Undergraduate Research
Finger Lakes Community College, NY
Undergraduate Research Hub
Expand opportunities for your students to engage in research experiences
We are committed to helping our institutional partners expand opportunities for students to engage in industry relevant research experiences. Our inquiry-based teaching model focuses on providing course based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) as part of novel, introductory courses. We work directly with industry partners to develop research projects that can be disseminated to the community we serve, and help our institutional partners connect with their local industry to develop novel partnerships.
Who we are
The Student Research Hub was established to expand opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research experiences at community colleges throughout the country. InnovATEBIO is committed to ensuring that all students have access to these opportunities. The Student Research Hub utilizes best practices that have been identified by the Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative (CCURI) and the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR). Through CCURI we provide resources for a network of over 120 institutional partners. Hub staff work with community college partners to help them build strategic plans for implementing research into their programs and provide training on a variety of research techniques. Students in our partner programs have become highly competitive in obtaining additional research experiences, such as through NSF REU projects, and have presented at national conferences, such as the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR).
What we can do for you
- Provide training and resources for developing institutional strategic plans.
- Develop collaborations on industry relevant research projects.
- Provide access to a national network of experienced professionals.
- Provide access to instruments and equipment.
- Provide customized faculty development workshops.
- Offer best practices for developing and sustaining industry partnerships.
Hub Host:
Finger Lakes Community College, Canandaigua, New York
James Hewlett
Co-PI, InnovATEBIO
Executive Director, CCURI
Finger Lakes Community College, NY
james.hewlett@flcc.edu
+1 585 785 1325
Jessica Halliley
Instructional Specialist, Finger Lakes Community College, NY
Jessica.halliley@flcc.edu
+1 585 785 1558
Current programs
Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative
The Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative (CCURI) uses an inquiry-based teaching model to expose students to real world science. A hands-on research experience results from questions arising from a case study in an introductory biology course. CCURI is providing resources for our 44 institutional partners — including workshops/conferences to build regional and national collaborations, start-up supplies, and a variety of faculty development opportunities.
DNA Barcoding: CCURI Network-Wide Research Project
In 2013, CCURI collaborated with faculty at University of California San Diego to bring the protocols used in the San Diego Biodiversity Project to CCURI partner colleges. Since the initial workshop in 2013, numerous CCURI partner colleges have used the San Diego Biodiversity Project protocols in the development of biodiversity projects on their own campuses. In 2015, CCURI expanded the barcoding biodiversity project to include training and protocols for both plant and arthropod barcoding, adapted to the needs of community college faculty and students. Recently, we have collaborated with the Genomics Hub to bring next generation sequencing technologies to the classrooms of our institutional partners.
Biomanufacturing: Submerged Fermentation of Mushroom Mycelium
In 2020, in collaboration with Leep Foods, we initiated a research program focused on growing mushroom mycelium in submerged fermentation systems. The goal was to develop a relatively low-cost research platform that could support a diverse array of undergraduate research projects focused on biomanufacturing, and bioprocessing. Through our undergraduate research skills workshops, faculty can become proficient in the techniques associated with this platform and can then integrate research projects into their curriculum where students can engage in industry relevant research. This work has recently expanded to include a partnership with the National Corn to Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (SIUE). Through this partnership, we have been exploring projects utilizing industrial and agricultural waste streams as feedstocks.