Catalog of Research and Project-Based Learning

SCHOOL OF SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS AND ENGINEERING

Catalog of Research and Project-Based Learning 2022–2023

slcc.edu/sme

Table of Contents Welcome............................................................................................. 3 Biology & Biotechnology

Biology......................................................................................... 4 Biotechnology............................................................................ 10 Exercise Science.............................................................................. 12 Natural Science & Engineering Geoscience................................................................................. 17 Atmospheric Science.................................................................. 20 Chemistry................................................................................... 21 Engineering................................................................................ 24 Physics...................................................................................... 29 Astronomy.................................................................................. 30 Mathematics..................................................................................... 32 Other Resources School of Science, Mathematics and Engineering...................... 36 Clubs & Organizations................................................................ 37

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Welcome!

Salt Lake Community College is a great place to start taking your science, math and engineering coursework...but we have much more to offer than just the typical class experience. Take a moment to look through the opportunities described in our Project-Based Learning Catalog and you will find amazing ways to participate in research, projects and other collaborative efforts that go far beyond the lecture hall. No matter your interest, we have something for you, including experiences in Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Physics and Engineering. I encourage you to use this guide to search for ways that you can take part in extraordinary learning opportunities that will boost your learning, confidence and skills as you work toward your academic goals. Feel free to reach out to the faculty listed here and explore ways to enrich your educational experience at SLCC. Sincerely,

Craig Caldwell, PhD Dean, School of Science, Mathematics and Engineering

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Biology and Biotechnology

BIOLOGY SLCC Genome Annotation Project Contact: Tim Beagley, PhD tim.beagley@slcc.edu

Rebecca Sperry rebecca.sperry@slcc.edu

Website: slccgap.org The Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) Genome Annotation Project is a cooperative partnership with the Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute and the Microbial Genome Annotation Network. The project has been designed to afford SLCC students an opportunity to learn the capabilities of computational biology while reinforcing basic biological principles surrounding the central dogma of molecular biology.

Each semester SLCC students take a 50,000 nucleotide segment of the Halogeometricum borinquense genome and examine its contents in terms of likely protein coding genes. The students in the laboratory portion of Cell Biology (BIOL 2025) start by generating an open reading frame (ORF) map of the segment that can be called a consensus map. This consensus map becomes a scientific hypothesis regarding the location of protein coding genes in the segment. Subsequently, each student is assigned several of the ORFs to annotate and to acquire multiple lines of evidence to support or reject the hypothesis that the ORF is a protein coding gene.

To date, SLCC students have mapped and annotated 700,000 nucleotides of the four million bases in the genome. Many students have mastered the basics of computational biology and the majority of students have gained a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the cell. Additionally, numerous individual research projects have spun off from the projects, and students are currently working on these projects as independent research.

Related Course: BIOL 2025

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Biology and Biotechnology SLCC Antibiotic Resistance Project Contact: Tim Beagley, PhD tim.beagley@slcc.edu

Rebecca Sperry rebecca.sperry@slcc.edu

Website: slccgap.org Since Spring Semester 2018, students in BIOL 2065 (Microbiology Lab) will be collecting soil samples along the Wasatch Front and using them to determine relative levels of bacterial resistance to certain antibiotics.

Sample locations and resistance levels will be displayed via GIS technology on a public and interactive map. Now that the project is up and running, SLCC students and others are able to contribute to the project in a variety of ways.

Ecology & Sustainability Contact: Jessica Berryman jessica.berryman@slcc.edu Independent Ecological Research: Students conduct an independent ecological research project and present it at a mock symposium in class, and are encouraged to participate in the SME symposium in the spring. This class is offered in the fall.

Related Course: BIOL 2225 Sustainable Food Systems: As part of a service-learning course, students design and carry out a class term project that provides service to a local non-profit specifically oriented toward sustainable food systems.

Related Course: BIOL 1405 Field Biology: Students will camp with faculty in a field location in southern Utah and explore adjacent natural areas where they will learn the taxonomy, ecology and natural history of the local flora and fauna. The class will assess and compile an inventory of the communities and ecosystem structure of a local Wilderness Study Area for a presentation. This is part of a May term course.

Related Course: BIOL 2350

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Biology and Biotechnology Urban Ecology of Birds Contact: Corey Riding Urban Bird Mortality Urban areas can be difficult for birds, especially during migration. Birds frequently collide with buildings, mostly at glass surfaces like windows. This issue, however, has been studied primarily in large cities of eastern North America. Our study will help us understand aspects of bird-window collision mortality right here in Utah. Students who attend a short training can participate in monitoring SLCC campus buildings for birds that have perished due to window collisions.

Winter Raptor Monitoring Nearly 40 years ago, a study looked at the abundance and habitat associations of raptors around Utah Lake during winter. That area has changed dramatically in the last four decades. This study will help us understand how the abundance and habitat use of various raptor species may have changed with increasing urbanization.

Students can participate as observers in driving surveys during winter months (November to March.)

Other Research Opportunities As time and funding permit, SLCC will initiate other research projects in which students can participate. Generally, these projects will focus on the ecology of birds, particularly in urban settings, but they could cover a broader scope of ecological and biological topics. Students who may be interested are welcome to contact me at any time regarding current opportunities.

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Biology and Biotechnology Biodiversity, Ecology, Evolution Research Projects Contact: Emmanuel Santa-Martinez, PhD emmanuel.santamartinez@slcc.edu

Melissa Hardy, PhD melissa.hardy@slcc.edu

Independent Research Project: Students design and conduct an independent research project during the semester and present it at a poster mini-symposium.

This class is offered in the fall and spring.

Related Course: BIOL 1625 Pollinator networks in Utah

Pollinator Networks In Utah Contact: Emmanuel Santa-Martinez, PhD emmanuel.santamartinez@slcc.edu Insect pollinators are very important to seed production for the majority of vegetables and fruits and for some forage and oil producing crops (canola). Eighty percent of flowering plants rely on animals for gene (pollen) transfer. Fruits and seeds comprise approximately 25% of diets of birds and mammals. A lack of pollination can result in scarce resources for many other organisms, including humans. In agriculture, insects pollinate about two-thirds of the world’s crop (onethird of food we eat and one-third of crops to feed our meat sources). Given the importance of pollinators and their roles in agriculture and wild plant populations, it is crucial to investigate the decline in pollinator diversity and how this can impact plant communities.

Currently, there is a combination of factors that are responsible for pollinator decline, including poor bee nutrition because of the increase in monocultures and commercial crops, which provide no diversity of food for many pollinators. With an increase in agriculture, there has been an increase in the use of pesticides that can affect the foraging behavior of pollinators or survivorship. Habitat loss and fragmentation is one of the most detrimental factors responsible for pollinator decline. Destruction of pollinator habitats and their food sources can have negative consequences for important ecological processes and the ability for plants and ecosystems to thrive. Loss of suitable habitats can be accompanied with fragmentation into smaller isolated patches and low plant species diversity. If pollinators decline, plants that have only one pollinator visiting them can be at risk of extinction as there won’t be a pollinator that can facilitate their reproduction. At the same time, if plant populations decline, a pollinator’s food sources will be scarce, leading to their decline and possible extinction.

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Biology and Biotechnology The associations between flower pollinator type and the flower species they visit form a network of interactions called a pollinator network. In a pollination network, an animal species is linked to a plant species if the animal visits the plant’s flowers.

This plant-animal interaction can inform us of the floral fidelity of pollinators and if they are generalist or specialist when visiting plants. If the abundance of the plant visited only by a specialist pollinator is low, this can result in the decline of that particular pollinator. In the scenario where the presence of a pollinator is low or inconsistent, this can result in lack of pollination and the plant may not be able to reproduce, thus reducing the number of offspring of this plant species.

Our study will shed light on the pollinator networks in the state of Utah and how the impact of different landscape traits and possible disturbances can affect plant and pollinator interactions. Each student will formulate a specific question and a hypothesis that fits within this larger class research project. The student question should be specific, and the hypothesis should be a statement that predicts how their independent variable affects the dependent variable.

Related Course: BIOL 1620 or independent research

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Biology and Biotechnology Aquatic Biodiversity of Utah Contact: Melissa Hardy melissa.hardy@slcc.edu Our planet is home to a stunning array of living organisms – bacteria, archaea, animals, plants, fungi and protists. The exact number of species on Earth is unknown. There are approximately 1.3 million described species but estimates of the true number of species range from 5.3 million to one trillion. Many of these species are undescribed because they are small, difficult to find and/or unfamiliar to most people.

Organisms live in biological communities, which are groups of interacting populations of organisms. Organisms of different species interact in a variety of ways, including feeding relationships and symbioses. We quantitate biodiversity using two metrics – species richness and species evenness. Species richness is a measure of how many different species are in a biological community. Species evenness is the relative abundance of the different species that make up the community. Communities that have a higher level of biodiversity tend to be more stable, productive and resistant to disturbance.

We are interested in surveying how biodiversity differs between habitats in Utah, as well as how it changes over time. Temporal differences in biological communities can be seasonal, or they can be due to changes in the environment. We are also interested in comparing biodiversity between disturbed and undisturbed habitats.

This research project will provide an opportunity to sample the diversity of biological communities. We use microscopy to explore which species are present in our local area and whether certain species are associated with specific habitats. Protists and aquatic invertebrates have been widely used as bioindicators, because of their environmental sensitivity, broad distributions and ease of analysis. This project explores the biodiversity of protists and invertebrates in aquatic habitats. Each student will formulate a specific question and a hypothesis that fits within this larger project.

Related Course: BIOL 1620 or independent research

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Biology and Biotechnology

BIOTECHNOLOGY Innovabio STEM Research Lab General Molecular Biology & Microbiology Contact: Lane Law, PhD lane.law@slcc.edu InnovaBio® is a laboratory space with specialized equipment and personnel dedicated to the education and mentorship of Science, Mathematics and Engineering (SME) students. Faculty and students are encouraged to contact us if they need support with current or potential research projects. Our staff scientists also collaborate with industry scientists to develop projects. Once a project has been approved, students conduct experimental work and can present their work at the annual SME Symposium. Student-directed projects may also be approved, so contact us with your project ideas. Below are some examples of the work that can be accomplished in this space.

General molecular biology: Students learn DNA manipulation techniques, including transformation, DNA isolation, mini-preps of bacterial and yeast cultures, restriction digest and PCR. These techniques can be used for cloning, gene expression analysis and species identification by DNA sequencing analysis. We use several strains of bacteria and yeast.

Protein work: Detection of proteins from eukaryotic and bacterial systems using western blotting. Several projects have studied purification of proteins from E. coli using various methods, including solubility in various salt buffers and Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC).

Cell culture: Emphasizes skills used in the biotechnology industry for culturing cells. Projects will underscore the principles and practices of initiation, cultivation, maintenance and the preservation of cell lines. Students will also be responsible for media preparation, cryopreservation and troubleshooting common culture problems.

Other: Do you have an idea for another type of project? We are open to all SME projects. We have connections in every SME department, including relevant equipment and spaces. We are confident we can accommodate a project related to your idea.

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Biology and Biotechnology

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Exercise Science Senior Fitness Testing Contact: Chad Harbaugh chad.harbaugh@slcc.edu The Senior Fitness Test assesses mobility-related fitness parameters in older adults from ages 60-90 plus. The test measures physical attributes of strength, endurance, flexibility, agility and balance needed to perform everyday activities later in life. The students will learn correct testing parameters to ensure validity and reliability and interpret results to provide feedback to the participants. Participants will be older family members who volunteer to join us in the exercise physiology laboratory. In addition, the information will be utilized in the Fitness Technician Internship with the Exercise is Medicine initiative through the LiveWell clinic at Intermountain Health Care.

Related Courses: EXSC 2400 & EXSC 2450

Y-Balance Test & Selective Functional Movement Screening Top Tier Contact: Chad Harbaugh chad.harbaugh@slcc.edu

Y-Balance Test (upper and lower quarter) Lower Quarter: A dynamic single-leg test that requires adequate strength, flexibility, core control and proprioception at stability and motor control limits.

Upper Quarter: A dynamic test in a single arm push-up position that puts an individual at their stability limits. This test requires core and shoulder girdle stability.

Thoracic and shoulder mobility are also taken into consideration when performing this closed kinetic chain test. All quantitative data from upper and lower Y-balance testing is entered into statistical software called Move to Perform that categorizes them into categories based on limitations. Pre and post testing are performed and corrective strategies are implemented.

Related Course: EXSC 2415

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ExerciseActivities Science Health & Lifetime Selective Functional Movement Screening Top Tier Contact: Chad Harbaugh chad.harbaugh@slcc.edu Students analyze and perform a 12-movement pattern assessment used to gauge the status of movement, pattern-related pain and dysfunction. These movements are used to provoke symptoms and demonstrate limitations and dysfunctions. This is a pre and post assessment that is performed to allow students to see changes that may occur when awareness to spinal alignment and muscular compensation has occurred due to altered motor control or previous injury.

Related Course: EXSC 2200

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Exercise Health & Science Lifetime Activities Functional Movement Screening & Athletic Internship Collaboration Contact: Chad Harbaugh chad.harbaugh@slcc.edu

Functional Movement Screening The functional movement system is comprised of seven movement tests that require a balance of mobility and stability. The movement patterns place the clients in positions where the Fitness Technician students observe weaknesses, imbalances, asymmetries and limitations. All quantitative data from the Functional Movement screening is entered into statistical software called Move to Perform that puts them into categories based on limitations. Pre and post testing are performed and corrective strategies are implemented.

Related Course: EXSC 2415

Athletic Internship Collaboration Collaboration between the Fitness Technician Internship and the Athletic Department has been established to assess movement dysfunction utilizing the Functional Movement system and the Y-balance test on all of the athletes at Salt Lake Community College. All quantitative data from upper and lower Y-balance test is entered into statistical software called Move to Perform that categorizes them into categories based on limitations. Pre and post tests are performed and corrective strategies are implemented. Pain is also recorded to provide early detection to the Athletic Training Department.

Related Course: EXSC 2450

Odyssey House Since the Fall 2017 internship program, the Odyssey House and the fitness technician internship class have collaborated to provide exercise prescription to individuals enrolled in the substance abuse treatment program. The students will gain hands-on experience designing and implementing exercise programs utilizing the curriculum from HLTH 2400 Special Populations.

Related Course: EXSC 2450

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Exercise Science Tactical Fitness Contact: Jacquie Spoon Jacqueline.Spoon@slcc.edu The tactical fitness training includes members of the Utah Highway Patrol and an assistant professor from the Exercise Science Department. The UHP works closely with the trainer to improve function, mobility, stability, strength and endurance.

Other benefits of the program are improved fitness, stress reduction, improved body composition and increased readiness for an emergency.

Sodium Bicarbonate Lotion and Performance of US Speedskaters Contact: Justin Brown Justin.brown2@slcc.edu Recently students taking EXSC 2900 and members of the Exercise Science Department ran a series of speedskating performance tests. Three different conditions were assessed. One with no lotion, two with a lotion A and three with lotion B. Only one of the lotions had sodium bicarbonate in it. The purpose was to blind researchers and athletes to eliminate bias and determine if any condition resulted in better speed performance. Students are now working on assisting with data analysis and writing up a journal manuscript.

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Exercise Science Body Composition in Utah Highway Patrol Officers Contact: Justin Brown Justin.brown2@slcc.edu EXSC 2900 students and members of the Exercise Science Department will look at the accuracy of different tools used to assess body composition. In addition, prediction equations will be used and compared with each tool. This will give researchers and UHP members a better idea of which measurement is most accurate for their specific occupation. We hope to have this study started by the New Year.

Validity of the Cosmed K5 Metabolic Analyzer Contact: Justin Brown Justin.brown2@slcc.edu Metabolic carts are generally used to assess changes in oxygen consumption during physical activity. EXSC 2900 students and members of the Exercise Science Department will look at the accuracy of different tools used to assess oxygen consumption. Most devices are laboratory-based, which limits research to laboratory conditions. The Cosmed K5 is a portable device that will allow exercise tests to be conducted outside the laboratory and still obtain data regarding oxygen consumption. This study will have participants perform incremental exercise on a stationary cycle ergometer with oxygen consumption measured by the two devices.

Our goal is to determine if the portable device is as accurate as a laboratory device that has previously demonstrated validity.

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Natural Sciences & Engineering

GEOSCIENCE Geology: Water Quality and GIS Analysis Contact: Chris Johnson chris.johnson@slcc.edu

Water Quality

Students use water quality meters to analyze the Jordan River and East Canyon Creek at the Swaner Eco Preserve in Park City for dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS), pH, conductivity and temperature. Jordan River is impaired under the Clean Water Act and Swaner Eco Preserve has installed beaver dam analogs (human-made beaver dams) to help improve water quality. Students learn how to use and calibrate water quality meters and map locations using the ESRI Survey 123 app for smartphones. This loads data into a cloud-based GIS in realtime.

Students collect water quality data in segments of the rivers to create a snapshot of the water conditions.

GIS Analysis of Existing Data

Students graph and map existing water quality data or results for heavy metals in soil and interpret results. Students focus on Jordan River, tributaries like Little Cottonwood Creek and historic mining areas in the Central Wasatch.

Heavy Metals in Soil and Streams Contact: Chris Johnson chris.johnson@slcc.edu

Heavy Metals in Soil near Historic Mine Sites in Central Wasatch

Students collect soil samples from various historic mining areas in the Central Wasatch and analyze samples for heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, and zinc. Field sampling uses ESRI Survey 123 smart phone apps to assist with GPS locating and GIS mapping. Samples are prepped and analyzed in the geology lab using the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) device. Results are mapped, graphed, and interpreted.

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Natural Sciences & Engineering Heavy Metals in Streams

Students collect water and stream sediment samples from creeks in the Central Wasatch that are impaired for heavy metals per the Clean Water Act, such as Little Cottonwood Creek. Little Cottonwood Creek has high levels of some heavy metals but the origin is unknown. Water samples are sent to the inductively-coupled plasmamass spectrometer (ICP-MS) lab the University of Utah Geology Dept. Sediment samples are analyzed in the geology lab using the XRF device. Results are mapped, graphed, and interpreted.

Heavy Metals in Your Community

Students would collect soil samples from areas of interest in their community such as their own garden beds, their own yards, or other public land areas in their community to determine if high levels of toxic heavy metals such as lead and arsenic are present. This is especially important for residential communities located near existing or former industrial areas. Results are mapped, graphed, and interpreted.

GIS: SLCC Crime Mapping, Land-Use Patterns, Building Geo Apps and Designing Story Maps Contact: Adam Dastrup adam.dastrup@slcc.edu

SLCC Crime Mapping Project

In partnership with the Utah Highway Patrol, learn how to use drone imagery, mapping-grade GPS and geographic information systems (GIS) to create a multicampus map that focuses on potential crime areas or safety concerns around the various campuses. These maps will be shared for use by students, faculty or staff in the form of a story map or geo app.

Analyzing Land Use Patterns Along the Wasatch Front

The Wasatch Front has grown incredibly in the last 20 years. There are several positive and negative consequences of growth. Where is the growth occurring and at the expense of what? What impacts could this growth have on environmental pollution, transportation, disaster response, social-economic segregation or unsustained growth? Using local data from a variety of organizations within Utah, students can analyze potential problems and solutions.

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Natural Sciences & Engineering Designing Story Maps

Story Maps let you combine authoritative maps with narrative text, images and multimedia content. They make it easy to harness the power of maps and geography to tell your story.

Building Geo Apps

Learn how to combine location and narrative in one application to better communicate and broadcast your story, create custom web applications that solve problems in your community and build powerful native applications for iOS and Android devices without touching a piece of code.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Mapping Natural Disasters and SLCC Campus Map Contact: Adam Dastrup adam.dastrup@slcc.edu

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Project

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) contains 17 goals with 169 targets covering a broad range of sustainable development issues. Using data and information from the United Nations and other international organizations, students will create a research poster to analyze potential socioeconomic and environmental causes of poverty and inequity and potential solutions.

Mapping Natural Disasters

Students can focus on using geospatial technology such as satellite imagery and geographic information systems (GIS) to study any number of natural disasters.

Students will focus on earthquake risk potential along the Wasatch Front or recent impacts from disasters such as tsunamis, hurricanes, flooding, climate change or disease.

SLCC Campus Map Project

Learn how to use drone imagery, mapping-grade GPS and geographic information systems (GIS) to create a multi-campus map that could be used by the institution.

These maps will be made available for use by students, faculty or staff in the form of a story map or geo app.

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Natural Sciences & Engineering

ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES Mountain Weather/Air Pollution Research and WaterGirls | WaterKids Outreach Program | Dust^2 | DustKids Outreach Contact: Maura Hahnenberger maura.hahnenberger@slcc.edu

Mountain Weather and Climate Research

Conduct research on topics related to mountain weather and climate, such as snow and water supply, avalanches, lake effect snow, climate impacts on snowfall and more.

Related course: ATMO 2200 Mountain Weather and Climate (Fall Semesters)

Air Pollution and Atmospheric Chemistry Research

Conduct research on topics related to air pollution and atmospheric chemistry, such as emissions sources, weather and air quality, particulate matter, ozone, wildfire, dust storms and more.

Related course: ATMO 2100 Air Pollution and Atmospheric Chemistry (Spring Semesters)

WaterGirls | WaterKids Outreach Program Mentors

Students may act as a mentor and role model for the WaterGirls | WaterKids outreach program. WaterGirls | WaterKids is a field experience program dealing with water science for K-12 girls and/or boys.

More details regarding the WaterGirls | WaterKids program can be found at slccwaterkids.weebly.com

Dust Across a Desert-Urban-Summit Transect (DUST^2)

Conduct research on dust transport as part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) research grant, including dust sources, weather conditions for dust transport, remote sensing of dust storms and air quality impacts.

DustKids Outreach Program Volunteers

Students can volunteer with the DustKids Outreach Program, which is part of the Dust Across a Desert-Urban-Summit Transect (DUST^2) NSF grant. Volunteer tasks include curriculum development, program logistics, digital marketing and helping deliver program content. This program teaches K-12 students about dust transport and its impacts on humans and ecosystems.

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Natural Sciences & Engineering

CHEMISTRY Materials Chemistry Contact: Dr. Santosh Kiran Balijepalli SKB@slcc.edu The School of Science, Mathematics and Engineering offers a wide variety of opportunities for you to participate in projects and research. In addition to the current Research Manager, Dr. Lane Law, Dr. Santosh Kiran Balijepalli can help you with projects in Engineering, Chemistry and Physics. Lane and Santosh also collaborate with industry partners to develop projects that have real-world applications. We provide mentorship and guidance throughout your time with us leading you to present your findings at the annual SLCC Undergraduate Projects and Research Conference (UPRC). Below are some examples of the work that can be accomplished with us. However, be sure to let us know if you have other ideas or interests – we can probably help you with those too!

Are you interested in hands-on projects? Are you interested in exploring the properties, composition and structure of elements and compounds? Are you interested in the creation of new materials or exploring the basics of materials chemistry? You came to the right place! The STEM Learning department is here to assist and support you with developing your ideas and facilitating your efforts so that you are ready to excel in your career.

Measuring Learning Outcomes in Chemistry Outreach in K-6 Elementary School Students Contact: Ron Valcarce ron.valcarce@slcc.edu Elemental Expeditions is a chemistry outreach program that was created at Salt Lake Community College to provide hands-on chemistry learning to underserved schools in the Salt Lake City area. Through the use of written and pictorial assessment, we measured the change in science-based informational knowledge and perception in K-6 students. Our assessment tool was administered pre and post classroom presentation, and the change in responses was measured.

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Natural Sciences & Engineering Synthesis and Spectroscopic/Spectrometric Analysis of the Pharmaceutical Phenytoin Demonstrating the Pinacol Rearrangement Contact: Ron Valcarce ron.valcarce@slcc.edu The purpose of this research project was to develop an undergraduate organic laboratory procedure to provide a demonstrable example of the Pinacol rearrangement. The chemical synthesized in this experiment is Phenytoin, an anticonvulsant drug that was first synthesized in 1908 by the Biltz synthesis1. This synthesis involves base catalyzed addition of urea to benzil followed by Pinacol rearrangement to form Phenytoin. This is an ideal synthesis for demonstrating the Pinacol rearrangement at the undergraduate level, since the starting materials are readily accessible, the synthesis can be achieved and product isolated within a three to four hour time frame, and the product is easily characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

A Green Chemistry Lip Balm Demonstration using Renewable, Biodegradable Materials Contact: Ron Valcarce ron.valcarce@slcc.edu The goal of this project is to develop a demonstration to introduce students to green chemistry by creating a lip balm using renewable, biodegradable materials that do not persist in the environment. This green chemistry demonstration is relatively fast, creates a product that most students use or are familiar with and demonstrates two of the 12 principles of green chemistry, #1, Prevent Waste and #10, Design for Degradation.

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Natural Sciences & Engineering Nitrate in Aquarium Waters and Fluoride in Water, Drinks and Commercial Products Contact: Peter Iles, PhD peter.iles@slcc.edu

Rajan Kochambili, PhD rajan.kochambili@slcc.edu

Overall project has two approaches: 1. Chemical reduction of nitrate to nitrite for colorimetric measurement with online SIA instrument: Supervisors Dr. Peter Iles and Dr. Rajan Kochambilli.

2. Biotechnological reduction via nitrate-reducing enzymes. Collaborative supervision between biotech and chemistry. This work will involve a number of specific projects studying the choice of enzyme, speed of reactions and parameters such as temperature, ionic strength and others.

Pharmaceuticals in the Jordan River Contact: Luther Giddings, PhD lu.giddings@slcc.edu Contact Luther Giddings for additional details regarding this project.

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Natural Sciences & Engineering

ENGINEERING Materials Science and Engineering Contact: Dr. Santosh Kiran Balijepalli SKB@slcc.edu The School of Science, Mathematics and Engineering offers a wide variety of opportunities for you to participate in projects and research. In addition to the current Research Manager, Dr. Lane Law, Dr. Santosh Kiran Balijepalli can help you with projects in Engineering, Chemistry and Physics. Lane and Santosh also collaborate with industry partners to develop projects that have real-world applications. We provide mentorship and guidance throughout your time with us leading you to present your findings at the annual SLCC Undergraduate Projects and Research Conference (UPRC). Below are some examples of the work that can be accomplished with us. However, be sure to let us know if you have other ideas or interests – we can probably help you with those too!

Are you interested in finding solutions to the problems you are interested in? Do you like to explore ideas, designs and innovative or creative new approaches? You came to the right place! The STEM Learning department is here to assist and support you with developing your ideas and facilitating your efforts so that you are ready to excel in your career.

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Natural Sciences & Engineering Professional Conferences and Societies, Internships and Research Projects Contact: Nick Safai nick.safai@slcc.edu

International Research Project

In collaboration with a student from China, we studied the amount of phosphates in the Zheijang River (China, Shanghai Region) and its environment, and other impacts on rural and urban areas. A collaboration with international faculty and students is being conducted titled: “Should ‘Python for Engineers’ be a Course Taught to Freshmen Engineering Majors in USA and Abroad?” This study was accepted for publication in the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) 2019 Annual Conference, and presented at the ASEE Annual Conference in June 2019 in Tampa, Florida.

Rocky Mountain Regional Conference (RMRC)

Students and Nick Safai are participating at the RMRC hosted by University of Nevada Las Vegas in late March/early April of 2022, where they experience and observe concrete canoe competitions put on by universities in the Rocky Mountain region at a nearby lake or reservoir. Other competitions include civil engineering, surveying and related projects at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. The winners will go on to participate in national competitions.

Preparing students for entering projects in 2022 Rocky Mountain Regional Conference (RMRC) has already started. This is a four-day (Thursday-Sunday) event usually held the last week in March each year. Categories include steel bridge competition, concrete canoe races, mystery design, technical papers and more.

Students and Nick Safai participate and submit papers or other related work. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Wasatch Front Branch Speaker Luncheon event is held on the SLCC Taylorsville Redwood Campus at the Student Center (STC), usually during October or November, if in the fall, or in March, if held in the spring.

The ASCE organizes and brings speakers under Nick Safai’s direction.

American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)

The ASEE club has sponsored several guest speakers, including a speaker from NASA who is an electronics engineer, providing students a great opportunity to ask questions, learn and connect. The ASEE club organizes various tours, the last of which consists of a tour of geotechnical sites, a cavern and hot springs, Timpanogos Cave and a tour of secured areas of Hill Air Force Base (HAFB).

Participants are guided through HAFB secured areas under the supervision of the base’s chief engineers.

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Natural Sciences & Engineering Society of Women Engineers (SWE)

Some of the recent events for the SWE club have included visits to HAFB, the ATK Rocket garden in Tremonton, Utah, IM Flash, the largest exporter of domestic products “besides metals” in Utah, the Egg Drop contest and firing the test rocket at ATK. The SWE organizes various tours, the last of which is a trip to observe the firing of a test rocket at the ATK Orbital test site.

Special Topic Projects

Students’ recent topics of research and study have been submitted for acceptance for presentation at an annual engineering conference in Minneapolis in June. The topics include Project Based Learning for a Mechanical Engineering Major Student, Sustainability of Internal Combustion Engines and A Sophomore’s Interdisciplinary Engineering Project: Enhancing Learning and Engineering Education with International Applications and Markets Abroad. Civil and mechanical engineering students may engage in special-topic projects, which are determined at the beginning of each semester and focus on a student’s areas of interest.

Internships and Industry Projects

This is an ongoing event from semester to semester based on the particular interest of each student. Students currently working or seeking internships in an industry may contact Nick Safai. This is a continuing project and includes research activities each semester.

Undergraduate-Research: Project-Based

Involving interested students in early research plays an important role in their successful performance and future studies at research institutions. Project-Based Research on Nanoelectromechanical Systems (NEMS): Their Importance, Usage and Universal Applications to Medical Fields. This study on Nanoelectromechanical System (NEMS) is performed by a sophomore student and Nick Safai in a projectbased/special topics program. Topics discussed here are the importance, usage and applications of NEMS in the medical field, with universal applications that provide benefits to international communities and less developed countries. Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) is the use of technology on the microscopic scale, and the same can be said for NEMS on the nanoscale. NEMS can effectively collect data on the atomic level. Lightweight and low power requirements add to the versatility of these systems being incorporated into the medical field and computational technologies. The applications for these technologies go across multiple disciplines, including the medical field.

Taking advantage of technologies at the nanoscale have improved various forms of medical operations and instruments. Continued research in NEMS can help drive this technology toward international impacts in the medical field and give previous medical issues a better solution. This technology would benefit not only developed 26

Natural Sciences & Engineering countries but underdeveloped as well. Many medical issues require equipment that needs to be properly operated and supervised; NEMS tackles this issue by having the equipment on board and can send data back to a computer that could be anywhere in the world. This is one of the many applications NEMS can provide.

UCUR Research

Undergraduate research on “IoT Devices for Monitoring Status of Vehicles in Construction Job Sites” is being performed and has been submitted to the Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research (UCUR).

The use of remote sensing technology is rapidly expanding across both commercial and private sectors. There are a wide variety of applications for this technology used to optimize productivity, including light sensors in homes, heart monitors in hospitals and more. This article focuses on a technology that enables a remote sensing network to monitor industrial job sites. The proposed system is a network of sound and position sensors communicating over wide band wireless frequencies. A microcontroller collects information and transmits the data to a passive monitoring system capable of determining what activity the machine is performing and then reporting this progress to a central computer.

The system comprises a microphone, accelerometer, transceiver, real-time clock and a microcontroller. Each component in the monitoring device exists as an integrated circuit interfacing with the microcontroller running the Arduino hardware abstraction layer (HAL). Bringing them together poses unique challenges.

This paper details these challenges and their solutions. We will discuss the benefits of this system, the gains it provides and the challenges it poses as well as additional details regarding the monitoring devices, sensors and central computer.

Undergraduate student study on Re-engineering Housing

Freshman construction engineering students are interested in re-engineering the current housing construction practices. The results of their work will be presented at the Utah Conference on Undergraduate Research (UCUR) in 2022. There is need to start thinking of ways to improve our existing houses with solar, high efficiency appliances and better thermal pockets.

The construction style in Utah has been so bad, but some companies have started making solid wood structures with better thermal values. Wood is the least efficient as far as R value goes for modern construction methods. There are many different things that need to change, but I am going to focus on what I feel would most improve our impact. First, is the thermal pocket – it is the most important part to the amount of energy a home consumes. You may have experienced an air conditioner that cannot keep up on an exceptionally hot day (usually low on refrigerant). The workload on a heating and cooling system as temperatures dip into high and low ranges is often unnoticed till the power bill comes around. But all this could be 27

Natural Sciences & Engineering reduced by better insulating and creating air-tight pockets. Second, the appliances we use – technology has advanced. Heat pumps are becoming better at pulling heat from extreme lows. Variable refrigerant flow has changed the way we consume power. We can even pull heat from your kitchen when you are cooking to heat your bedroom. Tankless water heaters can reduce energy needs as well.

Despite the major complaint of not being able to keep up during high demand, smaller units can be installed to help combat high demand scenarios. The last point is that there is a lot of surface area that covers our shelters. Taking advantage of this by adding solar can greatly lower carbon footprints. At the moment, solar is our best option in housing construction, and if we can start to make them standard in our buildings, then we can shift the way we consume power. I think if we start to change now, we can ensure a more sustainable society in the future. It is not an easy change. People have been building the same basic way for years. Old habits are hard to change. To coexist with this planet, we must change.

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Natural Sciences & Engineering

PHYSICS Experimental and Applied Physics Contact: Dr. Santosh Kiran Balijepalli SKB@slcc.edu The School of Science, Mathematics and Engineering offers a wide variety of opportunities for you to participate in projects and research. In addition to the current research manager, Dr. Lane Law, Dr. Santosh Kiran Balijepalli can help you with projects in Engineering, Chemistry and Physics. Lane and Santosh also collaborate with industry partners to develop projects that have real-world applications. We provide mentorship and guidance throughout your time with us, leading you to present your findings at the annual SLCC Undergraduate Projects and Research Conference (UPRC). Below are some examples of the work that can be accomplished with us. However, be sure to let us know if you have other ideas or interests – we can probably help you with those too!

Are you interested in knowing why things behave the way they do? Have you thought of exploring the interactions between fundamental constituents of the observable universe? Are you interested in projects related to the structure of matter? You came to the right place! The STEM Learning department is here to assist and support you with developing your ideas and facilitating your efforts so that you are ready to excel in your career.

Exploring Very Low Frequency Natural Radio Contact: Janalee Harrison janalee.harrison@slcc.edu Are you ready to be INSPIREd? Join the SLCC chapter of the Interactive NASA Space Physics Ionosphere Radio Experiments (INSPIRE) project. Students will use a special radio receiver to collect data on very low frequency natural radio that is created in our atmosphere. These natural radio waves have the same frequency range as audible sound does for the human ear, meaning the signals can be directly converted into sound. This allows us to “listen” to meteors burn up in the atmosphere! Students will identify sferics, tweeks, whistlers, chorus, triggered emissions and manmade emissions, publishing the data to an international archive.

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Natural Sciences & Engineering

ASTRONOMY Planetarium Programming, Instructional Design and Astronomy Outreach/Exploring Very Low Frequency Natural Radio Contact: Janalee Harrison janalee.harrison@slcc.edu Students will participate in the development of planetarium shows designed to teach specific topics in astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology, planetary and earth sciences.

Shows are designed for a specific audience that can be based on an age range from kindergarten to adult and/or accessibility by disability. Students may participate by developing educational content, designing/presenting a show, programming the planetarium computer, automation script programming and/or multimedia development. Students will work with our Digitalis portable planetarium system.

Undergraduate Research in Astronomy Contact: Jonathan Barnes jonathan.barnes@slcc.edu Students can use real astronomy data to explore the nature of stars and other astronomical phenomena. Areas of interest include variable stars, star clusters, big data and stellar spectroscopy.

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Natural Sciences &Mathematics Engineering

Join the SLCC

Student Math League

for review and competition!

The Competition Each semester dozens of students compete in a one-hour AMATYC Student Math League competition for monetary prizes and scholarships to four-year schools. The format is an hour-long session of solving non-traditional math problems. Problems range from intermediate algebra through trigonometry with some probability.

There is no cost to students!

Preparation Gather friends to work on your problem-solving and algebra skills.

You will be coached in a very relaxed environment by SLCC math faculty.

For more information contact:

Spencer Bartholomew

Come challenge yourself, add extracurricular activity to your resume and meet other students who also have a passion for math.

The competitions are based on pre-calculus level mathematics, and there are individual and team prizes—the first place individual in the nation wins a scholarship to be used at a fouryear college!

spencer.bartholomew@slcc.edu For rules and eligibility:

amatyc.site-ym.com/page/SMLRules

SLCC Student Math League is sponsored by the American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges.

AA/EO INSTITUTION • REV. 3.30.20. If you need special ADA accommodations to attend this event, please contact Disability Resource e C nter at 801-957-4659.

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Mathematics Learn a new language: Mathematics Contact: Shayne Vargo (General mathematics) shayne.vargo@slcc.edu

Elizabeth Jones (Statistics) elizabeth.jones@slcc.edu

The Math Department strives to expose students to the plethora of applications of mathematics in other fields, such as physics, chemistry, engineering, geology, astronomy, economics, etc. But the list of areas to explore directly within mathematics itself is countably infinite, with many potential research ideas. Here is a tiny sample of possible topics of interest.

Proofs: Have you ever wondered from where some of the theorems in your math classes come? How do we know they are true? Explore the history, assumptions, lemmas and mathematics that are involved with their proofs.

Non-Euclidean Geometries: Are there really 180° in a triangle? Could parallel lines meet? Does the fate of the universe depend on such ideas? Explore how geometry would work if Euclid’s fifth postulate was false.

Coding Theory and Cryptography: Discover how to become a spy and create/crack secret messages or how binary codes transfer information over channels. See how matrices can be used to encode and encrypt.

Chaos Theory: Is the universe chaotic? Explore the mathematical meaning behind the “butterfly effect.” Investigate the simultaneously fractal and chaotic behavior of the Mandelbrot and other famous sets.

Prime Number Theory: For thousands of years, mathematicians have sought a pattern to the prime numbers. Explore the Riemann Hypothesis, the Twin Prime Conjecture, the Goldbach Conjecture and other mysteries behind these notorious numbers.

Statistical Research: Do you have your own theories about human behavior or want to explore a social phenomenon that can be measured quantitatively? Collect and analyze your own data to support your hypothesis.

Do you have any ideas of your own you would like to investigate? Come discuss them with us!

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Natural Sciences &Mathematics Engineering AMATYC Student Research League (SRL) Contact: Bryan Wilson bryan.wilson@slcc.edu The annual AMATYC SRL competition is a great way to get students some experience while doing real research on a math-related question. Registration starts in January, and the competition begins around March. Students have two to three weeks to work on a research prompt, which is typically very open ended. As examples, past competitions have challenged students to find the objectively “safest” place to live in the U.S. (considering natural disasters) and to plan nutrition for a theoretical mission to Mars with astronauts. The competition has historically been approachable for all students in college level math (calculus may be helpful depending on the question).

Students may work in groups of up to three or can go solo if they prefer. If you have any students looking for research opportunities, let them know about SRL, and send them to me if they are interested! We can help find groups for students who are looking to work in a group if they don’t already have anyone in mind.

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Other Resources

Learning Support Services TRIO STEM The purpose of the SLCC TRIO STEM Program is to support low-income and first-generation college students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics by addressing individualized educational and career interests while providing the opportunities, tools and resources for self-efficacy.

TRIO STEM Locations

Rooms SI 358B and CT 242 801-957-4467 maricela.hernandez@slcc.edu slcc.edu/trio/stem

YOU BELONG HERE at the new resource center for

WOMXN & QUEER

students at Salt Lake Community College.

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South City Campus 1-140 slcc.edu/gssrc 801.957.3143 gssrc@slcc.edu SLCCGSSRC SLCCGSSRC

STEM Learning

Other Resources

Tutoring

STEM Success Mentors

Workshops

Study Space

Project & Research Opportunities

Computer Stations

Resource Checkout

We offer free & unlimited STEM-focused support services! www.slcc.edu/stem

STEMLearning@slcc.edu

801-957-6800

• Jordan Campus – JSTC 211 • Redwood Campus – SI 101 & 201 • South City Campus – SCM 1-135 No appointment needed!

UPRC provides an immersive experience for students by providing the opportunity to refine presentation skills, receive valuable feedback and connect with SLCC faculty, staff and peers in a conference environment. This annual daylong event hosts industry guests, department tables and guest speakers, providing participants the opportunity to learn about how to further their careers. This year, we are focusing heavily on how Undergraduate Projects & Research can be interdisciplinary, with help from both the School of Science, Math and Engineering, as well as the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The event is open to all SLCC students, staff, faculty and the public.

Visit slcc.edu/STEM/symposium for more information.

Contact: 801-957-6800 stemlearning@slcc.edu

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Other Resources

School of Science, Mathematics and Engineering Science and Industry Building, Taylorsville Redwood Campus 4600 S Redwood Road Salt Lake City, UT 84123

Office of the Dean Dean: Craig Caldwell craig.caldwell@slcc.edu Administrative Assistant: Jan Rogers jan.rogers@slcc.edu

Mathematics Department Associate Dean: Suzanne Mozdy suzanne.mozdy@slcc.edu Administrative Assistant: Barbara Tapia-Martinez barbara.tapia-martinez@ slcc.edu

Biology Department

Excercise Sciences

Associate Dean: Mary Jane Keleher mary.keleher@slcc.edu

Associate Dean: Nate Thomas nathan.thomas@slcc.edu

Administrative Assistant: Rin DuPont rin.m.dupont@slcc.edu

Administrative Assistant: Janelle Spencer janelle.spencer@slcc.edu

Division of Natural Science

STEM Learning

Associate Dean: Jonathan Barnes jonathan.barnes@slcc.edu Administrative Assistant: Sara Ranquist sara.ranquist@slcc.edu

Director: Jose Crespo jose.crespo@slcc.edu Administrative Assistant: Teneisa Lincoln teneisa.lincoln@slcc.edu

Coordinators:

Physics Department: Trina Ausdal trina.ausdal@slcc.edu Chemistry Department: Luther Giddings lu.giddings@slcc.edu Engineering Design Drafting Technology: Joel Clarkson joel.clarkson@slcc.edu Geoscience Department: Adam Dastrup adam.dastrup@slcc.edu

The contents of this catalog were developed under a grant from the Department of Education.

However, these contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and readers should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.

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Other Resources

Clubs & Organizations slcc.edu/sll/clubs-and-orgs

American Chemical Society President: Rochelle Lambersten Faculty Contact: Ron Valcarce ron.valcarce@slcc.edu

American Society of Civil Engineers

Chess Club President: Trevor Zitting Faculty contact: Bryan Wilson bryan.wilson@slcc.edu

Environmental Club Advisor I: Chris McCarty Advisor II: Rhi Gardner

Student President: Daniel Green Faculty Contact: Nick Safai nick.safai@slcc.edu

Nano Club

American Society of Engineering Education

Pre Dental Club

Student Presidents: Heather Kerekes and Cyrus Safai Faculty Contact: Nick Safai nick.safai@slcc.edu

Astronomy Club Faculty Contact: Janalee Harrison janalee.harrison@slcc. edu

Bruin Robotics Club President: Changes yearly Faculty Contact: Quentin McRae quentin.mcrae@slcc.edu slcc.campusgroups.com/ brc/home

President: Aubrey Lines Faculty Contact: Wesley Sanders wesley.sanders@slcc.edu President: Daphne Nelson Faculty Contact: Rono Valcarce ron.valcarce@slcc.edu

Pre Medical Professionals President: Sahra Grosser Faculty Contact: Ron Valcarce ron.valcarce@slcc.edu

SLCC Anatomy & Physiology Advisor: Jeff Huffman jeff.huffman@slcc.edu

SLCC Drone Club President: Changes yearly Faculty Contact: Adam Dastrup adam.dastrup@slcc.edu

Society of Women Engineers Student President: Anita Riddle Faculty Contact: Nick Safai nick.safai@slcc.edu

Students for the Exploration & Development of Space Faculty Contact: David Schaffer david.schaffer@slcc.edu

Pre Pharmacy Info Learning Society President: Grace Froh Faculty Contact: Ron Valcarce ron.valcarce@slcc.edu

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slcc.edu/sme

AA/EO INSTITUTION | REV. 02.17.22