This award provides funding for a three year continuing award to support a Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering Site program at the University of Dayton (UD) entitled, "Engineering Innovation and Design for STEM Teachers", under the direction of Dr. Margaret Pinnell.
The University of Dayton School of Engineering supports the active involvement of 10 middle and high school STEM teachers from Dayton, Ohio area schools and 5 pre-service teachers per year from regional colleges (45 total over three years)in an intensive six week summer engineering research program in order to bring knowledge of engineering and technological innovation into their classrooms. The UD School of Engineering will collaborate with UD's Innovation Center and School of Education and School of Education and Allied Professions, the Dayton Regional STEM Center, and local industries to expose the participants to engineering research through team-based design and innovation projects. Keeping in alignment with the strengths and existing partnerships of the Dayton area, this will be accomplished through industry-sponsored innovation projects in the technological areas identified by the STEM Center as critical to the area's economic success: power and propulsion (renewable energy focus), advanced materials/manufacturing, medicine/human effectiveness, environmental/civil engineering, and sensors.
The project will have a significant impact on the Dayton area and the engineering community nationwide by promoting the progress of engineering in K-12 STEM curriculum and recruiting teachers from high-need and urban schools. Regionally, it will strengthen relationships with current and future K-12 teachers, pre-service teachers, undergraduate engineering students, engineering faculty and local industry.
