Rebecca Fradkin only recently graduated from Miami University’s Honors Program this year (2012), but her studies will keep her at Oxford. Of course in Rebecca’s case, that’s the University of Oxford, in England, not the city in Ohio.

Rebecca recently headed across the Atlantic to begin studying Comparative Politics in the Politics and International Relations Department at the University of Oxford. Specifically, she plans to examine “the relationship between politics and religion in Central Asia and Russia.”

Rebecca notes that this area of interest stems directly from several key experiences she had at Miami. An honors course on Russia and Eurasia sparked her interest. It also connected her to the Havighurst Center, which offered her “a great resource that provided an interdisciplinary approach.” These helped to lead Rebecca to her three majors: Diplomacy and Global Politics (Political Science); Comparative Religion; and Russian, Eastern European, and Eurasian Studies.

As part of her studies, Rebecca also completed a joint honors thesis in both the Comparative Religion and Political Science departments. While she is currently working further on this thesis, Rebecca notes that this experience had a profound impact on her academic trajectory: “Working with faculty members in both departments was an invaluable experience. This individualized support was instrumental in my development as a scholar.”

Between graduating from Miami in Oxford, and (in the future) from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, Rebecca is likely headed for some confusing conversations when she talks with others about her whereabouts.

Still, she is excited about the next step in her academic journey, and she feels well prepared: “Collectively, the Honors Program, Havighurst Center, Comparative Religion Department, Political Science Department, GREAL Department, and the opportunities to study abroad through Miami provided me with an interdisciplinary approach and the tools to succeed in graduate school.”

We wish Rebecca the very best of luck in her studies, regardless of where—Oxford or otherwise—she finds herself.