The Research Early Access Program (REAP) supports rising sophomore students to participate in Occidental’s 10-week Summer Research Program and complete mentored research alongside participating faculty in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, cognitive science, physics, or psychology.
About the REAP Fellowship
The program is open to all rising sophomores interested in the sciences. Priority will be given to students who are the first in their families to attend college, low-income students, and students who had limited access to lab science instruction in their high school programs.
Fellows receive:
- Study award of $6000.
- Subsidized on-campus housing and meal plan based on financial need.
Application
The REAP application is due on March 19, 2025, at 5:00 PM. To apply, applicants are expected to complete the REAP Application form including a personal statement.
The Personal Statement should address the following questions:
1. Explain your interest in conducting research in the sciences, or biology, biochemistry, chemistry, cognitive science, physics, and/or psychology more specifically. What do you hope to learn from participating in the program? How do you foresee this program contributing to your Oxy education?
2. Explain how your experiences to this point (personal and/or educational; before college and/or during your first year at Oxy) have shaped your interest in science. Have you been personally inspired, challenged, or influenced by your identity (including racial, ethnic, and cultural identity) to pursue scientific research? How so?
Each answer should be 250 words or fewer. Please upload your statement as a PDF file. Before uploading, please rename the file to: Last Name, First Name_REAP.
The application is now open and due on March 19, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.!
Previous Recipients
2024
- Ashley Abramyan [mentor: Kerry Thompson, Biology]
- Victor Alvarez [mentor: Emmanuelle Despagnet-Ayoub, Chemistry]
- Ava Arabshahi [mentor: Andrew Udit, Biochemistry]
- Galilea Arvizu [mentor: Joseph Schulz, Biology]
- Joy Botros [mentor: Carmel Levitan, Cognitive Science]
- Kylie Castro [mentor: Patricia Cabral, Psychology]
- Daniel Darahdgian [mentor: Emmanuelle Despagnet-Ayoub, Chemistry]
- Erin Evans [mentor: Dan Pondella, Biology]
- Rebeca Garnica [mentor: Amanda Zellmer, Biology]
- Jaymes Griggs [mentor: Amanda Zellmer, Biology]
- Kiana Lovie Hung [mentor: Nicholas Alt, Psychology]
- Angeline Leth [mentor: Raul Navarro, Chemistry]
- Jenevieve Lopez [mentor: Andrew Udit, Biochemistry]
- Haegan Malone [mentor: Emmanuelle Despagnet-Ayoub, Chemistry]
- Ximena Martinez Segoviano [mentor: Jeffrey Cannon, Chemistry]
- Zahra Noorani [mentor: Patricia Cabral, Psychology]
- Olivia Paredes [mentor: Andrew Udit, Biochemistry]
- Reyli Ramirez [mentor: Natasha Sekhon, Geology]
- Weishi Tian [mentor: Janet Scheel, Physics]
2023
- Katharine Amsden [mentor: Raul Navarro, Chemistry]
- Spencer Anderson [mentor: Andrew Udit, Biochemistry]
- Allison Bello [mentor: Jeffrey Cannon]
- Naomi Bonilla [mentor: Roberta Pollock & Karen Molinder, Biology]
- Norely Breceda-Mendoza [mentor: Amber Stubler, Biology]
- Dominique Cabading [mentor: John McCormack, Biology]
- Vanessa Escobar [mentor: Joseph Schulz, Biology]
- Emri Espinoza Hernandez [mentor: Gretchen North, Biology]
- Joshua Hamlett [mentor: Kerry Thompson, Biology]
- Jackie Hu [mentor: Andrew Udit, Biochemistry]
- Princess Leus [mentor: Sabrina Stierwalt, Physics]
- Oseil Madrid [mentor Dan Pondella, Biology]
- Radhika Patel [mentor: Roberta Pollock & Karen Molinder, Biology]
- July Paw [mentor: Dan Pondella, Biology]
- Shyam Rahim [mentor: Amanda Zellmer, Biology]
- Itzel Rodarte Muñoz [mentor: Kerry Thompson, Biology]
- Audrey Sohn [mentor: Amanda Zellmer, Biology]
- Caroline Vanderloo [mentor: Emmanuelle Despagnet-Ayoub, Chemistry]
2022
- Mario Alvarado [mentor: Raul Navarro, Chemistry]
- Ilana Baum [mentor: Dan Pondella, Biology]
- Lily Gebhart [mentor: Daniel Snowden-Ifft, Physics]
- Eleanor Goddard [mentor: Andrew Udit, Biochemistry]
- Zelie Goldbert Little [mentor: Sabrina Stierwalt, Physics]
- Makayla Iliscupidez [mentor: Adrewn Udit, Biochemistry]
- Jule Kilgore-Reed [mentor: Shana Goffredi, Biology]
- Isabella Lambert [mentor: Joseph Schulz, Biology]
- Songhee Lee [mentor: Jeffrey Cannon, Chemistry]
- Evelyn Lorch [mentor: Emmanuelle Despagnet-Ayoub, Chemistry]
- Marisa Mow [mentor: Dan Pondella, Biology]
- Alex Moye [mentor: Andrew Udit, Biochemsitry]
- Lauren Samaniego [mentor: Amber Stubler, Biology]
- Sarah Titcombe [mentor: Emmanuelle Despagnet-Ayoub, Chemistry]
- Samuel Villescas [mentor: Emmanuelle Despagnet-Ayoub, Chemistry]
- Tatiana Washington [mentor: John McCormack, Biology]
2021
- Ishan Ashford [mentor: Christopher Oze, Geology]
- Chester Cahill [mentor: Emmanuelle Despagnet-Ayoub, Chemistry]
- Ling Chen [mentor: Janet Scheel, Physics]
- Arelí Fernandez Orozco [mentor: Joseph Schulz, Biology]
- Amanda Iglesias [mentor: Andrew Udit, Chemistry]
- Rachel Iskanian [mentor: Shana Goffredi, Biology]
- Kel Kline [mentor: Gretchen North, Biology]
- Zerlina Lai [mentor: John McCormack, Biology]
- Mashly Martinez [mentor: Andrew Udit, Chemistry]
- Melina Sanchez [mentor: John McCormack, Biology]
- Ella Surposa [mentor: Emmanuelle Despagnet-Ayoub, Chemistry]
- Aaliyah Washington [mentor: Emmanuelle Despagnet-Ayoub, Chemistry]