How Redlands Students Participate in Research Activities
At Redlands Community College, students are active partners with their faculty mentors from the beginning to the end of classroom research projects. Research projects to date have largely been conducted in two departments at the college, the Mathematics and Science Department and the Agriculture and Equine Department. Both departments are rich in research possibilities, and faculty members in these departments are eager to assist in finding funding for the projects and funds to involve their students in research activities. Indeed, the entire success of undergraduate research at Redlands Community College is due to our faculty and our students. Each success brings more ideas, provides evidence that contributes to efforts to secure additional funding, and further institutionalizes our undergraduate research initiative.
At Redlands we apply a research is teaching model. Through the creativity of our faculty members and division chairs, each research project relates directly to course content. Although the research has an applied focus, each project also develops techniques and strategies applicable to basic research, including data collection, data analysis, preparing a literature review, technical writing, and oral and written presentations. Most projects include preparation of posters for presentations at state and national research conferences.
At these conferences, our students and faculty members are typically the only community college participants. We have become accustomed to this and are very proud to be noted as the “only community college” in the competitions and presentations. Recently, one of our freshmen, Katlyn Weathers, and her research mentor/instructor, Sam Nusz, a faculty member in the Agriculture and Equine Department, were invited to present their research project on ruminant feeding observations at a national conference; their results will be published in the journal of the Southern Association of Agriculture Research. Again, Redlands was the first community college represented at the conference. This project is also an example of partnership and cooperation. The research was conducted at the USDA research center just five miles from the Redlands Agriculture Education and Applied Research Center, and it was part of a larger research project conducted with Elizabeth Walker, a member of the graduate faculty at Missouri State University and a nationally recognized agricultural researcher.
We can also cite examples of partnerships with business and industry. Ed Zweiacher, an agriculture faculty member at Redlands, has been instrumental in forming a valuable partnership with Martin Bio-Chem, Inc., a company that has supported undergraduate research projects on several occasions. Mr. Zweiacher has designed research projects involving applications of the company’s non-chemical crop stimulatant. These projects have brought Redlands new opportunities with OCAST, funding for research internships for six Redlands students over the past three years. Mr. Zweiacher’s research interns are known statewide for their knowledge of the product, its applications, and research results. Students involved in this project have presented at almost every research and student agricultural conference in the state. Under Mr. Zweiacher’s mentorship, students majoring in agriculture have also had the opportunity to participate in out-of-state conferences and prepare articles for publication in agricultural journals. It is also important to note that he has provided students with these opportunities without tapping institutional budgets. More important, however, are the outcomes of his efforts. Students who admit that they had no idea what research was about, are now looking forward to continuing their education (some have expressed interest in graduate school) or have found new energy and interest in applying research to their own businesses and to their future careers.
The research is teaching model emphasizes the goals of improving teaching and providing expanded learning opportunities. We have achieved results we could not have imagined when we set out on this journey. Of course, we have seen small research projects brought to conclusion with suggested future research activities and projects, but most importantly we have seen students grow in confidence and express the desire to continue their education beyond the associate degree and even consider graduate school. We have seen students from small rural high schools and communities grow into accomplished presenters, teaching others about their research and mentoring other students. Students who were afraid of math and science are actively involved, eager to learn more, and to participate more fully. Students who typically fall asleep in lectures are found in the fields and in the labs from early morning to late at night working on research projects. At Redlands our research activities are not designed to compete with large research universities; they are designed to help our students be successful. Research as teaching is working well at Redlands, and we have our faculty members and our students to thank for our successes.