Official SLCC Blog

This month, Salt Lake Community College held its third annual undergraduate research conference. The conference featured oral and poster presentations from students across various fields in the sciences and humanities, showcasing months of research, experimentation, and analysis. Topics ranged from scientific research to insightful social studies, such as establishing a common framework for triangles and pressure sensor changes in varying biocompatible metals to exploring diverse perspectives on ADHD and meditation practices. Interim director of the STEM Learning center, Dr. Kamal Bewar, opened the conference by praising the "passion, dedication, intellectual curiosity, and drive" shown by the undergraduate researchers. "This conference celebrates the transformative power of undergraduate research and the opportunity for students to engage in hands-on learning, develop critical thinking skills, and make meaningful contribution to their field, " Kamal said. The keyno...

Every semester the School of Math, Science and Engineering hosts a “Pizza with the Dean” event to encourage students to learn more about the school, the tutoring they offer, and the academic support resources that are available. This semester's event was held on Feb. 21 in the  STEM Learning Center  in the Science Building (SI) on the Taylorsville Redwood Campus. The center provides drop-in tutoring in subjects like math, chemistry, biology and more. Students can check in at the front desk and then scan a QR code on tables to be connected with a tutor. In addition to tutoring, the center serves as a quiet study space for individuals or groups. Jevahjire France, a student studying mechanical engineering, said he often comes to the center to "find a comfortable spot by the big windows to do homework or study for tests." Being in the space makes it easier for him to focus and stay awake, he says. Attendees at the "Pizza with the Dean" event enjoying their pizzas. ...

On December 12, Salt Lake Community College unveiled and dedicated a new statue on campus of the renowned inventor, Nikola Tesla. The statue, crafted by local artist Stan Watts and Russian sculptor Andrey Sledkov , is the first of many by the artists that will be placed throughout the United States and Europe, and the only one to be placed at a college institution.  “In celebration of Tesla's vision and influence on today's technology, we thought it was so important that it be right at the entrance of our science, math and engineering building to help our students see what's possible in the world of engineering,” said President Deneece Huftalin during the unveiling.  The new Nikola Tesla statue displayed at the Taylorsville Redwood Campus. Positioned at the west entrance of the Science & Industry (SI) Building at Taylorsville Redwood Campus, the statue greets students as they enter the building with a contemplative Nikola Tesla sitting in a chair and reading a book en...

Students rolled out their research projects recently for Salt Lake Community College's 8th annual School of Science, Mathematics and Engineering Symposium. Morning, afternoon and evening sessions featured students' technical posters and oral presentations. Guest speakers included Dr. Marjorie A. Chan and Dr. Gabriel Bowen, both professors of geology and geophysics at the University of Utah. Below are a few highlights from the event. Benjamin Vandyke and his project, the Nearly Perpetual Electric Generator

Marisa Dawn Egbert discovered her love for civil engineering during a pre-engineering class at Salt Lake Community College, where she attended with an athletics scholarship and played on the women’s basketball team. Her focus at SLCC was on STEM-related (science, technology, engineering and math) courses. She transferred to Utah State University and earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering. In 2000, Egbert became state coordinator for the MATHCOUNTS in Utah and continues to lead the program, which annually benefits about 500 middle school students and more than 60 participating schools statewide. Over 5,000 Utah students have participated in MATHCOUNTS, a national nonprofit foundation that strives to engage students of all ability and interest levels in fun, challenging math programs to expand their academic and professional opportunities. Marisa Dawn Egbert Over the past decade, her relationship with SLCC has come full circle through her work with MATHCOUNTS as...

Salt Lake Community College has been awarded a $2.23 million grant under the Department of Education's hallmark Strengthening Institutions program. This grant will support strategic initiatives in the School of Science, Mathematics and Engineering, including the remodel of the Math, Science & Technology Resource Center, the creation of analytic systems to study critical attrition points in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education, and the large-scale implementation of best-practice support services for STEM students.  An increasing number of students enter SLCC each year underprepared for college level math and science. The result is that many students struggle to complete key courses that are required to graduate or transfer. “ An extremely frustrating problem is that there is a general awareness that completion rates are declining but no one can discover the underlying causes,” said Craig Caldwell, dean of the SLCC...

March 12, in the Student Center on the Taylorsville Redwood Campus, 4600 South Redwood Road The symposium showcases student writing and presentations in Science and Engineering fields, including Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Biotechnology, GeoScience, Mathematics, Engineering, Engineering Technology, Health and Lifetime Activities, and more. Student entries include technical posters, oral presentations and demonstrations, and written submissions. Awards will be given for the best entries.This forum encourages student excellence in oral- and written-presentation skills in sciences, math, and engineering. For more information, visit http://www.slcc.edu/sme/symposium/index.aspx

Steve Evans, Thomas Clark, and Trevor Pratt looked ready for work – neatly cropped hair, slacks, shirts with collars, and neckties. They stood in front of a large poster board bearing the title, “Ion Drives in Application.” Suffice it to say these guys knew their stuff as they explained their research during the 2014 School of Science, Mathematics and Engineering Symposium. “The application of using ion engines as a tugboat to go to Mars is possible,” Evans explained. When asking the three men who would like to go to Mars someday, Clark piped in, “Dibs!” At the risk of butchering Pratt’s explanation, an ion drive is an engine that works by ionizing noble, or electrically neutral, gasses like xenon and argon, which are attracted to two grids at the end of an engine. When the ionized particles enter the space between the two grids and there is a resulting change in voltage, they immediately accelerate through the grid at a rate of about 30-50 kilometers per second...