RET Site for Sustainable Polymer Engineering Research

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The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) School of Polymer Science and Engineering's (SPSE) RET Site for Sustainable Polymer Engineering Research (RET) will host local community college instructors and high school teachers for a six-week summer research experience with polymer science and engineering faculty to perform research in the area of sustainable materials. Teachers will work in pairs with faculty and student researchers in efforts focused on addressing 21st century grand challenges in engineering in three areas: (1) reducing waste through design of degradable and bio-based polymers, (2) improving water quality through polymer sensors and delivery vehicles, and (3) enabling alternative energy approaches with high performance polymers. The goal is to build professional relationships between faculty researchers and local teachers to improve teacher and student understanding of materials research, and promote student interest in science and engineering. Science and engineering are crucial for the nation's sustained economic strength and security, and there is a critical shortage of U.S. students pursuing engineering careers today. The proposed research in sustainable materials has direct impact on the key economic drivers in the State of Mississippi in areas that are highly relevant to teachers, students, and their families. Teachers will gain appreciation for polymer engineering by working in the laboratory, attending short courses, touring the research facilities, taking field trips to local polymer industry, and attending faculty research presentations. Teachers will develop activities and laboratory modules based on their summer research for implementation in their classrooms. USM faculty and graduate students will visit teacher classrooms during the school year to help in delivery of the research-based activities. It is expected that interaction with graduate students (who are closer in age to community college and high school students) will help encourage K-14 students to pursue studies and careers in science and engineering. Teachers will make their curricular modules available to other teachers by publishing them on the RET website, demonstrating them at the MS Science Teachers Association Annual Meeting, and publishing in Teach Engineering. Teachers will be recruited from institutions with high minority and poverty-level underserved student populations, to help broaden participation in science and engineering. The sustainable materials engineering research platform of the RET site provides the framework to build long-term relationships between engineering faculty and teachers while providing cutting-edge research experiences that are readily incorporated into high school and community college science curricula. The increasing demand for energy and use of hydrocarbons create a wide range of issues, such as the Deepwater Horizon BP Oil Spill of 2010 off the Mississippi Gulf Coast, as well as opportunities, such as production of biodegradable polymers and alternative energy development, which have high impact on Mississippi teachers and students. The proposed RET will immerse high school teachers and community college faculty in sustainable polymer engineering research in efforts aligned with the National Academy 21st Century Grand Challenges of Engineering, including providing access to clean water and making solar energy affordable. Teachers will develop research-based classroom modules aligned with the MS College and Career Readiness Standards for Science. The proposed effort is transformative in providing avenues to engage the public in the impact of sustainable materials engineering research through relevant research experiences that will resonate with teachers, students and parents. The proposed research has direct impact on the key economic drivers in the State of Mississippi: energy, agriculture, and marine/coastal activities. Teachers will gain hands-on experience in the processes by which materials research addresses sustainability challenges and will develop tools to engage students in the engineering enterprise, encouraging them to pursue science and engineering careers. Teachers will be recruited from schools with high minority and free and reduced lunch student populations, and research modules will be broadly disseminated. A week-long workshop for middle school teachers will be implemented to broaden the reach of the program to younger students.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.