RET Site for Sustainable Polymer Engineering Research

南密西西比大学（USM）聚合物科学与工程学院（SPSE）可持续聚合物工程研究（RET）的RET站点将接待当地社区大学教师和高中教师，与聚合物科学和工程学院一起进行为期六周的暑期研究，以开展可持续材料领域的研究。教师将与教师和学生研究人员合作，重点解决21世纪工程领域的三大挑战：(1)通过设计可降解和生物基聚合物来减少浪费，(2)通过聚合物传感器和输送工具改善水质，(3)利用高性能聚合物实现替代能源方法。目标是在学院研究人员和当地教师之间建立专业关系，以提高教师和学生对材料研究的理解，并促进学生对科学和工程的兴趣。科学和工程对国家持续的经济实力和安全至关重要，而今天追求工程职业的美国学生严重短缺。拟议的可持续材料研究对密西西比州的关键经济驱动力有直接影响，这些领域与教师、学生和他们的家庭高度相关。教师将通过在实验室工作、参加短期课程、参观研究设施、实地考察当地聚合物工业和参加教师研究报告来了解聚合物工程。教师将根据他们的暑期研究开发活动和实验室模块，以便在课堂上实施。USM教师和研究生将在学年期间访问教师教室，以帮助交付基于研究的活动。预计与研究生（年龄更接近社区大学和高中生）的互动将有助于鼓励K-14学生追求科学和工程方面的学习和职业。教师将把他们的课程模块发布在RET网站上，在MS科学教师协会年会上展示，并在Teach Engineering上发表。教师将从少数民族和贫困学生人数较多的院校招聘，以帮助扩大学生对科学和工程的参与。RET网站的可持续材料工程研究平台为工程学院和教师之间建立长期关系提供了框架，同时提供了前沿的研究经验，这些经验很容易被纳入高中和社区大学的科学课程。不断增长的能源需求和碳氢化合物的使用带来了广泛的问题，比如2010年BP公司在密西西比海湾沿岸的深水地平线石油泄漏事件，同时也带来了机遇，比如生物降解聚合物的生产和替代能源的开发，这些都对密西西比州的教师和学生产生了很大的影响。拟议的RET将使高中教师和社区大学教师参与可持续聚合物工程研究，以配合美国国家科学院21世纪工程重大挑战，包括提供清洁水和使太阳能负担得起。教师将根据MS学院和科学职业准备标准开发以研究为基础的课堂模块。提议的努力是变革性的，通过相关的研究经验，让公众参与到可持续材料工程研究的影响中来，这将与教师、学生和家长产生共鸣。拟议的研究对密西西比州的主要经济驱动力有直接影响：能源、农业和海洋/沿海活动。教师将在材料研究解决可持续性挑战的过程中获得实践经验，并将开发工具来吸引学生参与工程企业，鼓励他们追求科学和工程事业。教师将从少数民族和免费和减少午餐学生人数较多的学校招聘，研究模块将广泛传播。为扩大对低年级学生的影响，将对中学教师进行为期一周的研讨会。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.