Undergraduate Projects & Research and Experiential Learning

Intermountain West Biomanufacturing and Bioprocessing Certificate Program

The NSF-funded Beginnings Experiential Learning (ExLENT) project offers a comprehensive six-week training program preparing students and professionals for careers in biomanufacturing and bioprocessing. $4,000 stipend with online and onsite training for participants to earn four specialized certificates in Upstream Processing, Biomanufacturing, Downstream Processing, and Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC). Applications due by May 15, 2026.

Learn more about the Intermountain West Biomanufacturing and Bioprocessing Certificate Program

Polar Fungi Discovery Project

Contact: Annette Shelton, annette.shelton@slcc.edu

The POLARIN project focuses on studying Arctic ecosystems through the analysis of environmental samples collected in the Arctic. Participation in this project does not require travel to the Arctic. Instead, students will work in the laboratory with Arctic samples to isolate and study extremophile fungi and explore their potential biological activities. This provides a unique opportunity to work with rare organisms while gaining hands on research experience locally.

Those interested in this novel study can sign up for BIOL 2990 or BTEC 2000. BIOL 2990 is a course designed for students with beginner lab skills where they can learn the theory and tools needed to handle local species of fungi, while BTEC 2000 is directed at more experienced students who will work as part of the polar fungi discovery project with the isolated Antarctic fungi samples.

Avian (Bird) Related Research

Contact: Corey Riding, Corey.Riding@slcc.edu

In addition to the course-based research that occurs in some of my classes, I have some on-going efforts that are designed to provide students with low-barrier opportunities for participating in scientific research, largely under the category of avian urban ecology. These include:

• Collision monitoring: Weekly monitoring bird-window collisions at nine buildings on the Redwood campus. Goes year-round, and students can participate whenever they have time after an initial training. Since September 2020, 8 students have helped detect >330 bird carcasses of 40 species.
• Winter raptors: Monthly driving surveys (November to March) around Utah Lake to identify and count raptors. No training is required, but seating is limited. Since February 2020, 13 students (and 4 others) have helped record 2612 raptors of 14 species.
• Urban survival: Summer banding and resighting of five focal songbird species at several locations across an urban gradient. Some aspects require intensive training, but anyone can observe. Since July 2022, >30 students, 4 interns, and dozens of community members have helped color-band 172 birds and record 80 resights.
• NSF grant: Along with co-PIs Courtney Fenlon (Biotech) and John Schweitzer (Math), I was awarded an NSF grant to support 3 cohorts of 10 students for a one-year research experience that focuses on the microbiome of wild birds. The first cohort began in May 2026.

Independent Study

Contact: Annette Shelton, Annette.Shelton@slcc.edu

Opportunities are available for students to explore different independent research topics and projects at Salt Lake Community College. Student-selected biology topics are the focus of the independent study course (BIOL2990), where students register for their own selected amount of credit hours (generally 1 to 3). The course involves laboratory experiences with in-lab time being 3 hours per week per credit hour. Beyond in the lab doing experimental techniques and procedures, experience may include field and/or library study throughout the semester. Culmination of the course project often involves production of a scientific paper and poster for presentation. Poster presentations are frequently done at a research symposium or conference, such at UP3RC at SLCC, but we have had students present at other conferences related to their research topic. Students work with a principal advisor to develop and complete their independent projects throughout the semester. Depending on the project, other faculty at SLCC may be involved for specialist advising and as additional resources, as needed, as well as other individuals at outside academic institutions for further understanding.

Current projects include an offshoot of the POLARIN Project whereby students are collecting environmental samples in an extreme environment (i.e. the Salt Lake area and Utah locations) for Fungi isolation and antibiosis challenge experiments against a pathogenic yeast (Candida albicans) to see if the unknown fungal samples found in our environment produce metabolic substances or have associations that influence the growth of the pathogenic yeast. Other current projects involve a focus on comparing how human traffic and presence of invasive plant species affects animal, protists and native plant biodiversity. Past projects have included aquatic entomology, VOC emissions in a hardwood species of Mangrove trees (Rhizophora spp.), the development of a field-deployable system for collecting plant VOC data, the current ongoing Plant VOC and mycorrhizae project started initially as a project with BIOL2990, and additional bioinformatic analysis of PARE Project data beyond BIOL2065.

Mycorrhizae and Plant VOC Emissions

Contact: Annette Shelton, Annette.Shelton@slcc.edu

Plants use volatile organic compounds in a wide array of different ways. From internal signaling to coping with stress, many plants have developed unique and incredible strategies for surviving using these kinds of compounds. Many plants also form symbiotic associations with underground microbes and the interactions between these microbes and the plants can lead to systemic changes in the plant's chemistry and physiology. In this project, students will analyze how the VOC emission profiles of Populus trichocarpa change based on root colonization by beneficial arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Students who take part in this project will use techniques such as plant tissue culturing, media preparation, solid phase extraction, sample preparation and GC-MS analysis to grow Nisqually-1 P. trichocarpa and analyze how its emission chemistry changes from AMF colonization.

PARE Project (Prevalence of Antibiotic Resistance in the Environment)

Contact: Annette Shelton, Annette.Shelton@slcc.edu

As part of our Microbiology Lab courses (BIOL2065) at Salt Lake Community College, we are participating in the PARE Project in conjunction with Tufts University Center for Science Education (see https://sites.tufts.edu/ctse/pare/). Student researchers are acting as global stewards to collect data focused on bacteria in the environment and their resistance to antibiotics, specifically Tetracycline. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn about bacteria, growth, environmental sampling, and antibiotic resistance in a combined student learning and scientific discovery effort. This allows for global collection of data around antibiotic resistance and stewardship in a “systemic crowdsourcing effort to provide environmental surveillance data that could lead to identification of ‘hotspots’ or environmental resistance reservoirs.” There are two main goals of the PARE Project according to Tufts University:

1. “The overarching scientific goal for Tufts University researchers is to use spatial data to identify environmental hotspots of AR that could present risk for human exposure and infection.
2. The educational goal is to make research more equitable for students by creating a scalable, sustainable research program that can be carried out in classrooms at the undergraduate and high school levels, while extending across institution types.”

This experience takes place at the end of the semester in BIOL2065 as a culmination of the tools and techniques learned throughout the semester and in an application toward participation in research for all students taking the course.

POPS Project (Physiology of Physiology Students)

Contact: Evelyn Mendoza, Evelyn.Mendoza@slcc.edu

The POPS Project is a course-based undergraduate research experience conducted in Human Physiology Lab course (BIO 2425) at Salt Lake Community College. Students design and carry out original research projects investigating factors that influence human physiology including circadian rhythm, muscle function and exercise, biomolecules and energetics, the nervous system, cardiovascular function, and renal function.

Through the research process, students develop skills in experimental design, data collection, statistical analysis, scientific writing, and scientific presentation while exploring physiological questions through hands-on research. The project provides students with an opportunity to apply the scientific method, analyze real-world data, and communicate their findings to a broader audience.

NASA Student Research Internship

Contact: Jonathan Barnes, jonathan.barnes@slcc.edu

As a member of the Utah NASA Space Grant Consortium, SLCC offers the opportunity for students to apply for an internship every year. Applicants need to be a U.S. Citizen. If you have a project in mind, be sure to present your idea during the submission period. All expenses needed for each approved research project will be covered by the grant, and the students will receive a stipend per project to be shared among the participating members.

Learn more about the NASA Student Research Internship

Year-Long Research Experience for Students

Students who have passed BIOL 1610 with a grade C or higher and plan to complete MATH 1050 before Spring 2027 are eligible to apply for this research opportunity which involves coursework, lab research and field studies. Participation in this project requires the students to do one mandatory course each semester. For the Summer 2026–Spring 2027 project, the project is the study of genomics and habitats of terrestrial life. The application deadline is February 15th, 2026.

Learn more about Year-Long Research Experience for Students

Conodont Project

Contact: Cam Mosher, cam.mosher@slcc.edu

This study is about finding the boundary between the Permian and Triassic periods present in ground strata by employing stratigraphy and geochemical tools in fossil and rock samples. The project is available for all students interested in gaining research experience and lab skills, and no geology nor STEM requirements are needed. Taking GEO 2900 to participate in the research is optional. The project results will be published, providing a great addition to the participants' resumes.

ACS Chemistry Projects

Contact: Ron Valcarce, rvalcarc@slcc.edu

View ACS Chemistry Projects information

Concrete Bowling Ball

Contacts: Korin Holden, korin.holden@slcc.edu and Aimee Birdsall, aimee.birdsall@slcc.edu

Every Spring Semester, ASCE Student Chapter makes a concrete bowling ball. Students research a good mix design to balance lightweight design, strength, and a round form to bowl. Students pour the mix into a mold, monitor the month-long curing process, and when appropriately cured, de-mold and practice bowling on a plywood lane. Anyone is welcome to participate!

The Radio JOVE Project

Contact: Janalee Harrison, janalee.harrison@slcc.edu

Radio JOVE is a NASA funded, U.S. citizen, science project helping students gain experience with radio astronomy. Participants assemble and operate a multi-frequency radio astronomy telescope to gather data from Jupiter, the Sun, the Milky Way Galaxy, and Earth-based radio emissions for scientific analysis and archiving. Participants build a simple radio telescope, make scientific observations, and interact with professional radio observatories and astronomers in real-time over the Internet.

The INSPIRE Project — Exploring Very Low Frequency Natural Radio

Contact: Janalee Harrison, janalee.harrison@slcc.edu

Are you ready to be INSPIREd? Join the SLCC chapter of the Interactive NASA Space Physics Ionosphere Radio Experiments project. Students use a special radio receiver collecting data on very low frequency natural radio created in our atmosphere. Natural radio waves have the same frequency range as audible sound does for the human ear, meaning the signals can be directly converted to sound. This allows us to "listen" to meteors burn up in the atmosphere! Students will identify sferics, tweeks, whistlers, chorus, triggered emissions and manmade emissions; publishing the data to an international archive.

Planetarium Programming, Instructional Design and Astronomy Outreach

Contact: Janalee Harrison, janalee.harrison@slcc.edu

Students participate in developing planetarium shows. These shows teach specific topics in astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, planetary and Earth sciences. These shows are also audience-specific, based on an age range from K–12 and up, and/or accessibility by disability. Students develop educational content, design/present a show, program the planetarium computer, automation script programming and/or multimedia development. Students work with our Digitalis portable planetarium system.

Sensor/Measurement Library at SLCC School of SME

Contact: Janalee Harrison, janalee.harrison@slcc.edu

This is for student use for research. The School of SME owns one of every sensor available from Vernier and a wide variety of other measurement tools. If students need a way of measuring something, we probably have the equipment they need to do it.

Water Quality in Little Cottonwood Creek

Contact: Christopher Johnson, christopher.johnson@slcc.edu

Students collect water samples from Little Cottonwood Creek and White Pine Fork for trace elements. The creeks are impaired under the Clean Water Act for zinc and copper. This study is trying to understand how the concentrations of these trace elements change over time and change downstream.

Measuring Fluoride Chemical Species

Contact: Peter Iles, peter.iles@slcc.edu

This is to measure fluoride chemical species in samples such as beverages and the Great Salt Lake. We use a Fluoride sensor and sample treatment to determine total Fluoride as well as free Fluoride, HF and Fluoride bound in metal complex ions.