October 19, 2009
Jennifer Maynard, assistant professor of chemical engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, has been selected to participate in the National Academy of Engineering’s first U.S. Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium. The symposium brings together a highly select group of the nation’s best young engineers working to explore innovations in teaching and promote these advances in engineering education. It is scheduled for Nov. 15-18 in Herndon, Va.
Maynard was selected based on her proposal to incorporate open-ended, low-tech engineering experiments into educational settings from Pre-K to college. Her experiments seek to make classroom learning more closely resemble the exciting and creative act of science practiced by professionals.
Her plan is to first develop and test new content directly related to educational objectives at the pre-K, 4th grade and undergraduate levels. Then she’ll partner with existing organizations dedicated to engineering recruitment and retention to train teachers and distribute the content. And finally she will develop a searchable national database with formalized protocols for inquiry-based educational experiments. The Web site will be advertised through state departments of education and teacher and science networks to encourage other groups to contribute their protocols.
About the Cockrell School of Engineering:
The Cockrell School ranks among the top ten engineering programs in the United States and aspires to move into the top five. With the nation's fourth highest number of faculty members elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the Cockrell School's more than 7,000 students work with many of the world's finest engineering educators and researchers. This environment prepares graduates to become engineering leaders and innovators working for the betterment of society.