"The Dead Stars Society, or Research Alliances with Under-Resourced Institutions"

I became aware that many highschool students in the Detroit area who were interested in pursuing studies in astronomy were first attending community college for two years before transferring to a four-year institution to finish out their degree in the remaining two years. In my own experience as a former community college and subsequent transfer student,  I found that it was much more difficult to have access to the same research opportunities and resources as a traditional four year undergraduate student. This is an area where I have always wanted to make a positive change for the community. I finally found the opportunity in 2022, and the Dead Stars Society, an astronomy research group at Henry Ford College in Dearborn,  evolved. In the past year, we have had five students join our group, who have collectively analyzed a massive X-ray data-set. We have also received funding to shift gears and focus on analysis of upcoming data from Rubin Observatory/LSST. I would particularly like to discuss what information would be helpful to gain further traction to encourage an expansion of four-year institutions partnering with their local community colleges.