The Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) in Engineering and Computer Science program supports authentic summer research experiences for K-12 educators to foster long-term collaborations between universities, community colleges, school districts, and industry partners. With this solicitation, the Directorates for Engineering (ENG) and Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) focus on a reciprocal exchange of expertise between K-12 educators and research faculty and (when applicable) industry mentors. K-12 educators will enhance their 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. At the same time, the hosting research faculty will deepen their understanding of classroom practices, current curricula, pedagogy, and K-12 educational environments.

With the heightened awareness of issues related to sustainable and resilient infrastructure, the research projects to be conducted at the UT Arlington RET site are designed to advance knowledge within and across the fields of civil engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, and physics.

The overall objective of the UTA RET site is to engage are high school pre-service and in-service STEM teachers in hands-on summer research experiences with faculty and student teams, enhancing their ability to teach curricula enhanced with engineering topics with the long-term aim of increasing student interest in and pursuit of engineering degrees/careers. The specific objectives are to enhance:

1. Teachers’ ability to incorporate engineering topics into their course curricula, thereby enhancing student engagement in learning;
2. Teachers’ professional development;
3. Teachers’ and ISDs’ long-term networking with UTA, other ISDs and engineering professionals;
4. Students’ perceptions of and interest in engineering majors and careers;

We shall accomplish these objectives through a series of integrated summer and academic year activities focusing on sustainable and resilient urban infrastructure.