To learn more
Teachers interested in learning more about the RET program can go to binghamton.edu/watson/ret.html
Starting this summer, Binghamton University will offer local middle and high school teachers a deep dive into microelectronics research so they can take that knowledge back to their students.
The Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, is meant to cultivate highly skilled technical talent to support the region's growing role in the national microelectronics industry.
As part of the $600,000 grant, eight teachers will participate each summer over the next three years. To oversee their hands-on research, faculty and staff members from the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science are teaming up with colleagues from the College of Community and Public Affairs and the University's Analytical and Diagnostics Lab (ADL).
Associate Professor Loretta "Lucky" Mason-Williams from CCPA's Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership said the idea to apply for the RET grant came from watching school tours at the ADL. As part of the Small-Scale Systems Integration and Packaging (S3IP) Center of Excellence, the lab offers more than 50 high-tech instruments for advanced materials analysis, characterization and device processing.
"My work centers on students with disabilities and the special-education teacher workforce," Mason-Williams said. "So when applying for this NSF grant, I convinced everybody to think about not only the teachers who are working with high-achieving students but also students who may have a disability or are at risk for school failure. How do we help them gain skills to prepare their students for this highly skilled, highly technical workforce?"
Fellow TLEL Associate Professor Amber Simpson added: "We really thought about tapping into the strengths at Binghamton, so that's where we landed on microelectronics. We know there's a push for developing those skills to enter the workforce, and it would make us stand out from other people submitting to the RET program."
With a focus on rural and special education teachers, the program will support the development of curricula and experiential learning opportunities such as cleanroom tours, lab exercises and industry site visits that other educators can adapt.
"This project really captures the impact that NSF projects can have," said Professor Paul Chiarot, chair of Watson College's Department of Mechanical Engineering. "Part of my role is to recruit other faculty from Watson working in microelectronics and craft projects for the RET scholars to work on. Most of the money in the budget supports the teachers so they can spend time here in the summer and then go back to their classrooms with that knowledge."
When the teachers are paired with researchers, they will learn more about the different varieties of microscopy, acoustic imaging, X-ray imaging, spectroscopy, and measuring a sample's thermal, mechanical and optical properties.
"By training the teachers in how these different techniques work, they can translate some of that information for their students and hopefully give people a better idea of what research is," said ADL Chief Technology Officer Matthew Wahila. "A lot of people hear about scientific research, but it's very different actually doing it."
