STEM education takes center stage at San Diego Mesa College with an inaugural Mesa College Research Conference this Friday, May 8. Students from a diverse group of departments and disciplines will be on hand to present research posters in different categories before a panel of judges with doctorates and master’s degrees in the sciences.
Some two dozen students have submitted research posters for the conference. Posters promote and explain extensive research work, and they are typically presented as a complement to a talk or scientific paper, or as a publication.
Building strong STEM educational programs are vital to the region as STEM-related jobs play an integral role in San Diego’s diverse economy. A recent NerdWallet report found the annual mean wage for STEM jobs in San Diego County exceeds $86,000, and a recent San Diego Workforce Partnership report notes that the life sciences industry alone employs nearly 45,000 people and generates about $16 billion in annual sales revenue.
The Mesa College Research Conference is modeled after the prestigious Honors Transfer Council of California’s Research Conference for California Community College Students, held annually at UC Irvine.
“Several months ago, a small group of faculty and a student came together to organize an annual conference showcasing student research in various disciplines,” said Dr. Saeid Eidgahy, Mesa College Dean of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, in explaining how the conference developed. “Similar to the Honors Research Conference held annually at UC Irvine, we strive to emphasize quality and rigor found in professional academic conferences.”
Students were asked to present research posters in one of three categories: Analytical, Descriptive, of Experimental. Analytical works range from “Rehabilitation for Muscle Atrophy” to “Extinction, Hotspots, and Biogeography.” Descriptive works range from “Value of Biological Diversity of the World’s Forests” to “The Nemesis of the Ocean.” Experimental works range from “Auditory Priming and Reverse Speech Detection” to “The Relationship between Coloration Changes and Social Behavior in Female Mandrills.”
The School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences is the largest academic school at Mesa College and the San Diego Community College District. It is housed in the college’s state-of-the art Math+Science Complex, which opened in 2014 and is the single largest instructional facility of any community college in California. The San Diego Mesa College School of Mathematics and Natural comprises the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, along with the Accelerated College Program. The school has an equivalent of more than 220 faculty members and serves more than 13,000 students.
The Mesa College’s STEM transfer rate to the University of California is ranked second in the state of California, underscoring the highest levels of quality and rigor.
