The Undergraduate Research Center serves AVC undergraduates and faculty in all areas from STEM to non-STEM programs. Our primary mission is to promote, develop, and celebrate undergraduate student research with the overall goal of enhancing undergraduate education and preparing students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, for academic and research careers. We invite you to explore our website to find out more about our programs and services. On behalf of the Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Learning (URCL) at Antelope Valley College, we are excited to welcome students, faculty, and staff to engage in meaningful research and creative projects. URCL at AVC supports students in exploring their interests, building academic and professional skills, and contributing to real-world knowledge. Whether you're new to research or ready to present your work, UR is here to guide and support your journey. We look forward to meeting you!
WHY DO RESEARCH?
Conducting research as an undergraduate is an excellent way to gain experiences and skills that will benefit you both academically and professionally, preparing you for graduate school and a wide variety of careers.
Participating in undergraduate research lets you:
Work one-on-one with faculty,
Participate in cutting-edge research projects with far-reaching impacts,
Develop creativity, problem solving, and intellectual independence,
Improve communication skills, and
Enhance your competitiveness for high-level employment, transfer to a 4 year university and admission to graduate and professional schools.
PROGRAMS
Undergraduate Research
At Antelope Valley College we define undergraduate research (UR) as “an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original, intellectual, or creative contribution to the discipline...”(from the Council on Undergraduate Research). This research can take many forms.
Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CURE) are learning experiences in which whole classes of students address a research question or problem with unknown outcomes or solutions that are of interest to external stakeholders.
Mini-CURE are a CURE that are much shorter in duration that are typically between 1 to 3 weeks long.
Independent UR are projects that are either “Faculty-Initiated” or “Student-Initiated”. These projects can be limited to summer (SURE), or multiple semesters and are done outside the classroom.
The AVC Title V grant enables us to develop and implement an innovative model that provides authentic Micro and/or Mini applied mini experience in various fields of studies. We call these Micro-Internship (25 contact hours sessions) and Mini-Internships (Duration 5 contact hours sessions). These programs are accessible to students at any stage of their education but work best when done early in their academic journey.
Intersections between communication and AI/innovation; pedagogical practices and innovations; representation; heroes/heroines; and media studies from interdisciplinary approaches.
Western Mojave Archaeological Collections Research; Community-Engaged Archaeology; AV Oral History Project; Biological Anthropology and Primate Research.
Dead White Men (Bancroft & Ferve, 2018) — a sociological study analyzing qualitative responses and descriptive statistics to evaluate its influence on sociological conceptual comprehension. Examines how the text mediates the gap between sociological theory and practical execution in the sociology of education, while deriving themes to enhance reader engagement.
(1) Intuitive forms of knowledge production, temporalities, and memory/hauntings; (2) Creating LGBTQ+ and Middle Eastern/North African student digital archives; (3) Forthcoming student-focused qualitative research projects; (4) Participant observation and qualitative research projects in NGOs.
Research interests span post-colonial and comparative literature, with a focus on representations of Middle Eastern identities across time. Also engaged in nature writing, particularly where literature and science converge to explore conservation, environmentalism, and observation of the natural world; interested in how these narratives help us understand our environment and its impact on individual and collective experience.
