​Community College Field Biology Alliance at UCLA

We are a year-round community service organization at UCLA that provides community college students from underrepresented groups in STEM the opportunity to experience scientific field work prior to transferring to a four-year university. Students are mentored by UCLA graduate and undergraduate student researchers through all stages of an independent scientific project; from development of methods, data collection, and ultimately the write up of a scientific poster. During the duration of the program students will be exposed to workshops and information sessions aimed at assisting in the transferring process and building tangible knowledge of scientific methods that can be applied in their future undergraduate research and graduate studies. ​

Outreach

Mentorship

Undergraduate research experience is a critical part of a well rounded education in the sciences and is often a key expectation of STEM graduate programs throughout the United States. Transfer students, especially those from underrepresented groups in the STEM fields, often miss out on the opportunity to participate in research, particularly field research. Through outreach presentations at community colleges  we aim to educate students about what research entails, why it is so important, and provide them with the opportunity to get involved while still in community college. ​

Project Development

With the guidance of their mentors students will design an original research project that can be enacted in the field at the end of the summer, ultimately culminating in a research poster to be presented at the Southern California Conference for Undergraduate Research,  the state's largest undergraduate research showcase. Students will meet with their mentors on the first Saturday of every month on the UCLA campus. During these meetings students will be exposed to a variety of different skills workshops and and assistance with their projects.

Community college students with an interest in research in the natural sciences will mentored by students from UCLA. Each mentee will be assigned a graduate student mentor and an undergraduate student mentor to assist them in the development of an independent field research project. We hope foster to meaningful relationships between students that will follow them beyond our program and into the rest of their journey through academia.

​Field Work

At the end of the summer students will have the opportunity to enact the independent research project they have developed alongside their UCLA student mentors in the field. We will travel to one of the UC Natural Reserves for upwards of 10 days allowing students to collect data and attend field skills workshops!

Participating in research gives students the opportunity to experience science in action, apply the skills they learn in the classroom, and develop aspirations for graduate school and future career paths.  

Professional Development for UCLA Student Researchers at Every Level

We are a team of UCLA undergraduate and graduate student field researchers with a passion for passing on knowledge to others and growing as mentors and teachers. Mentoring students is critical piece of being an academic researcher that undergraduate researchers often do not get to participate in. By assisting our community college student researchers in the design and data collection for their projects our UCLA undergraduate mentors will gain this first hand mentoring experience often reserved for graduate students. Our graduate student mentors also have the opportunity to hone their mentoring skills and have a chance to practice developing curriculum for our monthly development meetings.