MSU Outreach Plan

Outreach Plan:

The MSU plan is to

– Benefit from existing MSU College of Engineering K-12 outreach activities to encourage students to pursue degrees in transportation-related engineering.

– Get undergraduate students involved in research to encourage them to go to graduate school.

 

Existing activities that will enhance the Center’s educational objective include:

 

K-12 Outreach

  1. Middle and High School Design Day (approximately 175 students and 25 teachers)
  • Spring, April 25, 2014
  • Fall, December 2014

Program Description:

Middle and high school Innovative and Creative Dart Foundation Design Day is focusing on immersing students and teachers in hands-on and experiential engineering education. It introduces them to innovate and inspiring engineering designs and projects. Participating students and teachers are to work on innovative and inspiring engineering projects such as using smart materials to generate current, building a sample of asphalt material using crumb rubber, building a wireless monitoring system.

 

  1. Spartan Engineering for Teens Summer Commuter program (20 middle school) – June

Program Description:

Spartan Engineering for Teens is designed to be a catalyst in developing students who are motivated and well prepared to choose careers in science, math, and engineering fields. This program is dedicated to teaching future engineers and scientists the skills to be leaders in this exciting interdisciplinary field. Students in the program will use microsensors and robots while learning science, engineering, and mathematics. Working with science teachers and engineering faculty, students will design and build experiments. Students will learn about various engineering majors, be involved in short courses, demonstrations, field trips and hands-on experiments.

 

  1.  High School Engineering Institute I, II and III (40 HS students per session) – July

Program Description:

Students spend a week exploring engineering through lecture, lab and design sessions run by faculty and student assistants from our various programs. This activity is intended for rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors seriously considering engineering as their career choice, this residential program is designed to give in-depth experiences in engineering majors. Our focus in CHPP is to convince these students to pursue a college degree in a transportation-related area. Students will spend time with an engineering faculty member, a graduate student, an undergraduate student engaged in short lecture, demonstrations, hands-on experiments, team-based problem solving, and tours. Presentations by the Honors College, Admissions Office, Study Abroad and The Center (Co-op/Internship and Undergraduate Research Opportunities) as well as tours of engineering research facilities will be conducted.

 

  1.  Introduction to Robotics Engineering (40 HS students) – July

Program Description:

Designed for students interested in exploring the exciting field of robotics. Students will learn about the fields of engineering involved in robotics and will work with NXT and VEX robotics, biomimetic robotic fish, nanorobotics, mechatronics and, manufacturing automation.

The program focuses on short lectures, hands-on experiments, team work and lab tours.

 

  1. Metro Detroit Youth Day (approximately 10,000 kids) – Transportation and Pavement theme.  Invite Formula SAE, Baja Racing team, Steel Bridge, and Solar car student org.

FIRST LEGO, VEX IQ, and VEX robotics display with transportation theme.

Website: http://www.youth-day.com/index.html

Timeline:

    • Wednesday, February 05, 2014 – Email student organization regarding the Metro Detroit Youth Day Event and request participation
    • Monday, February 10 – Inform the Metro Detroit Youth Day of MSU’s intent to participate and organize the “Transportation and Highway Pavement Preservation Day”
    •  February – March – Invite all transportation and pavement preservation related groups to display and showcase their hands-on interactive activities
    • April – June – Organize placement and logistics to transport over to Bell Isle, Detroit for the event, July 9th, 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
    • Order Highway Pavement Preservation related small give-a-ways
    • Book hotels, and meals for participants
    • July 7 – Organization meeting to address last minute instruction, Q&A.
    • July 9 – Everyone all-hands on deck and enjoy interacting with 15,000 youth

 

  1. Development of a Highway Pavement Preservation short course.

Program Description:

The intent is to develop a short course in 3 different transportation-related areas. The course will be designed so that it could be used by Middle and High school teachers in their classrooms. The course will focus on the use of smart materials and image analysis techniques for pavement monitoring, the use of crumb rubber in asphalt to introduce students to materials.

 

Timeline:

    • February 5 – 18 Individual meeting with CHPP faculty
    • February 28 – Identify short course topics related to CHPP
    • February 15 – March 31 – Weekly curriculum development meeting
    • March 1 – 31 – Lesson and hands-on activity planning
    • April 1 – Lesson plans and activities plan completed in 3 CHPP related topics
    • April 1 – 13  – Order hands on activities materials and supplies/secure give-a-ways to promote UTC CPP2
    • April 20 – Design Day preparation completion deadline for 175 HS students.

 

 

  1. TeachEngineering.org lesson plan and hands-on activities publication

Program Description:

The short course developed previously will be prepared according to TeachEngineering.org format. Designed for students interested in exploring the exciting field of robotics. The course will focus on short lectures, hands-on experiments, team work and lab tours.

 

 

Timeline:

    • February 6 – Lesson plan development and hands-on activities
    • April 2 – Upload HPP2 lesson plans and hands on activity plans on the TeachEngineering website
    • April 2 – ?  – Peer review, review, and publication on the TeachEngieering.org. an engineering lesson plan clearinghouse that most of NSF RET Site and Centers utilize for the use of middle and high school STEM teachers

 

  1. Preview Day showcase of Highway Pavement Preservation related research in connection with Civil Engineering.

Program Description:

The day will be planned with different activities and sessions for the different age groups. Hands-on displays and demonstrations will be aimed at K-6 grade students. Laboratory tours, laboratory demonstrations and brief presentations will be prepared for 7-9 grade (middle-school) students. Hands-on laboratory activities and brief workshops will be organized for 10-12 grade (high-school) students. A keynote lecture will be given to all attendees at the beginning of the event. Special displays will be designed and built for this event to facilitate the communication of basic concepts related to materials, structures and sensor technology. The PIs of centered-sponsored projects will be expected to contribute to this annual outreach event by serving as speakers for the presentations and workshops, preparing laboratory demonstrations from their research activities, and man-power from the graduate students funded by the different powers to assist the visiting students.

 

  1. Displays set-up at the VEX Robotics State Championship in March, 2014
    •       Invite transportation related student organizations to set up display
    •       Invite and provide space for MDOT and USDOT to set-up display and hands on
    •       MSU Civil Engineering on deck to showcase Highway Pavement Preservation2
    •       Set up a table to give out pamphlet and small give-a-ways

 

 

  1. Research Experiences for Teachers (RET)

Program Description:

The program will recruit teachers from schools in Mid- and Southeast Michigan with a focus on those serving socioeconomically challenged populations and students from groups traditionally underrepresented in science and engineering. RET participants will attend a 6-week summer institute, to participate in cutting-edge research on transportation-related area, with mentoring from engineering faculty at MSU. Working with PIs, faculty mentors, a curriculum development specialist and an editor of TeachEngineering.org, teachers will develop innovative, standards-compliant curriculum modules and participate in a number of professional development activities. Extensive follow-up activities are planned throughout the academic year to ensure the translation of lab experience into classroom practice, and to foster and strengthen long-term partnership between engineering faculty and teachers. A third-party professional program evaluator will track and evaluate the program and provide feedback for improvement. The evaluator will also conduct longitudinal studies on participants to assess the longer-term impact of the program.

 

Broader Impacts:

The proposed RET Site project is expected to enrich the professional development of a number of future leaders in STEM education, about half being females with a similar ratio for minorities. It will also result in innovative curriculum for science and technology courses, and pique the interest of middle and high school students in scientific inquiry, specifically transportation. Through the partnership with schools in Lansing, Detroit, and Grand Rapids, and the all-girls Regina High School, the proposed project will positively influence the learning and career paths of young students, especially students from under-served districts and underrepresented groups in Michigan and beyond for years to come, thus contributing to a technology-savvy workforce that is much needed by America.

 

Undergrad/Grad Outreach

  1. Summer Research for undergraduates

Program Description:

The Michigan State University College of Engineering, in partnership with the Provost’s Office and Engineering faculty, offers summer research opportunities for high achieving undergraduates. The intent of this program is to encourage students to consider pursuing graduate degrees and to provide them an early opportunity to become involved in research by working with faculty mentors in one of seven Engineering departments/programs:

    • Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering
    • Chemical Engineering & Materials Science
    • Civil & Environmental Engineering
    • Computer Science & Engineering
    • Electrical & Computer Engineering
    • Engineering Education
    • Mechanical Engineering

Students will be matched with a faculty mentor and have opportunities to engage in engineering research, interact with faculty and students from across the College of Engineering, and develop essential skills for success in graduate school.

Expectations and Eligibility

During the summer research experience, students work full-time on a substantive, faculty-guided research project and participate in professional development activities, including attending weekly seminars and completing periodic writing assignments. Due to the intensive nature of this program, it is expected that students will not enroll in summer coursework or accept other employment during the work week.

 

Timeline:

    • 1/24/14 – faculty invited to submit project proposals for undergraduate research assistants ; initial deadline of 2/7/14, but proposals will continue to be accepted until funding is exhausted
    • 2/12/14 to 3/9/14 – student applications for EnSURE are accepted
    • 3/31/14 – initial deadline for EnSURE faculty-student matches; the matching process will continue until the program is full
    • 5/19/14 to 7/25/13 – EnSURE program (tentative)
      • 5/19/14: EnSURE Orientation
      • 5/21/14: EnSURE Professional Development Seminar
      • 5/28/14: EnSURE Professional Development Seminar
      • 6/4/14: EnSURE Professional Development Seminar
      • 6/10/14: campus-wide lunch for undergraduate researchers
      • 6/11/14: EnSURE Professional Development Seminar
      • 6/18/14: EnSURE Professional Development Seminar
      • 6/24/14: campus-wide lunch for undergraduate researchers
      • 6/25/14: EnSURE Professional Development Seminar
      • 7/2/14: EnSURE Professional Development Seminar
      • 7/9/14: EnSURE Professional Development Seminar
      • 7/16/14: EnSURE Professional Development Seminar
      • 7/23/14: Mid-Michigan Symposium for Undergraduate Research Experiences (Mid-SURE); research presentations and graduate school fair
      • 7/25/14: EnSURE Closing
  • EnSURE Professional Development Seminar topics are still being finalized for 2014; however, they will be similar to the 2013 program, which included:
    • Orientation to EnSURE
    • Grad School 101
    • Graduate Degrees and Engineering Careers
    • Academic Resumes
    • Grad Application Statements
    • Creating a Research Poster
    • Responsible Conduct of Research
    • GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
    • Leveraging Your Research Experience
    • Closing Program

 

Professional Outreach

The establishment of the proposed Center will complement the efforts currently undertaken by the NCPP to conduct outreach and technology transfer, especially in transferring research and educational advances in highway pavement preservation to the broad transportation community. The Center will use the links established by the NCPP with a variety of state and local highway transportation agencies and private companies to accomplish its outreach mission. Contacts with the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) in Michigan (run by Michigan Technological University) and other LTAPs will be leveraged to reach local transportation agencies.

 

In order to promote technology transfer the Center will:

 

  1. Establish a clearinghouse (Website) for disseminating research reports, research papers, newsletters and periodicals.  The Center will also establish a presence in new social media outlets (facebook, linkedin). These will serve as a forum for discussions, announcements etc.
  2. Publish newsletters and synthesis reports highlighting Center activities and mail them to the transportation community at large.
  3. Publish an annual report, which will summarize the activities and accomplishments of the Center.
  4. Encourage publications on Center-funded research projects, including scholarly papers in peer-reviewed journals, technical reports, and guidelines to address specific issues.
  5. Encourage presentations of Center-funded research results at national/international technical conferences such as the Transportation Research Board Meeting and national/international transportation related conferences.
  6. Encourage committee memberships of Center associated faculty in transportation related international, national and regional technical committees.
  7. Rent booth space to showcase research and educational activities at major national and regional conferences (e.g., Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting, National Association of County Engineers).
  8. Support the UTC program and the USDOT by providing:
    • A copy of each technical report completed by the Center to the UTC program
    • Support to the UTC program Website by supplying all requested information such as projects, students, project information, etc.
    • Up-to-date information to USDOT regarding project progress.
    • Technical assistance to or partnerships with USDOT/RITA research clusters.
  1. Be represented at conferences and meetings by:
    • Requiring each graduate student or principal investigator funded by the Center to make at least one presentation related to each research project at a national level conference or meeting.
    • Organizing a reception/fair at the TRB meetings to highlight research results generated by the Center. Representatives of federal, state and local transportation agencies and industry will be invited to the fair.
  1. Disseminate technology and results to agency and industry professionals by:
    • Designing and implementing short courses on infrastructure preservation techniques for working professionals from various state highway agencies and industry. These would be conducted through the National Center for Pavement Preservation (NCPP).
    • Providing copies of technical papers and reports on research results generated by the Center to any interested agency or entity. Most of the materials will be readily available through the Center Website.