Making a strong commitment to engage students in undergraduate research, once the domain of four-year colleges, Mesa Community College (MCC) provides students with opportunities for hands-on experience developing new information within their field of study, and develops their selfperception as scientists and professionals early in their academic journey.
“Undergraduate research has traditionally been associated with four-year institutions, but community colleges play an essential role in expanding access to these transformative experiences,” said Francesca De Martini, Ph.D., MCC Undergraduate Research Initiative College Committee chair and Life Science Department faculty member.
Students in the faculty-mentored Undergraduate Research Program have access to a variety of choices including research-based coursework, course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), faculty-mentored independent projects, interdisciplinary collaborations, poster and oral presentations, symposium participation, and opportunities to share their work beyond the classroom.
Students also gain valuable experience in scientific communication, data analysis, critical thinking, and professional development. In some cases, students may participate in grant-supported research, internships, and transfer or career pathway exploration, De Martini added.
“What makes MCC special is our commitment to bringing these opportunities into the community college setting in a meaningful and accessible way, demonstrating that community college students can engage in authentic research and present high-quality, scholarly work.”
A highlight of the program is an annual symposium where students share their research through paper presentations and research posters with family, peers, and instructors. “The 2026 symposium was a tremendous success because it reflected both the growth and the strength of undergraduate research at MCC. We had roughly 40 posters and nearly 100 participants, including students and faculty mentors,” De Martini continued.
Winning poster topics included, among others, a quantitative assessment of the direct and indirect benefits humans derive from the ecosystems provided by MCC’s arboretum trees; the optimization of DNA Extraction of Arizona bacteriophage, a virus that infects and replicates within bacteria; and a calibrated, color-magnitude diagram of Messier 35, a young, open star cluster in the constellation Gemini.
De Martini indicated that the event created a vibrant and supportive academic environment where students could discuss their findings and celebrate their accomplishments with peers, faculty, and the broader college community. “It was especially meaningful to see students from different disciplines come together and present work that highlighted both scholarly inquiry and community impact.”
Undergraduate research experiences at MCC are offered in all disciplines. Learn about the many opportunities on the college website, mesacc.edu.