With generational leaps being made in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) within a few decades, Laredo College understands the importance of providing ample opportunities for its students to delve into the fields with a strong foundation.
On Dec. 19, LC’s Title III LEAPS POWER Grant hosted its annual Undergraduate Research Opportunities (URO) Symposium and showcased student-led STEM research while also giving visitors a chance to learn more about their contributions to college researchers and faculty members throughout the semester.
“Undergraduate research is a significant component of the LEAPS Program, as it allows Laredo College students to learn how to conduct STEM and college-level research,” Title III LEAPS POWER Project Director Rosemary Aguero said. “LEAPS students interested in taking part in undergraduate research benefit from this tremendously since they can improve their communication skills, gain opportunities to travel to conferences and present research, develop creativity and problem-solving skills and receive a $500 stipend at the end of the term.”
Aguero added that this semester, the focus of research topics will include psychology, 3D printing, chemistry, health and animal health. Specific research topics include serial killers, the aggression gene and the effects of dreams due to COVID.
Participating students were required to follow all Institutional Review Board guidelines set by the Institutional Research Planning Office and present their research projects and posters for judgment by a panel.
Ten students and their research projects were judged, with three of them being selected to provide a more in-depth presentation on Dec. 20. The judging concentrated on the student’s presentation and communication skills as well as the poster’s content, organization, poster appearance/clarity, presenter’s knowledge of the material and presenter’s oral presentation of the research.
The grand prize winner selected by the panel of judges was Roel Arriaga, whose research involved how 3D printing impacts the present and future of prosthetics. He also touched on how his research helps raise awareness towards prosthetic limb abandonment as well as how new developments will help in find the right prosthesis for an individual based on their specific needs.
“LEAPS URO projects have opened countless opportunities for students,” Aguero emphasized. “The first place winner for the spring 2022 URO Symposium, Valeria Rivera’s project ‘The Effect of Toner and Temperature in All-Natural Scar Cream’ won the people’s choice awards at the Louis Stokes Midwest Regional Center of Excellence’s STEM Ecosystem: Diversity, Partnership and Empowerment Conference.”
Meanwhile, through Leadership, Excellence and Academic Preparedness in STEM Promoting, Optimal, Wellness and Emotional Resilience (LEAPS POWER), LC aims to increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students who attain a degree in the STEM fields by offering more services to said students.
Events and programs like the URO Symposium and LEAPS POWER give students, faculty and researchers an opportunity to exchange knowledge and cultivate a thriving community involving the STEM field.
“URO allows our LEAPS students to experience a higher level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning with more student-faculty interactions,” Aguero said. “The undergraduate research experience helps prepare students in creating research proposals, writing research papers, conducting an experiment, analyzing data, and presenting skills that they will be able to use at the university level.”
She said that this experience is beneficial for students to not only learn new skills but to keep them engaged and up to date on current events, adding that all the research students perform has an informative component that can provide awareness and knowledge to the Laredo College and Laredo community.