AVONDALE, Arizona – Students representing six of the ten colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) congregated on the Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) campus on May 1 to participate in the annual Student Conference, presenting semester-long research projects that could parallel university-level research.
Students, both individually or in a group, engage in rigorous undergraduate work throughout the semester and are required to work with a faculty or staff mentor. They then submit their proposals to be considered for presentation, and if accepted, present their work in a formal conference environment where they are judged and scored. First, second and third place winners receive monetary scholarships.
“Students have the opportunity to pursue their own academic interests and develop valuable research skills,” said Michael Boring, EMCC Philosophy faculty, and coordinator of the Student Conference. “It is learning that goes well beyond the traditional classroom, and builds a tremendous amount of confidence and professionalism in the students.”
The theme for this year’s Student Conference was "Healthy Body - Healthy Soul: Cultivating Health Inside and Out." Student presentations, both oral and poster, were to focus on the cultivation of a healthy attitude in order to raise awareness of the importance of promoting health on many different levels. Topics included discussions of physical health, emotional health, nutrition, fitness, body image, obesity, food industry, health care, and other related themes.
Awards for Oral Presentations
Pictured in all photos is Michael Boring, EMCC Philosophy faculty, and coordinator of the Student Conference.
1st place (tie)
* Heena Kalsi and Alyssa Sanford, EMCC – “Pawception: The World Around Us”
* Mark Dees, Sasha Thompson, EMCC – “The Effects of Stress on College Students’ Confidence in Completing Their Degree”
2nd place
* Halimah Alkhatib, Alexis Garibo, Matthew Kirker, Hayley Morse, Perla Palomino, Jordan Riding, EMCC – “The Impact of Social Media on the Interpersonal Communication Skills of Adolescents”
3rd place (tie)
* Aimee Graves, EMCC – “Stress Level: Student”
* Estella Ceja, EMCC – “Hungry for Change: Food, Health and Political Activism in the Latino Community” (not pictured)
Awards for Poster Session
Pictured in all is Michael Boring, EMCC Philosophy faculty and coordinator of the Student Conference.
1st place (tie)
* Paul Cattelino, Phoenix College (PC) – “ "Identification and Application of Universal 16s rRNA Ribosomal Primers to Known Bacterial Species"
* Jenni Engle, PC – DD (not pictured)
2nd place: Maritza Grijalva, PC – “Antimicrobial Properties and Synergistic Effects of Natural Substances" (not pictured)
3rd place: Christopher Turnbull, PC – “Productivity of a Desktop Aquaponic System Compared to Soil Media" (not pictured)