CAC Biology Professors Receive Grant Funding to Enhance Classroom Learning
By Angela Askey, Executive Director Public Relations and Marketing
Through the ALRISE Alliance, Central Arizona College received $15,000 in grant funding to develop two Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs.) The funds supported work being done by two biology faculty, Dr. Majid Ghaninia and Dr. Sunjung Park.
Dr. Ghaninia is in the developmental stages of a biology CURE focusing on plant pests. His work is continuing this fall.
Dr. Park provided an opportunity for her students to study and label native plants at the college’s San Tan Campus. Students collected samples and created labels that include the plant name in both English and Spanish, creating a permanent display of the student’s work and an opportunity for community members visiting the campus to learn about CAC plant life. In addition, students created reports for the samples collected that showcase the plant origin, growth habitat, blooming period, uses and interesting facts. For Latinx students, the project provided validation of their personal experiences in which traditional remedies and the medicinal uses of plants that grow in this area were revealed.
Each of the student reports from the Spring 2024 semester highlight the natural beauty and are viewable on the CAC website at https://centralaz.edu/cac-plant-survey/.
Dr. Park stated, “It is our intent to finish the tree labeling for all four campuses and the communities around our campuses. This project was also made possible through the assistance of Erick Peterson, an instructional specialist in the math division, and Chrystal Barcenas, CAC’s Web Content Assistant.”
The NSF (National Science Foundation) includes the ALRISE Alliance, which is a national Networked Improvement Community (NIC) of local and regional HSI/emerging HSI (eHSI) (Hispanic Serving Institution) members, their educators and community partners who collaborate to accelerate Latinx representation in STEM education through Culturally Responsive Experiential Learning.
