Anoka-Ramsey students present undergraduate research at fall colloquium

December 13, 2017

Students from Anoka-Ramsey Community College traveled to Austin, Texas, to present their research at the Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative (CCURI) Fall 2017 Colloquium, Nov. 29 – Dec. 2, 2017.

The colloquium is designed to provide community college students who are engaged in undergraduate research with the opportunity to share research, develop professional meeting skills and network with students from across the U.S. Hosted at Austin Community College and the Austin Community College Bio-Link Regional Center, the fall 2017 colloquium offered poster sessions and oral presentations.

Anoka-Ramsey students Taylor Borgman, Meg Gable and Sam Mayes traveled to Austin to participate in the poster sessions. Mayes also gave an oral presentation on his research project, which offered information about restored habitats in East Central Minnesota. The research topics included:

• “Wildlife Use of Restored Peatland Habitats in East Central Minnesota” by Sam Mayes
• “Antibiotic Resistance in E. Coli and Enterococcus-like Isolates Obtained from Wild and Captive Wolf Fecal Samples” by Taylor Borgman
• “The Effect of Buffer Zones, Flowers, Flower Variety, and Flower Coverage on Beneficial Pollinating Insects” by Meg Gable  

Biology Instructor Melanie Waite-Altringer said many disciplines were represented at the colloquium, ranging from biology and biotechnology, to physics, mathematics and psychology. The event attracted community college students from 12 states, with 44 undergraduate research posters in the program, including the three projects from Anoka-Ramsey.

“Our students were able to see what other research is being conducted at community colleges from all around the country,” said Waite-Altringer. “We will continue on with our research work to ensure that students have the opportunity of receiving true research experiences at a community college―a rare opportunity indeed.”

Instructors at Anoka-Ramsey Community College encourage students to conduct undergraduate research across disciplines. The college has hosted the CCURI Colloquium in the past, and it launched an annual program to recognize achievements in undergraduate research by Anoka-Ramsey students. Called the OSCARS for short, the Third Annual Outstanding Scholarship, Creative Activities and Research Symposium will be held on both the Coon Rapids Campus and the Cambridge Campus in the spring.

For more information about undergraduate research at Anoka-Ramsey, visit AnokaRamsey.edu/academics/academic-initiatives/undergraduate-research/.