By J.D. Rottweiler, Ph.D.
It’s been eight years and eight months since you and I had a serious talk about science. Given the storm that subject has weathered over the last few years, I think it’s time again.
Study of the Callosobruchus maculatus, or bean beetle, occupied most of my February 2013 column. At that time, the college had just joined the Community College Undergraduate Research Initiative (CCURI), and our students examined the proteins of bean beetles at different life stages. I touted the benefit of research in developing critical thinking skills and exposing students to challenges that require them to actively develop and carry out a study.
Our affiliation with CCURI has not changed. Nor have the benefits of student engagement in scientific research. What has changed, or expanded significantly, is what Cochise College students explore. The San Pedro River, Kino Bay, and the products of archaeological sites provide a host of locally relevant study opportunities that are all now part of the equation.
At the San Pedro, students seek to more accurately characterize the invertebrate community, monitor the beaver population that was reintroduced there in 1999, and find out how animals use important corridors and washes to move between the river and the Huachuca Mountains. Cameras document mammal tracks, and students use polymerase chain reaction technology (say that three times fast!) to analyze scat and determine how related the mammal is to others in the region. Students also work on bioinformatic mapping and family tree phylogenetics of freshwater invertebrates.
In Kino Bay, students collaborate with Prescott College to study Zostera marina (eelgrass) and marine mammal and invertebrate biodiversity at the Center for Cultural and Ecological Research (KBCCER). They collect and process the grass in order to analyze the genetics of the local subspecies, which differs from that growing in other marine environments. They have the opportunity to see research in action; researchers identify specific marine mammals using their dorsal fins, which have specific patterns that tell that individual animal’s story. They also survey the biodiversity of invertebrates in the pristine tide pools of the bay. Sea stars, anemones, sea cucumbers, and many more make up the various animals seen within this experience.
Biology faculty members Frank Emanuele and Dr. Steve Merkley lead students on the San Pedro and Kino Bay projects.
On a different subject, students have access to the college’s archaeological collection, some of which appears in public displays in the Sierra Vista Campus Library and the Douglas Campus Administration Building. Faculty member Megan Cleary uses them in classes like Bones, Stones, Human Evolution, and Archaeology of the Southwest. The collection holds academic value, and items have been borrowed by researchers pursuing advanced degrees at other institutions. Students also help with an archaeological assessment of Camp Naco, in an effort to assist those working to restore it with necessary data for grant applications.
Expansion of scientific research to locally relevant topics fits well with the college’s recently revised mission to provide inclusive and accessible educational opportunities that support social responsibility, community engagement, meaningful careers, and lifelong learning. You can follow along. The college recently launched a website where you can learn more about the studies conducted by undergraduate researchers. There’s a Facebook page filled with photos of the adventures of our students.
Participation in undergraduate research opens students’ eyes not only to the natural world located in their own backyards, but also to research protocols and methods they could encounter when transferring to a university. In addition, they are contributing to science, which helps the world solve challenging problems. Giving back to the community is icing on the cake.
J.D. ROTTWEILER, Ph.D., is president of Cochise College. Contact him at jdr@cochise.edu.