Purdue University Northwest recently was awarded a $592,681 grant by the National Science Foundation to establish the first Research Experience for Teachers site in Northwest Indiana.

The RET site will be at PNW’s Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation and Steel Manufacturing Simulation and Visualization Consortium through the support of the three-year grant.

The site will focus on simulation and visualization technologies for innovative industrial solutions, PNW said. It will address workforce development and the skills gap in industry.

“We truly appreciate the NSF support and are very excited about this great opportunity to engage both secondary and community college teachers and industries to promote STEM research and education,” said Chenn Zhou, CIVS and SMSVC director and professor of mechanical engineering, who serves as principal investigator of the grant. “This RET site also provides excellent opportunities for PNW’s CIVS and School of Engineering to showcase faculty members’ 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.”

High school and community college teachers in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines will gain research experiences and development opportunities to enhance their STEM understanding and teaching effectiveness.

Teachers will participate in ongoing systems engineering and smart manufacturing research using cutting-edge simulation and visualization technologies in collaboration with CIVS staff, PNW engineering faculty and industry partners. Their research will concentrate on real-world issues to increase energy efficiency, optimize production, predict mechanical failures, and improve product quality and safety in industrial workplace settings.