The MESA Center

OCC Programs

1. STEM Academy
   • "​The Orange Coast College STEM Academy serves as an academic support program that connects STEM-declared and/or STEM-interested students to the resources and tools they need to succeed in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses offered at the college."
2. Giles T. Brown Student Project and Research Symposium
   • "Initiated in 2016, The Giles T. Brown Student Project and Research Symposium was conceived by a group of faculty, staff and Deans who believe in the value of the relationship formed between a student and mentor when they explore their academic discipline together beyond the classroom.   The Symposium group provides a venue for all students from any field at OCC to showcase work they've done in class or independently.   We recognize that disciplines showcase work in different ways, so we have created a safe and supportive way for students to share posters, oral presentations, or exhibitions of work to their peers."

 External Programs

1. California State University, Fullerton - Project Raise
   • “Selected students will gain first-hand experience in scientific investigation in a dynamic, collaborative research environment. Students will be matched with CSUF faculty who will provide training and support. In addition to research, participants will create a research poster and present their findings. Participants will receive a $5,000 stipend for their research and participation throughout the summer. Stipend limited to U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents."
2. University of California, Berkeley - Transfer to Excellence Research Experiences for Undergraduates
   • “The Transfer to Excellence Research Program provides research experience for undergraduates (REU) who are enrolled in community colleges. Opportunities currently available are broadly in engineering and science. The program is a nine-week hands-on research opportunity with UC Berkeley professors.”
3. Harvard University - Summer Research Opportunities at Harvard
   
   • “The Summer Research Opportunities at Harvard (SROH) program connects undergraduates interested in a PhD with first-class researchers working in fields in the life and physical sciences, humanities, and social sciences. This is a 10-week paid internship.”
4. U.S. Department of Energy - Community College Internship
   • “The Community College Internship (CCI) program seeks to encourage community college students to enter technical careers relevant to the DOE mission by providing technical training experiences at the DOE laboratories. Selected students participate as interns appointed at one of 16 participating DOE laboratories. They work on technologies or instrumentation projects or major research facilities supporting DOE’s mission, under the guidance of laboratory staff scientists or engineers.”
5. National Science Foundation - Research Experiences for Undergraduates
   • "NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel. Undergraduate students supported with NSF funds must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or its possessions."