Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate research, while often not emphasized at community colleges, has found a champion in Johnson County Community College (JCCC). A team of JCCC students was recently named one of five winners of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) AlgaePrize challenge. The team also received the award for best video and a $10,000 prize for their research.
The Chlorella Cavaliers, a volunteer group comprised of JCCC credit students led by Professor of Biology Dr. Heather Seitz, began research in fall 2023. Seitz recruited students from her courses to research and develop a novel strain of Chlorella...
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There’s an old saying: What a difference a day makes. But what could a forward-looking institution do with 730 of them that could make a unique, positive difference in their students’ classroom experiences? That was the challenge faced by the leadership team at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) in 2020. In a meeting with newly hired President Andy Bowne, the team discussed the college’s next steps on a key initiative started by the previous president: demonstrating the college’s commitment to undergraduate research and STEM preparation for its students.
JCCC’s highly credentialed...
Environmental Science is a gateway class for environmental programs offered at Delta College. In the past, students taking this course were enrolled in the Environmental Science program. However, in fall 2022, my first semester teaching the class, students were enrolled to fulfill a general education requirement. At the end of class on day one, I began to reflect upon how to keep these students interested in a course that most of them had saved for last and dreaded taking. The development of a project that would get students excited about science and allow them to find value in the subject...
