Partnership accelerates material science research, education, outreach in Hawai‘i
Researchers and students from the Materials Research and Education Consortium shared material science with students at University Laboratory School.
This spring, the Materials Research and Education Consortium (MRE-C), based at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa, hosted their research and education collaborative partners from the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center at the University of Washington (UW). The consortium engages in interdisciplinary research that fosters key breakthroughs in materials research and education important for sustainability on remote island communities.
“We are committed to continuing to grow materials science research and education offerings to all students at UH through this unique partnership with UW,” said Godwin Severa, the project principal investigator and a researcher in the Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology at the UH Mānoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology.
The immediate goals are to boost research capacity in materials for clean energy and sustainability, elevate material science research and STEM education at both undergraduate and graduate levels, broaden related education through new courses and workshops, and integrate local knowledge and insights to material science education.
The first half of the spring visit was focused on workshops on energizing materials science research and education in the partnership and included faculty presentations and discussions on current focus area activities and future plans. Research focus area working sessions and laboratory tours with the UW faculty and graduate students further clarified future collaborative activities. The activities concluded with a poster session, where students presented their research work and engaged with peers and faculty.
Connecting with Hawai‘i’s middle and high school students
The second half of the visit was dedicated to educating middle and high school students at Hawai‘i public schools about materials science through hands-on activities, interactions with scientists, and presentations utilizing the UW-developed “Nanocamp” materials science modules. UH and UW students led the NanoCamp activities at the schools. The outreach efforts engaged six Hawai‘i schools: ʻIlima Intermediate School, Waipahu High School, Kaiser High School, University Laboratory School, Kaimuki Middle School, and William McKinley High School, with over 650 students participating in the materials science activities.
“Launching the program with these activities was critical for our members to get to know each other, learn to work together, develop detailed research plans, and appreciate the diverse perspectives that each of us bring to the partnership,” said Lilo D. Pozzo, Boeing-Roundhill Professor in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington, and project co-investigator. “The outreach activities with K-12 schools cemented our motivation to support growth of materials research in Hawai‘i and to serve its communities.”
The consortium is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Partnerships for Research and Education in Materials and is comprised of 12 UH Mānoa faculty and 14 UW faculty.