowledge, test your limits and build your resumé.
Our faculty
Emmett Smith
Associate professor of biology
Emmett is one of three faculty members who leads the Icelandic Field Studies Epic Advantage trip. Through this program, students participate in multidisciplinary field research in collaboration with an international research team.
“Students were given the opportunity to practice techniques they learned in lab and apply them to real-world problems. Students gained cultural competency by participating in international travel, going grocery shopping, preparing group meals and interacting with Icelandic researchers. Students feel more comfortable traveling abroad after this trip. They can add this trip to their resume as a pivotal experience.”
Lynne Perkins Socey
Associate professor of theatre arts
Lynne Perkins Socey co-led an Epic Advantage trip to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2019. Students collaborated to research, develop, promote and perform an original play at the world’s oldest and largest international arts festival. While in Scotland, each student attended more than fifteen productions with an eye to clarifying their artistic aesthetic and personal goals for the future.
“I like to see the lightbulbs go off. When students recognize the variety of ways available to collaborate in the creation of an impactful, engaging story, they feel empowered—to speak their piece, honor differing points of view, and create a community that works together in pursuit of a common goal.”
Past projects
Epic Advantage experiences focus on all different fields and disciplines. There is something for every student to consider. And if you don’t see an existing trip, you can always design your own experience to use your Epic Advantage funds for career-building research. From studying cross-cultural health psychology in Sweden, to looking at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the art and media that is created, Epic Advantage collaborative research projects are life changing for students.
Sweden’s Access to Healthcare
In 2019, Aishat Sadiq traveled to Sweden with Beth Mechlin, associate professor of psychology, and a group of peers to research the healthcare system in comparison to the United States. Each student did their own research project, where Aishat looked specifically at immigrant access to healthcare.
No stranger to research, she chose this Epic Advantage project because of her connection to Beth, a professor who inspired her pursuit of neuroscience as a field. Aishat interacted with Beth in a small group setting, learning from her academically and personally.
It is this research opportunity—and the many others Aishat pursued while at Earlham College—that helped her find her passion and start her journey towards her doctorate degree.
“I’m really grateful I had the opportunity to go on this trip. And I’m really grateful I got to do so much research at Earlham.”
Volunteering with FIMRC
In 2019, Tyrique Richardson travelled to Peru with a group of professors and peers to study global health and volunteer with the Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC). During this trip, Tyrique shadowed an orthopedic surgeon, worked on educational programming and volunteered in a pediatric center.
Working with children inspired Tyrique to pursue a future career in pediatrics. He was motivated by a child named Theo who he worked with on a recycling project. This interaction helped affirmed he was on the right path with his career aspirations.
Collaborative research assisted Tyrique in making a decision towards his future role in healthcare.
“Collaborative research is a great way to have that career discernment. If you don’t know what you want to do with your major, this is a great way to see what you can possibly do. This is also a great way to network with students who have similar interests as you.”
Want to learn more?
Jennifer Lewis
Senior director of off-campus programs
For questions about Epic Advantage collaborative research, contact Jennifer Lewis, senior director of off-campus programs.