Belonging Before Transfer: EPCC Engineering Students Engaging in UTEP Research/Activities to Strengthen Transfer and Student Success

About

Poster Presentation

Presenters: Ivette Chuca, Mathematics Professor, El Paso Community College, Mathematics Department; Joanne Moyer, PhD, Associate Professor of Instruction, University of Texas at El Paso, Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering

This session highlights a collaborative partnership between El Paso Community College and The University of Texas at El Paso that provides engineering students with early exposure to research while still enrolled at the community college. Through this initiative, EPCC students work alongside UTEP faculty and graduate students on engineering research projects, gaining hands-on experience while building meaningful academic and professional connections.

During this session, presenters will share the structure of the partnership, strategies used to recruit and support students, and the impact the program has had on student engagement, research participation, and transfer success. Participants will gain insights into how cross-institution collaborations can create meaningful research opportunities and strengthen pathways for community college students pursuing engineering degrees.