Five University of Richmond Graduates Awarded Scholarships to Study at Oxford

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND — Five recent graduates from the University of Richmond’s Jepson School of Leadership Studies have been awarded full scholarships to pursue master’s programs at the University of Oxford.

Philanthropists Robert S. Jepson Jr. and Alice Andrews Jepson created the Jepson Scholars Foundation in 2019 to provide scholarships for graduating Jepson School seniors to attend a one-year master’s program of their choosing at the University of Oxford.  

“By combining a world-class undergraduate education with a world-class graduate education, the Jepson Scholars Program catapults our vision of creating future global leaders to the next level,” said Sandra Peart, dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies.

This year’s Jepson Scholars are:

Samuel Chanenson, from Wayne, Pennsylvania, a leadership studies and psychology major. At Richmond, Chanenson completed an honors thesis on the relationship between mindsets and symptoms of depression and anxiety. He will pursue a Master of Science in applied digital health at Oxford.

“I’m passionate about how to make clinical care effective,” he said. “I want to match my interests and the critical-thinking skills I developed in my leadership studies and psychology classes to meet novel digital health challenges.”

Abigail Green, from Brentwood, Tennesse, a leadership studies; philosophy, politics, economics, and law (PPEL); and Italian studies major. At Richmond, Green researched the communications of top administrators from four Virginia public universities in response to current events. She will enroll in Oxford’s Master of Science in higher education program.

“I have a strong passion for research, but it was faculty mentorship that solidified my career goal of becoming a college professor,” said Green.

Emerson Linden, from St. Louis, Missouri, a leadership studies and political science major. At Richmond, Linden interned with the Virginia Poverty Law Center, where she researched policy issues. She plans to pursue Oxford’s Master of Science in comparative social policy.

“Ultimately, I want to research how to break cycles of intergenerational poverty,” she said. 

Daniel Polonia, from North Baldwin, New York, a leadership studies and rhetoric and communication studies major. At Richmond, Polonia completed an independent study on how increasing numbers of women in higher education have affected the public’s perception of academia. He will pursue Oxford’s Master of Science in higher education.

“I decided the best way to change minds is to work in higher education where the mission is to center the common good and search for new truths,” he said.

Jacob Schumer, from Newton, Connecticut, a leadership studies and political science major. Schumer will pursue Oxford’s Master of Science in comparative social policy, where he plans to continue the research on universal healthcare that he started at Richmond.

“I want to see how other nations have instituted successful social safety nets and bring that knowledge back to the U.S.,” he said.

Since the program’s inception, 32 students have received Jepson Scholarships.

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