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AVC Undergraduate Research and Creative Learning (AVC URCL)
The Undergraduate Research Center serves AVC students and faculty across STEM and non-STEM disciplines. Our mission is to promote, develop, and celebrate undergraduate research and creative activity while helping students build academic, professional, and research skills.
Whether students are just getting started or preparing to present their work, the Office of Undergraduate Research & Creative Learning (URCL) is here to support meaningful research and creative projects at AVC.
Why Do Research?
Undergraduate research helps students gain hands-on experience, strengthen academic confidence, and prepare for transfer, graduate study, and a wide range of careers.
- Work one-on-one with faculty mentors.
- Contribute to real research and creative projects.
- Develop creativity, problem solving, and intellectual independence.
- Improve written, oral, and visual communication skills.
- Strengthen competitiveness for internships, transfer, employment, and graduate or professional school.
Start Here
For Students
Explore research opportunities, journals, presentation venues, and ways to get involved early in your academic journey.
For Faculty & Mentors
Connect with mentoring resources and highlight areas where AVC students can participate in research and creative activity.
Present & Publish
Review conferences, journals, and presentation opportunities that can help students share their work beyond AVC.
Programs & Opportunities at AVC
Undergraduate Research
Research projects may be faculty-initiated or student-initiated and can occur over the summer or across multiple semesters outside the classroom.
CURE & Mini-CURE
Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) engage entire classes in research questions with unknown outcomes. Mini-CUREs bring that experience into shorter modules, typically one to three weeks.
PBL
Project-Based Learning (PBL) is an instructional methodology that encourages students to develop deeper knowledge and skills by engaging in real-world, meaningful projects. These PBLs can be curricular or co-curricular. Some undergraduate activities that address real-world problems can also be classified as PBL.
U-RARE
The Undergraduate Research in Archival Recovery Experience (U-RARE) is a faculty-mentored program at Antelope Valley College that introduces students to hands-on archival research and collaborative scholarship. Student-scholars gain practical research skills while contributing to the preservation and interpretation of campus and community histories.
Research Resources
Student Resources
Mentor Resources
Faculty Research & Creative Activities
The directory below highlights faculty research and creative interests that may help students identify potential mentors and project areas.
Anthropology/Archaeology
Dr. Darcy L. Wiewall
Western Mojave Archaeological Collections Research; Community-Engaged Archaeology; AV Oral History Project; Biological Anthropology and Primate Research.
Arts & Humanities
Prof. Elizabeth Preger
Elizabeth Preger creates large scale, immersive environments that utilize photography, video, sculpture, and sound. Her work activates narratives around nature and people, where the subjects of her own cultural history, and the documenting and developing of relationships, are always framed in resilience.
Biological Sciences
Dr. Patricia Butterworth
Effect of natural compounds in the locomotor activity and the mutagenesis of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster .
Dr. Patricia M. Palavecino
Native Bees and host plants (California natives); ecology of Western Joshua trees.
Dr. Zia Nisani
Scorpion biology, animal behavior, and urban ecology with special emphasis on effects of urbanization on behavior.
Prof. Angela Madsen
Testing various growing conditions on plant fitness in a greenhouse setting, including agriculture plants and native plants.
Prof. Osvaldo Larios Perez
Yeast growth, death, and functional decline during biological aging.
Prof. Junko K. Suzuki
Anti-bacterial effect of hemolymph; evaluating synthesized anti-fungal agents.
Career & Technical Education – Welding
Prof. Caleb Healey
Micro-internships: CNC Mentorship Program — Bridging the Gap in Metal Fabrication Education.
Chemistry/Biological Sciences
Dr. Thamrongsak Cheewawisuttichai
Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel antifungal agents.
Communication Studies
Dr. Norma Jones
Intersections between communication and AI/innovation; pedagogical practices and innovations; representation; heroes/heroines; and media studies from interdisciplinary approaches.
Prof. Harish Rao
Interested in the small group communication process, project generation, and production.
Computer Science
Dr. Kyu Lee
Machine Learning and AI Systems; Database Systems; Cluster Storage Systems; Cloud Computing.
English
Prof. Sawsan Farrukh
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.
Ethnics Studies
Dr. Francisco Fuentes
Political economy, workforce diversity, social equity, and underrepresented populations.
Film & Television
Prof. Kevin North
Micro-internships: Film & Video Special Effects — work with green screen and miniatures to create life-like effects.
Library Studies
Prof. Linda C. Parker
My current research interests are: Higher education, leadership, humor, and organizational climates. I am also involved in the U-RARE project, documenting, and analyzing AVC Library Archives.
Sociology
Dr. A. Andrada
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.
Dr. Carina Karapetian Giorgi
(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.
Scholarly Work & Conferences (2022-2026)
This archive is organized by year to keep the main page easier to browse while still preserving the full record of publications and presentations.
2026
Journal Articles / Published Proceedings
- Nisani, Z., Rava, M., Alvarez, G., & Morales, E. A. (2026). Activity Budget of Common Raven (Corvus corax) in Urban and Rural Habitats of the Western Mojave (Antelope Valley), CA. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. In-Press. In press.
2025
Conference Presentations
- Morales Rodriguez, G., Arrieta, M., Brehm, K., Sosa-Guiterrez, R., Salameh, B., & Cheewawisuttichai, T.. Antifungal Activity of Chalcone Derivatives Against Indoor Environmental Fungi. The 48th Annual Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference, CSU San Marcos.
- Shay, R., & Palavecino, P. M.. Bees of the Western Mojave Desert, California. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Smith, K., Mitchell, J., & Lee, K.. Comparative Analysis and Hyperparameter Optimization of Machine Learning Models for Increasing Multiclass Classification Accuracy. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Klinge, C., Ortiz, S., Gipson, S., & Madsen, A. A.. Comparative Study of Leaf Herbivory by Vanessa cardui and Manduca quinquemaculata on Root Growth. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Gabisan, J., Martinez, P., Walters, G., & Butterworth, B.. Comparing Reproductive Success in Drosophila melanogaster Between Commercially Made and Lab-Made Food Mediums. West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference, CSU San Marcos.
- Arrieta, M., Crawley, C., Wade, A., Maldonado Morillon, E., Beasley, K., & Cheewawisuttichai, T.. Design, Synthesis, and Antifungal Evaluation of Chalcone-1,2,3-Triazole Derivatives. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Gabriel, A., Franklin, S., Quintanar, A., & Butterworth, P.. Drosophila melanogaster As A Model To Measure The Drowsiness Effect Of The Tart-Cherry Juice. West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference, CSU San Marcos.
- Gabriel, A., Roman, J., & Butterworth, P. R.. Effect of Tart Cherry Juice on the Negative Geotaxis of Adult Flies of Drosophila melanogaster. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Martinez, P., Hernandez, G., Jarbanda, R., Diaz de Leon, J., Martinez, I., & Nisani, Z.. Effect of Urbanization and Linear Disturbances on Ant Species Composition and Densities in Open Spaces. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Csontos, A., De la Torre, A., & Butterworth, P. R.. Effects of Tart Cherry Juice on Locomotion of Drosophila melanogaster Larvae. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Sosa-Guiterrez, R., Brehm, K., Morales Rodriguez, G., Arrieta, M., Amado, E., Schroer, D., Bennett, M., Salameh, B., & Cheewawisuttichai, T.. Evaluating the Potential Antifungal Activity of Chalcone Derivatives Against Candida albicans. The 48th Annual Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference, CSU San Marcos.
- Avitia, D., Zamora, E., Barnes, I., Garfield, L., & Larios-Perez, O.. FPC Mutants Cause Replication Stress and Reproductive Decline in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Elaro, B., Ornelas, M., Kim, M. J., Jarbanda, R., Pushpa, S., & Nisani, Z.. Impact of Novel Color and Unpalatability on Model Prey Survival Rate in an Urban Setting. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Elaro, B., Jimenez, J., Sanchez, G., Vergara, A., & Nisani, Z.. Impacts of Wildfire on Joshua Tree Demographics and Nonnative Grass Regeneration in the Western Mojave Desert: Five-Year Follow up. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Garfield, L., Morillon, E., Vergara, A., Mendez, A., Avitia, D., Kang, J., Quintos, J., & Larios, O.. Investigating the Effects of DNA Replication Stress on Reproductive Aging Using Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The 48th Annual Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference, CSU San Marcos.
- Morillon, E., Vergara, A., Avina, A., & Larios-Perez, O.. Investigating the Impact of Schizosaccharomyces pombe Mutants Through Reproductive Fitness. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Flores, E., Coleman, L. M., & Farrukh, S. A.. Nature Journaling in Introductory Biology Majors Course Increases Undergraduate Interest in the Natural World. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Santana, G., & Wiewall, D. L.. Organic Matters: Assessing Inventory Compliance of Organic/Botanical Archaeological Materials from Three Archaeological Sites. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Seeber, R., & Lee, K.. SLIM: A Modular C++ Library for Salted SHA256 Password Authentication, and Secure Temporary Token Management. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Beasley, K., Mendez, A., De Leon Ville, P., Disparte, A., & Nisani, Z.. Suzuki, J.K. Evaluating Antimicrobial Potential of Desert Scorpions Hadrurus obscurus & Paruroctonus marksi Hemolymph. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Beasley, K., Crawley, C., Maldonado Morillon, E., Arrieta, M. R., Disparte, A., & Cheewawisuttichai, T.. Synthesis and Investigating Substituent Effects on the Antifungal Activity of Semicarbazone Derivatives. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Belcher, C., Solis, C., & Wiewall, D. L.. The Other Excavation: The NAGPRA/CalNAGPRA Archival Assessment of the Lazy-T Ranch Project Archaeological Collection. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Flores, E., & Farrukh, S.. The Value of Nature in Modern Society: Humanity's Sanctuary in a Changing World. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Channel Islands.
- Carruthers, Pepper, Jones, Norma, & Razook, Aley. Unleashed by AI: Autoethnographic Journeys of Women Teachers and Students in Online Education. Online Teaching Conference, Anaheim, CA.
- Carruthers, Pepper, Jones, Norma, & Razook, Aley. Unscripted: Women Using AI to Teach and Learn Soft Skills. California Community College Association for Occupational Education (CCCAOE), OMNI Rancho Las Palmas, Palms Spring, CA.
2024
Conference Presentations
- Bertman, S., & Wiewall, D. L.. Embracing the Research Potential: Geochemical Sourcing of Rhyolite Artifacts from Antelope Valley Orphaned Collections [Paper]. Paper presentation at the 89th Annual Meeting Society for American Archaeology, New Orleans, LA.
- Bertman, S., & Wiewall, D. L.. Geochemical Sourcing of Rhyolite Artifacts from the Antelope Valley: A Cultural Biography [Paper]. Paper presentation at the 58th Annual Meeting of the Society for California Archaeology, Riverside, California.
- Lien, L., & Wiewall, D.. L. A Comprehensive Analysis of Faunal Remains from CA-LAN-192 [Paper]. Paper presentation at the 89th Annual Meeting Society for American Archaeology, New Orleans, LA.
- Pennington, H. L., & Wiewall, D.. L. A Waterfall in the Desert: Assessing the Research Potential of an Orphaned Collection [Paper]. Paper presentation at the 58th Annual Meeting of the Society for California Archaeology, Riverside, California.
- Sandoval Burwell, B., & Wiewall, D.. L. Diversifying Perspectives: Applying Innovative Zooarchaeological Methods to Illuminate Indigenous Resource Utilization in the Western Mojave Desert [Paper]. Paper presentation at the 58th Annual Meeting of the Society for California Archaeology, Riverside, California.
- Wiewall, D.. L., Born, G., Fragoso, J., Llanes, B., & Tanaka, C. Restoring the Past: Utilizing the AVCAR Orphaned Collection to Facilitate Undergraduate Research [Paper]. Paper presentation at the 58th Annual Meeting of the Society for California Archaeology, Riverside, California.
- Wiewall, D.. L., James, L., Mendieta, N., &Von Tunglen, T. Away the Cobwebs: The AVCAR Orphaned Collections and Innovative Undergraduate Research [Paper]. Paper presentation at the 89th Annual Meeting Society for American Archaeology, New Orleans, LA.
- Elersich, E.. Flores, F. & Wiewall, D. L. The Archival Dig: Assessing the Totem Pole Ranch (AVC-184) Archaeological Collection for Repatriation [Poster]. Poster presentation at the Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU San Bernardino.
- Torres Curiel, A., & Wiewall, D.. L. A Respectful Return: The NAGPRA/CalNAGPRA Inventory of the Marble Site (AVC-7) Orphaned Archaeological Collection for Repatriation [Poster]. Poster presentation at the Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU San Bernardino.
- Gehring, N., Castillo, S., Gonzalez, E., Madsen, A., & P, Butterworth. An Alternative in vivo Assay to Identify Environmental Mutagens Using the SMART Test. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU San Bernardino.
- Sosa-Guiterrez, R., Morales Rodriguez, G., Brehm, K., Salameh, B., & Cheewawisuttichai, T.. Design, Synthesis, and Antifungal Activity of Chalcone and Semicarbazone Derivatives. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU San Bernardino.
- Rangel, G., Davila, J., Butterworth, P., & Madsen, A.. Effect of Tart Cherry Juice and Melatonin on The Negative Geotaxis of Drosophila melanogaster. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU San Bernardino.
- Bennet, M., & Nisani, Z.. From Chill to Kill - Temperature- Driven Variation in the Defensive and Predatory Behavior of the Scorpion Hadrurus obscurus. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU San Bernardino.
- Elaro, B., Schroer, D., Castro, K., Ornelas, M., Kim, M. J., Jarbanda, R., Pushpa, S., & Nisani, Z.. Impact of Novel Color on Model Prey Survival Rate in an Urban Setting. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU San Bernardino.
- Quintos, J., Gutierrez, R., Bennett, M., Garfield, L., Brehm, K., Diaz Leon, J., & Martinez, I.. Martinez, A., & Larios, O. Uncovering the Impact of DNA Replication Stress on Reproductive Aging: Insights from a Fission Yeast Model. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU San Bernardino.
- Henriquez, C., & Lee, K.. Regression ML Model Accuracy through Feature Data Configuration and Selection. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU San Bernardino.
- Mariano, M., Rauda, J., Hall, T., Crawford, M., A, Madsen, & Butterworth, P.. Reproductive Success in Drosophila melanogaster Using Commercial Brands vs Lab-Made Medium. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU San Bernardino.
- Sosa-Guiterrez, R., Morales Rodriguez, G., Brehm, K., Salameh, B., & Cheewawisuttichai, T.. Synthesis and Evaluation of Chalcone and Semicarbazone Derivatives as Potential Antifungal Agents. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU San Bernardino.
- Arreola, R., Cabrera, S., Johnson, J., Pettus, H., Roldan, J., Nisani, Z., & Berryman, S.. The Effects of Fire on Regeneration of Non-Native Grasses and Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) Demographics in the Western Mojave Desert. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU San Bernardino.
- Jackson, K., & McDermott, T. L.. White Picket Fences and Cartoons: A Rhetorical Analysis of Family Dynamics in Animation. Popular Culture Association Annual Conference, Chicago, IL.
- Tracy, E., Christensen, E., Landaverde, J., De Los Santos, I., & Palavecino, P.. Wild Bee Diversity And Plant-Host Associations In Our Campus Gardens (Lancaster, California). Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU San Bernardino.
2023
Conference Presentations
- Sandoval Burwell, B., & Wiewall, D.. L. Beyond Bunny Rabbits: Applications of New Zooarchaeological Methods to Understanding Indigenous Utilization in the Western Mojave Desert [Paper]. Paper presentation at the Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Fullerton.
- Alvarez, G., Rava, M., & Morales. E., & Nisani. Z. Daily Activity Patterns of Common Ravens (Corvus corax) in Urban vs. Rural Habitats. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Fullerton.
- Bennett, M., Enriquez, A., Iniguez, M., Martinez Rios, E., Stone, B., & Nisani, Z.. Effect of Temperature on the Defensive and Predatory Stinging Behavior of the Scorpion Hadrurus obscurus. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Fullerton.
- Ferrassoli, D., Sandoval, D., Sipin, C., Stone, B., & Nisani, Z.. HABITAT & SOUNDS: Investigating the Effects of Habitat and Predator Sounds on Vigilance in the American Coot, Fulica americana. Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research, CSU Fullerton.
2022
Journal Articles / Published Proceedings
- Nisani, Z., Frederick, D., Garcia-Plascencia, A., Lopez, D., Miller, R., & Trinh-Nguyen, L. (2022). Influence of environmental factors on surface activity of Paruroctonus marksi (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae) in the Mojave Desert. Euscorpius. No, 364:1-5.
- Bertman, S., Jonassen, A., Peralta Cordero, J., Pesses, M., Tanaka, C., & Wiewall, D. L. (2022). Revitalizing the Past: Applying GIS to Orphaned Collections at Antelope Valley College. Society for California Archaeology Proceedings, 35:207-211.
- Nisani, Z., Cardenas, V., & Cox, J. (2022). Thermal ecology and the relationship between temperature and sprint speed in adult females Paruroctonus marksi (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae). Journal of Arid Environments, 197:104675-104678.
