Oberlin College

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Oberlin College

There are many great colleges and many great conservatories. There is only one Oberlin.

08/17/2026

Emilio Estrada-Mendoza ’28, a physics and Hispanic Studies major participating in the 3-2 Engineering Program, interned on campus this summer with Assistant Professor of Physics Bryan Terrazas studying galaxies and black holes.

"I mapped the distribution of light emitted from astrophysical sources as a function of distance from the center to determine stellar mass density plots for a couple galaxies," Estrada-Mendoza says. "These distributions determine the stellar mass of the galaxies and determine relationships between the concentration of stellar mass in the center of these galaxies and the mass of their supermassive black holes."

He notes that his research opportunity stems from his relationship with Professor Terrazas:
'He was my professor in Spring 2025 and Spring 2026, and he encouraged me to pursue physics. Our relationship grew outside of the classroom by attending and coordinating Latine community events, and so I asked to help in his lab. Oberlin is a one of a kind place where student-professor relationships can foster in unexpected ways."

To learn more about Internship+ and other Career Exploration and Development programs, visit https://www.oberlin.edu/career/set/internship-plus

08/16/2026

The sun is setting on our summer SUNdays, but we've loved seeing all of the beautiful shots of campus that you all have sent us! Our DMs are always open if you ever want to see some of your pics featured 💌🌅

08/14/2026

Congrats to Thorin Finch ’26, who has earned a Fulbright study/research award to Ireland. The creative writing major from Mercer Island, Washington, will spend the 2026-27 academic year studying ethnology and folklore at University College Dublin.

As part of these studies, Finch will be designing an original roleplaying game inspired by Irish oral storytelling traditions and folklore.

“The opportunity to immerse myself in Ireland’s folklore and narrative traditions will allow me to develop my skills as a storyteller, writer, and game designer while connecting with other like-minded storytellers,” they say. “If there’s one thing I learned at Oberlin, it’s the power of a creative community—and I intend to carry that knowledge forward to my Fulbright and beyond.”

Read more about Thorin’s plans and journey to their Fulbright here: https://www.oberlin.edu/news/thorin-finch-26-earns-fulbright-studyresearch-award-ireland

08/13/2026

Sophia Bass ’20 knew she wanted to become a film composer at age 13—she was rewatching 'The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,' and suddenly she considered Howard Shore’s score in a new way. A musical studies major during her time at Oberlin, she used those academic foundations to launch her into a Fulbright-Nehru research grant, a master’s degree from the Royal College of Music, and a thriving freelance career.

A self-taught pianist, Bass learned music by ear and entered Oberlin with an open mind and an interest in the musical studies major. The flexibility of the major allowed her to explore all of her interests: research, ethnomusicology, performance, and composition.

Reflecting on her journey, Bass credits the support and opportunities she found at Oberlin: “Oberlin is unique in that it was a place where I had the courage to feel the fear and do the scary thing anyway.” Post-graduation, Bass says that “when I think about where my career is now, it can all be traced back to Oberlin.”

Read more about how Bass's childhood dream, Oberlin experience, and career in film composition here: https://www.oberlin.edu/news/importance-craft

08/12/2026

This summer, through the Internship+ program, Phoebe Bradford ’27 is working at the town of Orleans Natural Resources Department as an endangered species monitor for Nauset Beach.

"This summer I have learned a lot, in terms of how to identify different bird species and how to track terrapin tracks, as well as how local efforts in conservation are an incredibly integral part of keeping our ecosystems and planet healthy," Phoebe says of her experience. "While sometimes it felt silly or downright tiring to hike across the beach in 80+ degree weather with comments from beach-goers being less than compassionate about the work that I did, searching across the beach for those little cotton-balls for a bird (otherwise known as a Piping Plover chick) and being able to experience the joy of watching them dart down the beach for the first time or fly only a couple weeks later made the experience worth it."

At Oberlin, they are a creative writing major, which may seem unrelated to this internship. But through Oberlin's liberal arts education and extracurricular opportunities (Phoebe is president of the Oberlin Naturalist Club), she has discovered a new window into a potential future.

"Though I am a creative-writing major, being able to explore and experiment with science classes at Oberlin changed my outlook on my future and my self-confidence," they say. "Last year, for example, I took a creative non-fiction writing class where we used our own life and reality to gain inspiration at the same time I was taking a biology class. By the end of the semester, I wrote one of my best works that combined the research and lessons with my other passion."

"Though I will always be a creative writer and incorporate that into my future, I realized about a year ago that I was passionate about caring for the environment, especially with animals that have been harmed by human activity. Working as an endangered species monitor thus has affirmed this passion and will serve as an important stepping-stone for my post-Oberlin life and applying for veterinary school."

To learn more about how Oberlin can support summer internships, visit https://www.oberlin.edu/career/set/internship-plus

08/11/2026

Heading to Oberlin soon? Stop by some student favorite spots for your next meal...or two...or three...

08/10/2026

There are many ways to spend summer on campus. This is Saman—a Bonner Scholar and Admissions tour guide—and this is what one of his days looked like. Follow along to see how he spends a day working, engages with his interest in film production, and fits in time for fun!

08/09/2026

Blue skies ahead this SUNday ☁️🩵

08/07/2026

With only TWO WEEKS until first years move in, we're sure many of you are doing some frenzied last minute shopping for dorm supplies. Not sure what you're missing? We asked Obies what some of their most important items were, and the results are in. Swipe to see what students can't live without.

📸: Ozum Pamukcu '23

08/06/2026

The work that Eric Nkurunziza ’28 is doing this summer will have an impact forever—literally. Eric is a Biochemistry and Global Health double major, a Bonner Scholar, and a STRONG Scholar who's working with CoreWater Technologies this summer. CoreWater, whose president and CEO is Dennis M. Flood ’88, has hosted a few Oberlin students as interns in the past to take part in their groundbreaking work.

"This summer, I am completing a research internship with CoreWater Technologies in Oberlin, a continuation of the work I did over the last winter term, where I am contributing to the development of sustainable approaches to removing PFAS, or forever chemicals, from water," Eric explains. "My work involves laboratory research investigating ethanol-water mixtures for regenerating PFAS adsorbent materials, conducting analytical techniques such as Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis, and reviewing scientific literature to support ongoing research."

Eric knows that going forward, he wants to pursue meaningful research, and address challenges that affect population health at their source. As one of the most basic human needs, decontaminating water directly contributes to healthier communities and environments.

He is grateful for Oberlin's support in pursuing this internship: "The Career Exploration and Development Summer Experience Funding made this opportunity possible," he explains. "Since this is an unpaid internship, knowing that Oberlin provides financial support for students pursuing meaningful career experiences allowed me to focus on gaining valuable research experience and developing professionally without the added burden of financial concerns."

To learn more about how Oberlin can support summer internships, visit https://www.oberlin.edu/career/set/funding

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Oberlin, OH
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http://www.oberlin.edu/

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