Fifty Brainerd High School students showed Dr. Bradley Harris the power of “problem-based learning” (PBL) and are the inspiration behind a winning proposal for a UT System “Grand Challenges” grant. Harris, associate professor and head of the UTC Department of Chemical Engineering, is principal investigator for the proposal titled “Thermal runaway in EV batteries: A transformational PBL unit for high school chemistry.” Dr. Stephanie Philipp, assistant professor of education and director of the UTC STEM Education Program, is co-principal investigator.
College of Engineering outreach presents opportunities to Brainerd students
As part of a collaboration between Brainerd High School chemistry students and UTC engineering students and faculty, the high schoolers were exposed to real-world safety experiments shaped by world-class research from UL Research Institutes. From the start of the spring semester, chemistry teacher Ethan Schubert brought UTC faculty into his classroom and took his classroom to UTC, where his students worked with UL Research Institutes’ Xplorlabs resources.
UTC’s GEAR UP turning at-risk teenagers into first-generation college students
This spring, GEAR UP is celebrating its 25th year at UTC. The program connects students primarily from urban schools to college.
UTC students add a touch of polish to Brainerd High
At Brainerd High School, UTC students helped clean and freshen the paint in the gymnasium.