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: Jaime Cabrera-Pardo, jcabre32@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.

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.