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.
Grand challenges: UTC alum working to keep ‘the monsters’ in check
For many children, the monsters under their beds are real, and Dylan Rivera, a 2020 graduate of UTC, is working to help keep those monsters in check. As director of policy planning and implementation for the city of Chattanooga, his work directly influences Chattanooga’s minority neighborhoods by helping people “move up from where they are in their socioeconomic status” and making impactful changes for their families.