The Library's Peer Research Assistants are Amherst College students who are trained to offer drop-in research support to other students. Peer Research Assistants can help students with getting started on a research paper; navigating library databases to find sources; finding books on a specific topic; formatting citations; and other research-related questions.
Read more about our current team below!
Location & Hours:
Frost Library Reference Desk
Class year: 2027
Major: English & Philosophy
About me: Hello! My name is Clara (she/her), and I’m from the Bay Area, California. I’m interested in English literature, particularly poetry, and creative writing. As a Peer Research Assistant, I’m excited to learn more about students’ research topics and how I can best support their various projects!
Class Year: 2026
Major: English
About Me: Hi! My name is Dejah Armstrong (she/her), and I'm a senior from Louisville, Kentucky. I'm majoring in English with a specific interest in Black literature/Black studies and would love to have any conversations or answer any questions about those topics. As a peer research assistant I hope to interact with many different areas and focuses of research, as well as helping students dealing with those common and uncommon research problems or questions. I'm so excited to meet and support all of you!"
Class Year: 2026
Majors: Sociology, Education Studies, and Spanish
About me: Hi everyone! I'm Érica Ayala (she/her), and I'm from the Chicago area. I am a Senior studying Sociology, Education Studies, and Spanish-- please feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the majors :)
Throughout my time at Amherst, I've researched across disciplines and worked with local Amherst Regional public schools as a volunteer and TA for the Education Studies department. I also recently studied abroad in Cali, Colombia!
I'm looking forward to supporting you and your research projects!!
Class Year: 2027
Majors: LJST
About me: Hello, I'm Sarria (Suh-ree-yuh) (she/her), and I'm from Pennsylvania. I am a sophomore majoring in LJST, and my research interests primarily include social movements, intersectionality, and media ethics & portrayals. I decided to become a Peer Research Assistant because I enjoy being exposed to different disciplines and learning by guiding others. My hope for this role is not just to direct students to appropriate channels but to assist them in clarifying their research focus and goals.
Class Year: 2027
Majors: Education Studies & LJST
About me: Hello, I'm Summer (she/her) and I'm from Sacramento, California. I am a junior majoring in Education Studies and LJST. My research interests include education reform and how education/legal systems are depicted in fictional media. I hope as a Peer Research Assistant I can learn more about the different ways people approach research.
Class Year: 2027
Majors: Physics & Math
About me: Hi! I'm Tooba (she/her), a Physics and Math major from Pakistan! On campus, I am a member of the Hanneke Ion Trap lab, where I spent the past summer working on optical simulations as a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow. Research can seem intimidating, but thanks to the amazing mentors and resources at Amherst, I was able to get involved in research as early as my first year of college. Frost is my home, and it's where I spend most of my days wrestling with physics problem sets, so I'm really excited to explore and share all that it has to offer beyond a great study spot!
Class Year: 2026
Majors: Sociology & English
About me: Hello! My name is Willow Delp (class of 2026), and I'm from New Jersey. I am majoring in Sociology and English, and I am a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow (ask me about it!). I love research, and I am excited to help students with the research process!
