ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. — College of The Albemarle (COA) students participated in the Community College Undergraduate Research Experience (CCURE) this spring. This opportunity, made possible by the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW), enables community college students to explore areas of research and discovery in greater depth before transferring to a four-year institution.
At the UNCW Showcase of Student Research and Creativity, several COA students presented their research poster, shared their findings and demonstrated their curiosity and commitment to learning.
Pictured (l-r): 2024-2025 CCURE students Aiden DeGuzrman, Peyton Zoby, Maria Lasher, and instructor Beth Egbert. Zoey Wright was also in this student cohort, but not pictured.
CCURE is designed to open doors for community college students by pairing them with supportive instructors at their college and faculty mentors at UNCW. Students gain hands-on experience with research, learn how to ask important questions and discover how to share their results with others. They also earn university honors credit through UNCW for their efforts at no cost.
This year, COA students explored topics ranging from environmental science to biology, working together to design experiments, analyze data and present their discoveries. The skills they developed, such as teamwork, problem-solving and public speaking, will serve them well in their future academic and career paths.
Beth Egbert, who teaches the CCURE course for UNCW at COA, said she is proud of the students’ growth and dedication. “Watching our students grow as researchers has been the best part of this experience,” Egbert said. “They have taken on challenges, learned a lot and shown what COA students can do.”
COA was honored to host UNCW’s 2024 CCURE program and looks forward to seeing even more students take part in the future. Congratulations to all participants for representing COA with hard work and enthusiasm.
For more information about CCURE at COA, reach out to Beth Egbert at [email protected].
For other COA-related information or media inquiries, contact Tammy W. Sawyer, director of communications and marketing, at 252-335-0821 ext. 2420, or [email protected].