Students in Dr. Cesar Fuentes summer 2024 Human Anatomy & Physiology class were dissecting a sheep heart. Participating in the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities VOLARÉ Institute, MCC team members will engage in a series of research building activities designed by mentors to enhance the participants’ skills and the institution’s ability to compete for funding and elevate its research initiatives.
MOHAVE COUNTY – Mohave Community College has been selected to participate in the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities VOLARÉ Institute, which was made possible through a grant from the National Science Foundation. MCC team members that will attend the institute are Dr. Tonya Jackson, Associate Dean of Instruction-STEM, Dr. Cesar Fuentes, Life Science Faculty, and Angel Soto, Science Lab Technician.
The College was designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution from the U.S. Department of Education in 2023. An accredited higher education institution qualifies as an HSI when at least 25% of its enrollment is Hispanic or Latino students.
At the institute, participants will engage in a series of research building activities designed by mentors to enhance the participants’ skills and the institution’s ability to compete for funding and elevate its research initiatives. Dr. Jackson is excited to be part of this opportunity and what it means for MCC.
“Over the last year, we’ve incorporated a few different course-based undergraduate research experiences into our core classes. With the tools to support those initiatives, I’m hoping we can build the capacity for research experiences outside of dedicated classes and grow our program,” she said. “Our goal is to offer a Bachelor’s degree in Biology by the Fall of 2026 and this is an excellent addition to that degree pathway, it will set us apart from other community colleges in the state.”
At the institute they will learn how develop and set up a research framework that will benefit MCC students and faculty. They will also learn and share resources from other professionals in the industry, and try new strategies for research efforts to grow at Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI).
“This institute has me imagining all sorts of potential that we can bring to the lab space. Anything ranging from techniques, fundamental approaches, cutting edge methods, and a focused perspective on how we can elevate and grow how research and its capacity can be handled at our level,” Soto said.
Dr. Jackson is looking forward to learning how to better support faculty and students during research initiatives and goals. Dr. Fuentes is excited to learn how to effectively establish a sustainable undergraduate research program at MCC. Soto hopes to learn about all research methods and techniques he can bring to the lab space.
In 2023, the College also had been selected to participate in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Kickstarter 2.0 program at Arizona State University. It’s part of a National Science Foundation initiative to help Hispanic Serving Institutions better serve Hispanic students in STEM courses.
“One blends very into the next. The ASU STEM Kickstarter was about building culture and community, and overall creating a better learning experience,” Soto said. “VOLARÉ is the next logical step in building up science outside of just the classroom at MCC.”
To learn more about MCC’s Arts & Sciences degrees, visit Mohave.edu/degrees. The College is currently enrolling students for the fall semester 12-week classes which start Sept. 16 and 8-week classes which start Oct. 14. New and returning students are encouraged to get started by visiting Mohave.edu/Admission. Those interested in learning more about becoming an MCC Bighorn should visit Mohave.edu/Admission. Fill out the online form to create a student account, and a College representative will be in touch to assist with the application, tuition assistance and enrollment process.
