Project Overview

The NSF RET Site at UTA offered summer research projects with hazard mitigation theme as the focus. Twenty six high school STEM teachers from diverse student populations from 10 high schools and 5 ISDs around the Arlington, TX, area participated. The multi-disciplinary project involved 11 faculty members from civil engineering, computer science/engineering, industrial engineering, electrical engineering and education. The faculty members were experts in various hazard mitigation research and applications. Each summer research project group involved faculty members, post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, staff members and participating RET teachers. Teacher application process emphasized the recruitment of teachers from underrepresented groups. Each summer research project involved altogether 6 – 9 RET teachers. In year 3, the research groups involved student participants from the ongoing REU project on Hazard Mitigation at UTA. Specific tasks involved in the project were: the six-week summer research project, pre- and post-survey of teachers, pre-and post-survey of the students in the teacher’s classes, a fall semester lesson plan workshop (involved non-RET teachers), a spring semester roundtable workshop, classroom observations, student field trips to UTA, RET teacher held workshops at high schools for non-RET teachers, published conference and journal papers with faculty members, and a dedicated RET website.