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March 11, 2026 – During the 2026 Florida Undergraduate Research Conference (FURC) on Saturday, March 7, at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville, 19 South Florida State College (SFSC) students presented their research.
FURC is one of the largest multidisciplinary research conferences in the country. It is available to all undergraduate researchers in Florida who would like to submit their findings through poster presentations. FURC offers some of the best opportunities for students to network with fellow academics, learn about graduate programs, and participate in workshops and professional development.
The SFSC students’ scientific research presentations for FURC were varied. One or multiple students may have participated in a research topic under a faculty member who served as mentor on the project. Posters were presented at FURC on these undergraduate research projects:
- “What Your Oral Microbiome Says About Your Health,” by Elijah Wheelus and Ardwins Alcindor. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “Mysteries of Mycology: Finding the Undescribed through DNA Barcoding,” by Ardwins Alcindor. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “Circulating miR-21 as a Non-Invasive Biomarker for Early Colorectal Cancer Detection: A Meta-Analysis of microRNA Profiles in Liquid Biopsies,” by Carmelo Islas-Cardoso. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “Mammoth Impact: Studying the Effects of De-extinction,” by Gregory McCarty. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “Pathogenic Gut Bacteria and Their Mechanisms in Colorectal Cancer Progression,” by Harman Bharath. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “The Oral Microbiome as a Cardiovascular Biomarker: Bridging Dentistry and Cardiology,” by Jenale Alfonso Cruz and Andy Gomez Reyes. Faculty mentors: Dr. Mintoo Patel and Sheryl McGrath.
- “Melatonin Modulates Mitochondrial-Dependent Apoptosis in MDA-T41 Thyroid Carcinoma Cells,” by Jesus Ruiz-Cantellano, Kalel Garcia-Herreros, and Maria E. Neutsling Silva. Faculty mentor: Dr. Daniel Sanches.
- “Microbial Masterpieces: The Symphony of Science and Creativity,” by Carmelo Islas-Cardoso and Reynaldo Villalobos. Faculty mentors: Dr. Mintoo Patel, Karla Respress, Garrett Lee, and Andy Polk.
- “Rapid Point-of-Care Detection of Salmonella Enterica and Listeria Monocytogenes in Food Samples Using Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification: Applications in Forensic Investigation and Surgical Medicine,” by Marleigh Souther and Maci Gaskins. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification-based Qualitative Detection of Microbial marker Genes in Water,” by Isabella Salinas and Jesus Torres. Faculty mentor: Dr. Mintoo Patel.
- “A Direct Comparison of Dental Care Usage by Hispanic Immigrants in their Home Country and Host Country: A Cross-sectional Study in the United States,” by Tina Wu. Faculty mentors: Dr. Mintoo Patel, Sheryl McGrath, Mlisa Manning, and Dr. James Hawker.
- “Using DNA Barcoding to Identify a Scarabaeoid Beetle,” by Jadyn Garrett and Ty Giller. Faculty mentor: Dr. Joseph Velenovsky.
- “Conserving Florida’s Living Heritage,” by Aiden Swain, Ardwins Alcindor, Cohen Jefferies, Adrian Mendoza, and Isabella Salinas. Faculty mentors: Dr. Mintoo Patel and Dr. Kate Calvin.
At a state or community college, such as SFSC, research has become a significant component of its science curriculum.
“Undergraduate research allows students to delve into their subjects in a much deeper way than regular classwork and promotes critical thinking,” Dr. James Hawker, dean of Arts and Sciences at SFSC. “It better prepares students for upper division work at a university after transfer. It also increases their chances of being accepted to their university of choice by demonstrating advanced learning in the first two years of college.”
For more information about undergraduate research at SFSC, contact Dr. Jam
