Hill & Quad · Research

A Culture
of Discovery

Carnegie's new Research College designation recognizes how HWS faculty and students collaborate to advance knowledge.

Photo by Adam Farid '20

Spring 2026 Hill & Quad 5 min read

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education has designated Hobart and William Smith as a "Research College and University," recognizing HWS' strong commitment to faculty and undergraduate research.

HWS is one of just 216 institutions nationwide to receive the designation — and one of only 38 primarily undergraduate institutions recognized — underscoring the distinctive role HWS plays in advancing meaningful, student-centered research.

Each summer, HWS supports more than 100 students on campus through summer scholarship funded by external grants and the generosity of donors. The Colleges continue to invest in the teacher-scholar model, ensuring that faculty remain at the forefront of their fields and that students benefit directly in the classroom and through collaborative research.

By the Numbers

A research enterprise built on student–faculty partnership.

216

Institutions nationwiderecognized as Carnegie Research Colleges

Primarily undergraduateinstitutions on the list

100+

Students researchingon campus each summer

3 + 1

NSF REU grantsplus an NIH AREA grant in active funding

Selina Owino '28, Catherine Antoulinakis '28 and Nora Smith '27 in the chemistry lab with Professor Kristin Slade

Enzyme Research

Chemistry · Cellular Energy

Selina Owino '28, Catherine Antoulinakis '28 & Nora Smith '27

with Professor of Chemistry Kristin Slade

Owino and Smith study malate dehydrogenase — an enzyme central to how cells convert sugar into energy — to understand how quickly it works and what conditions affect its performance.

The work sits at the intersection of biochemistry and cellular biology, the kind of patient, hypothesis-driven inquiry that defines a teacher-scholar lab.

Fiona Howes '27 dismantles a recovered mooring in the North Atlantic

Hydrology · North Atlantic

Geoscience · Hollings Scholar

Fiona Howes '27

Between Iceland and the Faroe Islands

Geoscience major Fiona Howes '27 is a 2025 recipient of the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship — the nation's leading award for undergraduates pursuing careers in oceanic and atmospheric science.

Her work at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution led to a coveted invitation to join the Upstream Pathways of the Faroe Overflow project, analyzing hydrographic data from the 2024 UFO Cruise and spending a month aboard the R/V Roger Revelle.

"I was honored to contribute and learn from the scientists leading this important work." — Fiona Howes '27

On campus, Howes combines rigorous academics with engagement: she studies geoscience and biology, runs cross country, serves as vice president of the Geoscience Club, mentors first-year students and volunteers with the Food Recovery Club. Through HWS' Summer Research Program, she has also explored how sediments in Seneca Lake reveal long-term climate trends — work she presented at the American Geophysical Union conference in Washington, D.C.

Stories like these are what the Carnegie designation recognizes: a culture in which curiosity is supported, mentorship is intentional, and student researchers leave HWS not just having read about discovery — but having done it.

A Culture
of Discovery

A research enterprise built on student–faculty partnership.

Where the work actually happens.

Selina Owino '28, Catherine Antoulinakis '28 & Nora Smith '27

Fiona Howes '27

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