First NSF RET Site in Northwest Indiana

January 28, 2020

A Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Site will be established at Purdue University Northwest (PNW)’s Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation (CIVS) and Steel Manufacturing Simulation and Visualization Consortium (SMSVC). This is the first RET site in Northwest Indiana supported by the National Science Foundation ($592,681 for three years).

The RET site will focus on the Simulation and Visualization Technologies for Innovative Industrial Solutions. It will address critical issues of workforce development and skills gap in industry, which have direct impact on the nation’s prosperity. The site will provide high school and community college STEM teachers with research experiences and development opportunities to enhance their STEM understanding and teaching effectiveness using virtual learning tools to increase their students’ STEM interest, understanding, and activities.

Through the research activities, teachers will participate in ongoing, modern systems engineering and smart manufacturing research using cutting-edge simulation and visualization technologies in collaboration with CIVS research staff, PNW engineering faculty, and industry collaborators. The research will address real world industry issues to increase energy efficiency, optimize production, predict mechanical failures, and improve product quality and safety in industrial workplace settings. Recruitment efforts will target underrepresented minority school districts and teachers, and historically STEM-underserved populations, to bolster growth and diversity in future STEM educational options, career paths, and research infrastructure.

From their exciting research experiences, participants will create and implement virtual learning modules into their own classrooms during the academic year. Through these modules, which link the research experiences to STEM education standards and promote investigational and analytical skills, students will be empowered and encouraged to pursue advanced STEM education and career goals. The proposed site will also impact a regional workforce and economy strongly tied to the steel industry. For more information and to apply please visit, https://www.temp.pnw.edu/ret.

“We truly appreciate the NSF support and are very excited about this great opportunity to engage both Secondary / Community College Teachers and industries to promote STEM research and education. This also provide excellent opportunities for PNW CIVS and School of Engineering to showcase faculty and students’ real-world research projects, as well as to build a pathway for high school and community college students to pursue engineering degrees at PNW”, said PI: Dr. Chenn Zhou (CIVS & SMSVC Director, ME Professor); CO-PIs: Dr. Chien-Chun Chen (Associate Professor of Civil Engineering), and Dr. Donald Gray (Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering).