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There are many individuals from groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education— first-generation, low-income, and Black and Hispanic students — where community college serves as a bridge to entering the technical workforce or pursuing higher education. Most of these students attend community college part-time to accommodate their familial obligations, demanding work schedules, and the budget afforded to their education. Numerous studies indicate that increased financial support, engagement in external experiences, and strong faculty mentorship can promote these students; academic and future professional success. The Micro Nano Technology Education Center aims to increase educational equity and diversity by addressing this need by offering community college students nationwide the opportunity to work with and learn from faculty mentors, baccalaureate research universities, and industry partners from across the nation remotely or in person through the Micro Nano Technology Collaborative Undergraduate Research Network. This network works to prepare underserved students for entering the technical workforce or transferring into higher education through funded academic-year and summer capstone experiences along with faculty mentorship, peer mentorship, and weekly networking opportunities. Our results found no statistically significant difference in student-perceived retention, accessibility, or in students' belief that they belong in laboratories where they may not see representation before and after participating in the MNT-CURN program. However, these results indicate positive trends in these areas, and students self-reported that participating in MNT-CURN increased their confidence that they will complete a STEM-based degree. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many undergraduate students have been given no other option but to take their classes remotely. This has provided many challenges for both students and instructors, especially in the STEM field due to the required laboratory coursework. For this reason, alternative methods of distance learning are needed to optimize student laboratory experiences. The sudden transition to a remote format and adjusting to a new learning environment has proven to be difficult for both students and faculty. It has also been established throughout the pandemic that students perform substantially worse in on-line coursework compared with traditional, in-person classes. Students in a general chemistry course were introduced to innovative asynchronous lab modules that could be performed at home with the additional opportunity of conducting statistical analysis tests. These modules utilize discussion boards, graphing assessments, and labs to teach students how to perform different statistical tests and to familiarize students with the DataClassroom, Google Sheets, and Microsoft Excel platforms. This asynchronous learning format will promote both overall student engagement in STEM courses and student understanding of statistical analysis, thus exhibiting the potential to implement these modules in future undergraduate STEM coursework.