Camarillo, Calif., June 10, 2014 – CSU Channel Islands (CI) will hold a presentation and awards ceremony on Friday, June 20, for students participating in the Project ACCESO Summer Research Institute. The ceremony culminates a three-week program that partners students from CI, Oxnard College, Ventura College and Santa Barbara City College with CI faculty members to conduct intensive research in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines. The event will take place from 5-7 p.m. at the Aliso Hall Plaza on the CI campus.
Forty-five students organized into teams representing 15 different projects will present their research discoveries. The projects include:

• Researching winning algorithms for Nim games (based on mathematical strategy) and implementing them on the Android platform

• Developing carbon-neutral alternatives to current industrial processes (includes a study of the role bacteria can play in creating cement)

• Applying physics and chemistry principles to develop new materials for use in electronic devices such as transistors, batteries and solar cells

• Developing nucleic-acid-based drugs, specifically RNA molecules, for use in the treatment of viral infections and cancer diseases

• Assessing genes at a molecular level – examining their sequences and determining mutations associated with disease

• Assessing potential adaptive evolution of muscles that whales, dolphins and porpoises use for swimming

• Collecting local insects and assessing plant preference behaviors

• Investigating occurrence of longest subsequences meeting specific criteria within sequences of numbers

• Using lasers and electro-optical equipment in experiments

• Modifying or developing new laboratory experiments for general chemistry courses

• Mathematically deriving the Fourier Series and investigating some real-world applications

• Studying the sandy beaches biome, particularly ecology and challenges associated with stressors such as rising sea levels, erosion and human disturbance.

Awards will be presented to all of the student research assistants, and several special recognition and appreciation awards will be announced.

The Project ACCESO Summer Research Institute aims to increase the number of Hispanic and low-income students seeking degrees in STEM disciplines and to help them develop critical skills necessary for success. The Institute is open to students from CI and its regional community colleges. This is the sixth year that students have taken part in a research institute at CI.

Project ACCESO is funded by the Department of Education through the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (HSI-STEM) grant program. CI is using the nearly $6 million grant to increase the number of underserved students who are succeeding in and graduating from STEM majors, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in STEM, and developing critical STEM skill sets, such as critical thinking, analytical reasoning, scientific literacy and interdisciplinary communication.

Limited parking is available on campus with the purchase of a $6 daily permit; follow signs to the parking permit dispensers. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the CI Vista Bus to the campus; the cash-only fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from approximately 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

For more information contact Connie Baker at 805-437-3599 or connie.baker@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.