Six students from Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) participated in the annual Oklahoma Research Day, a statewide conference celebrating student and faculty research.

The free event, held March 7 at Northeastern State University, serves as a platform for students and faculty to network, share ideas, and showcase their research, strengthening the academic community across Oklahoma.

OCCC students Colten Barbee, Clover Bitting-Cheek, Raianne Brand, Willa Marlow, Madison Upton, and Shanelle Walker shared their innovative projects with poster presentations. Topics included mental health, social media’s effects on children, the rise of anti-homelessness efforts in Oklahoma, and more.

“It was an honor to represent great people and research from OCCC at Oklahoma Research Day,” Brand said. “With the dedication and support of our mentors, we were able to grow as students. Through our hard work, we were proud to uphold the values of OCCC. I can’t wait to see what next year brings!”

The students were mentored by OCCC faculty members Angela Cotner, Jennifer Fike, Gena Ford, Michael Robertson, and Kathryn Earl-Wilcox.

“Working with students for Oklahoma Research Day is the highlight of my year. Their passion for their research is inspiring, and I love seeing their excitement as they share their knowledge with fellow scholars,” said OCCC Professor of English Gena Ford. “My hope is that we can recruit more OCCC students and mentors to participate next year.”

Oklahoma Research Day continues to serve as a platform for students and faculty members to network, share ideas, and showcase their research, strengthening the academic community across Oklahoma. The event’s keynote speaker was Shree Bose, a leading advocate for STEM education and the winner of the first-ever Google Global Science Fair in 2011.

Learn more about OCCC and apply online at occc.edu/apply.