SWOCC release - COOS BAY, Ore. – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 6:00 pm, for our Annual Student Research Symposium. The presentations will take place in the Umpqua Hall lecture room 184 on the Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay. This is a free event; all ages are welcome. Southwestern's SPEAR (STEAM, Pathways, Experimental, & Academic Research) Team is actively working on a variety of science research projects.  Participation on the team teaches students valuable skills and allows them to gain hands-on experience. Students within physics, engineering, geology, chemistry, and biology will be showcasing their work for the community. Our symposium will feature the work of student researchers who have either continued aspects of last year’s concentrated efforts analyzing the Fossil Point region of the Oregon coast or have participated in our internship or academic research challenges.  Some of the projects include:  Continued work on the chemical extraction of whale blubber from local fossils; Development of a mechantronic robot arm; Application of engineering and physics to redesign a swimming training apparatus; An academic look at the current progress of 3-D printing and additive manufacturing in space; Implications of protein crystallization for medical applications in space - Many of these projects are supported by grants awarded through Oregon NASA Space Grant Consortium and Oregon Coast STEM Hub.  Please join us and help support these students while learning more about the exciting things happening at the College within our STEAM programs!  For more information contact Cassie Coyner, STEAM Pathways Coordinator, at 541-888-7416, or [email protected].  If you would like to be added to our mailing list and receive emails regarding upcoming events and lectures please email us and put “Add to email list” in the subject line.  To learn more about STEM degrees at Southwestern visit: https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem.