Capacity-building through developing culturally competent educators, scientists, and professionals is a critical component of the 21st century workforce. While collaborative partnerships are integral to manage and protect all the inhabitants within a community, such opportunities remain a challenge for remote, rural communities and underrepresented minorities (URMs) within these communities. The REU site TECH SCEnE - “Technology, Science, and Community Engagement in Engineering” reflects University research in a community-centric environment for the advancement of diverse and inclusive interests in, and equitable application of, STEM fields. The REU site TECH SCEnE will provide engineering and STEM field research experiences for undergraduates that are inclusive of, and responsive to, diverse cultural perspectives and local community priorities. Through a shared teaching and learning approach, the multi-disciplinary team, participants, and Tribal Nation community partners will discover from each other’s knowledge, skill sets, and cultural practices. The project aligns with NSF commitment to capacity-building by broadening participation through preparing a diverse, globally engaged STEM workforce and expanding efforts to broaden participation from underrepresented groups and diverse institutions across geographical regions in all NSF activities. The project facilitates shared knowledge exchange, collaborative priority-setting, and supports tribal resource monitoring, management, and education. Furthermore, the application of the projects defined within the scope of the program directly impacts the community, providing relatable research and cultural experiences.

The objectives of the REU site TECH SCEnE are to: 1) Increase interest in engineering and STEM-related careers (for both industry and research), and particularly, for underrepresented minority students; 2) Improve collaborative cooperation, communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills; 3) Develop and apply multidisciplinary engineering and STEM research skills; 4) Enhance faculty learning, mentorship, and pedagogy; and 5) Demonstrate transformational values of community engagement in engineering and STEM research. Building on long-term university-community partnerships, The REU site TECH SCEnE will provide engineering and STEM field research experiences for undergraduates that are inclusive of, and responsive to, diverse cultural perspectives and local community priorities. Through a shared teaching and learning approach, the multi-disciplinary team, participants, and Tribal Nation community partners will discover from each other’s knowledge, skill sets, and cultural practices. The bio-inspired projects directly center on mutually beneficial needs and equitable evaluation and outcomes. Specifically, the project’s intellectual focus will (1) identify key components and directions of REU influence on students, mentors, and community partners, and (2) examine REU contributions to student career and graduate school choices, mentor pedagogy, and communities. Emphasis will be on broadening participation of under-represented minorities and Tribal Nations. The team expects to contribute to scholarship in the advancement of a diverse workforce in STEM fields, and best practices associated with university-community research, such as equitable approaches in STEM research, shared teaching and learning among diverse participants, and multi-directional, multi-cultural evaluation. The education components are designed to foster knowledge exchange between Michigan Technological University, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and to promote career opportunities in engineering and STEM for underrepresented minority students. Societal advances include 1) engineering approaches to monitoring and managing community resources and landscapes, and 2) key approaches and challenges of preparing a culturally aware workforce of tomorrow.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2021-03-15
Budget End
2024-02-29
Support Year
Fiscal Year
2020
Total Cost
$358,920
Indirect Cost
Name
Michigan Technological University
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Houghton
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
49931