Project Overview
Engineering Workforce Development -CELL-MET will cultivate the scientific interests of a K-12 audience through museum (K-6) and urban school (7-12) outreach programs and train a diverse workforce through undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral programs. Targeting skills development at all levels of education from K-12 through PhD and postdoctoral training programs will sustain interest, create a sense of belonging, build curiosity, and increase the preparedness of students entering the job market. We will build upon the strengths of our existing research and education programs to develop a cohesive set of activities that are evaluated in regular data-driven improvement cycles.
Culture of Inclusion and Diversity -The foremost priority is to ensure we create a culture of inclusivity. To accomplish this goal, we will ensure all types of diversity are included in our ERC leadership, staff, faculty and students to include diversity in terms of experience, and across gender, race, ethnicity, and persons with disabilities. The members of the ERC will be benchmarked against national standards and we seek to exceed the national standards by engaging and preparing the next generation workforce that is often underrepresented in STEM fields. Through the ERC, we will pilot innovative programs to support this mission and enhance existing programs to meet our diversity and inclusion goals, with the end result being a model system for other institutions