University of Richmond graduate to study social policy at Oxford as a Jepson Scholar

Emerson Linden was beaming at her University of Richmond Commencement on May 10, and with good cause. She recently received a full scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in comparative social policy at the University of Oxford this fall as a Jepson Scholar.

Her journey to Oxford began when she became acutely aware of social inequities through class discussions in her leadership studies and political science majors and through her work with vulnerable populations. Social policy, she decided, is the best way to address these inequities.

“In Dr. Ekrem Mus' Justice and Civil Society class, I gained a new perspective by volunteering at the Henrico County Juvenile Detention Center and by going on a police ride-along in the city of Richmond,” Linden said. “In Dr. Stephen Simon’s Jurisprudence in Contemporary American Politics class, we looked at the interaction between law and morality and considered how we can make laws more ethical and just.”   

Linden witnessed the interaction between law and morality firsthand when she interned with the Missouri State Public Defender in summer 2024. She received a UR Summer Fellowship to support her internship. “Speaking directly with incarcerated clients helped me gain an understanding for what gets people into these situations, outside of just their individual decisions,” she said. “I decided I wanted to learn more about policy.”

She had the opportunity to do that the following summer when she completed her Jepson School of Leadership Studies internship at the Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC). The Richmond-based nonprofit uses advocacy, education, and litigation to fight systemic barriers that keep low-income Virginians in the cycle of poverty. The Jepson School awarded Linden a Burrus Fellowship to support her internship.

“I worked on state policy advocacy and with individual clients on issues including predatory lending, housing and utility affordability, and welfare access,” Linden said. “Many VPLC clients are not able to navigate these issues on their own.”

This year, she was one of five seniors on the University of Richmond Ethics Bowl Team, which advanced to the national competition in St. Louis in March. Dr. Javier Hidalgo, professor of leadership studies and philosophy, politics, economics, and law (PPEL), coached the team. Many of the cases the team argued had social policy implications, the 2026 alumna said.

“The skill set that comes from competing in ethics bowls stretches your opinion about controversial topics and caused me to think about possible policy solutions,” Linden said. “For example, one of our cases looked at the impact of building large data centers in low-income, rural areas. To ensure we take vulnerable populations into account, we should create policies that specify environmental standards and stress corporate transparency.”

This past semester, she researched state participation rates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for her senior seminar on American exceptionalism, taught by Dr. Tracy Roof, associate professor of political science. Specifically, Linden explored what drives disparities in accessing SNAP in different states.

“I looked at the administrative burden of executing the program, the difficulty in getting the word out to eligible people, and the impact of stigma on program participation,” she said.

Now the Jepson Scholar eagerly anticipates the next step in her exploration of social policy — a master’s program in comparative social policy at the University of Oxford.  

“I’m excited about being around a diverse, mindful group of people from different countries and backgrounds,” she said. “Much of the policy I’ve studied so far has been through an American lens. Now I will see it through a comparative, global lens. Ultimately, I want to research how to break cycles of intergenerational poverty.”