Professor of Mechanical Engineering Technology Weihang Zhu has been awarded $599,999 to fund his Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Site project, Industries of the Future Research Experience for High School Teachers.
This program will span three years, through 2028, and support the RET mission to “enhance [educators’] scientific disciplinary knowledge in engineering or computer science and translate their research experiences into classroom activities and curricula to broaden their students’ awareness of and participation in computing and engineering pathways.” It is a collaboration between the Cullen College of Engineering and teachHOUSTON – UH’s flagship secondary STEM teaching preparation program.
“Teachers are very important for the education of the next generation of our students, especially in the K-12 environment,” said Zhu. “If we have high-quality teachers, we expect our students to be getting a better education and be better prepared for their university educations. That’s why I decided to focus on high school teachers; high school is a very important transition period for students.”
Zhu’s program topic draws directly from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) 2020 report, “Recommendations for Strengthening American Leadership in Industries of the Future.” Program areas include artificial intelligence, biotechnology, advanced communications, quantum computing and advanced manufacturing – topics that have been identified by the National Academic Science Board as key research areas for the industrial future.
Texas education standards have undergone a series of changes leading to more engineering-focused content being added to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for high schoolers over the last decade. However, unless they are engineers themselves, teachers may not always have enough subject background to effectively deliver this content.
Over the next three years, cohorts of nine teachers per summer recruited from local Houston-area high schools will work 1:1 with matched faculty mentors from the Cullen College of Engineering, engage in lab work and participate in field trips to local industry facilities to “see the real world of engineering.” They will then synthesize their new education and experiences into academic course modules to be shared with other schools.
“Our program offers complementary opportunities for those teachers to improve their knowledge in engineering so that they can be more confident in teaching these essential subjects,” Zhu said.
This will be Zhu’s third RET award, the most recent two of which have both been received while at the University of Houston. His last program hosted a total of 39 teachers from 2021 to 2023.
More information about the Industries of the Future Research Experience for High School Teachers, including how to apply, can be found at this link.