Hancock STEM Students Shine at Cal Poly Symposium
OCTOBER 24, 2023-- Allan Hancock College students and faculty joined their peers and colleagues from across the Central Coast to present science, technology, engineering, and math projects at the second-annual Summer Undergraduate Research Plus (SURP+) Symposium hosted by Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Students presented more than 100 STEM-related research projects, which they conducted alongside faculty members and community partners over the summer. The event was jointly organized by the Office of Student Research, Cal Poly’s Bailey College of Science & Mathematics, the College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences, the College of Engineering, the College of Liberal Arts and Orfalea College of Business, in collaboration with the Allan Hancock College-led National Science Foundation project: C6-LSAMP California Central Coast Community College Collaborative (C6). Presenters included students from the C6 community college campuses: Allan Hancock College, Cabrillo College, Cuesta College, Monterey Peninsula College, Moorpark College, Oxnard College, Santa Barbara City College and Ventura College.
“As a community college student, participating in a research project and presenting it at a symposium like this one is exactly the type of experience I need as I get ready to transfer to undergraduate and graduate programs,” said Hancock student Rebecca Martinez, who traveled to Panama to conduct research on species diversity in partnership with the UCSB Smithsonian Scholars program.
For Hancock student and AHC Robotics Club President Fiona McGinnis, participating in the symposium was a critical step on the path to her future career goals.
“I want to work in robotics and opportunities like these will give me the experience I need to enter that industry,” said McGinnis, who attended the symposium to present the club’s project, which consisted of building an underwater remote-operated vehicle (ROV) for a robotics competition.
The California Central Coast Community College Collaborative (C6) helps STEM students across the Central Coast to excel in their academics and develop professional networks designed to assist them in entering the STEM careers of their dreams.
“All of the colleges in the C6 alliance were very excited to come back to Cal Poly for this year’s symposium,” said LSAMP grant co-principal investigator Dominic Dal Bello, a professor of engineering and chair of mathematical sciences at Hancock. “This event provided a unique opportunity for our students to participate in hands-on learning while meeting with their peers and mentors.”
To learn more about the C6 alliance and resources for STEM students at Central Coast community colleges, visit https://www.hancockcollege.edu/lsamp.
