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Industries of the Future Research Experience for High School Teachers

What’s New

  1. RET 2026 Brochure! Summer 2026 RET site is now open for applications from High School Teachers. Please scroll down to find more details about the RET application. The 2026 summer program will be from June 8 to July 17, 2026, mostly in UH Sugar Land Campus. The application deadline is March 23, 2026, but earlier applications are welcome as this helps our summer planning. We will review and interview on a rolling basis. 
  2. June 5, 2025: Thanks to the support of National Science Foundation, we have renewed our RET grant for another three summers (2026 – 2028).

Please visit our LinkedIn pages to learn the most recent photos.

Introduction

As a collaboration between the Cullen College of Engineering and the teachHOUSTON program, UH has renewed the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Teachers (RET) site grant serving local high school STEM teachers with a focus on Industries of the Future topics: NSF Award Search: Award # 2501700

We hosted RET site summer program in 2021-2023 for 3 summers. We are now ready to host the new RET site summer program in 2026-2028 for another 3 summers. Research topics hosted by the Engineering Technology (MET) faculty and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering faculty may include:

Most of the research mentors are now working in the new Sugar Land campus buildings. Activities include workshops, curriculum development, seminars, and field trips to local industry. The research experience will be incorporated into high school curriculum that meets Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) standard, and aligns with NGSS as well. Co-PI Dr. Dr. Paige Evans and Ms. Ramona Mateer will lead the guidance effort in transforming Industries of the Future research knowledge into high school curriculum, supported by the research mentors. The program will be assessed by Dr. Tomika Greer.

The program result will be disseminated through local teacher conferences. Each summer program participant will make one presentation in one conference or symposium. Each summer program participant will develop at least one high school course module that meets teachengineering.org standard for high school students.

Available Positions for High School Teachers Each Summer

Eight Teachers: Each receives a $1,400/week stipend for participation in the six-week summer program and $1,500 upon completion of the implementation and evaluation activities during the following academic year.

One Master Teacher: $1,500/week stipend. The Master Teacher will have a leadership role in the curriculum development process with a strong knowledge in TEKS, communication and problem solving skills, and a positive attitude. The Master Teacher provides assistance to other teachers in course module development and assessment and hosts Brown Bag Seminars.

Teachers will be responsible for their own lodging, parking, meal and travel expenses.

Every participant will receive a free 3D printer for use at the high school.

After summer, teachers will implement the course modules in their classroom and submit the complete course module to TeachEngineering.org. Teachers will also share experience with others through the annual RET symposium at UH. After these course development activities, each teacher will receive $1,500 course development fee.

 

How to Apply?

The following materials must be submitted for consideration before the application deadline:

  • Online Entry Form: Please fill this online form so we know your application is coming!
  • Application Form Please download and fill this form.
  • Applicant’s curriculum vitae
  • Applicant’s current STEM syllabus (one sample)
  • Reference letter from Principal/Assistant Principal: Please download and fill this form.
  • 1-2 page essay that addresses the following topics:
    • What are your main reasons for participating in this program?
    • What do you hope to gain from RET experience?
    • Describe professional leadership roles you have held.
    • If chosen, how would you implement your experience with fellow faculty and students?

To be considered for Master Teacher, the applicant must also submit one more 1-page essay describing:

  • Curriculum development experience
  • The biggest challenges for RET participants and how the Master Teacher can help them

Any questions, please send inquiry to the PI Dr. Weihang Zhu (wzhu13@uh.edu, or wzhu21@central.uh.edu)

 

RET 2021-2023 in Advanced Design and Manufacturing

  1. Mr. Duane Turner has presented his work as one of the 4 teachers to attend the NSF EEC Grantees Conference in September 2024. The cost of his attendance was covered by the conference. Congratulations!
  2. The RET site for design and manufacturing ran for 6 weeks from June 12 – July 21, 2023. Each teacher received $6,300 stipend and a free 3D printer from the 6-week summer program. The last cohort of teachers included 15 participants. They are implementing the course modules in the high schools now. This RET site has been archived.
  3. Mr. Apolinar Guevarra has presented his work as one of the 8 teachers to attend the NSF EEC Grantees Conference in September 2022. The cost of his attendance was covered by the conference. Congratulations!
  4. For Summer 2022 program, 12 High school STEM teachers have participated in engineering research in advanced design and manufacturing for 6 weeks from June 13 – July 22, 2022. As commented by the master teacher who has participated in 10 RET sites in the past, this is the best and most organized RET site he has ever attended!
  5. For Summer 2021 program, 12 High school STEM teachers have participated in engineering research in advanced design and manufacturing for 6 weeks from June 14 – July 23, 2021. To ensure the health and safety, all participants (teachers, students, professors) have been vaccinated (COVID-19 vaccine) before the summer program starts.

RET 2022 Symposium Posters (from the cohort of Summer 2021)

  1. The Novel Application of Hydrogel Technology for Human Optical Lens Replacement, by Ms. Christy Miller, Linden High School
  2. Analyzing Video Game Dynamics with Computation in Introductory Physics, by Mr. Jimmy Newland, Bellaire High School
  3. 3D Printed Vacuum Chamber for Solid-State Battery Testing, by Mr. Jason Williamson, Needville High School
  4. Integrating Music into Math Lessons, by Mr. Guoyang Shen, Milby High School
  5. 3D Printed Robotic Dog Controlled by Arduino, by Mr. Chun Kwan, Furr High School
  6. The Amazing Polymers, by Ms. Evelyn Valladolid, South Early College High School
  7. When am I going to use this in the real world, by Mr. Michael Chandler, Sam Houston Math Science Technology Center
  8. Engineering Composites, by Ms. Denise Scott, Ross Shaw Sterling Aviation Early College High School

TeachEngineering Publications by RET Teachers

From 2021 to 2023, thirty-nine teachers (36 regular teachers and 3 master teacher) participated in the summer RET program.

  1. Hold on to That Water! Making Biodegradable Hydrogel, – by Ms. Christy Miller, summer 2021
  2. Keep the Heat In! – by Mr. Jason Williamson, summer 2021
  3. Heat Transfer in Solar Dryers – by Mr. Roberto Dimaliwat, summer 2022
  4. Concrete Composites Lab – by Ms. Aerielle Rodriguez, summer 2022
  5. Robo-mentum: Mass, Velocity, and Momentum Relationships – by Mr. Diomil Haro, summer 2022
  6. What’s Your Angle? Assessing Wave Refractions – by Ms. Gunjan Gupta, summer 2022
  7. Let it Flow! Fluid Viscosity & Temperature – by Mr. Duane Turner, summer 2022
  8. Materials Matter – By Ms. Pillai Parvathy, summer 2022
  9. Power Drag Lab – by Mr. Roberto Dimaliwat, Summer 2023
  10. Paper Foot Physics – by Ms. Patricia McMorris, summer 2023
  11. Prototyping Engineering Solutions – by Mr. Khalfani Monmouth, summer 2023
  12. Using Biodegradable Leaves as Nontoxic Packing Material – By Mr. Sanjay Gupta, summer 2023
  13. Machine-Free Manufacturing – By Ms. Maggie Nance, summer 2023

 

Relevant Research Publications

  • Weihang Zhu, Roberto Dimaliwat, Dua Naim Chaker, Peter Weber, Christy Miller, Ellen Parish, Support Teacher Course Development through TeachEngineering Standards, American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference 2024, Portland, OR, June 2024
  • Weihang Zhu, Peter Weber, Development and Application of Assessment Tools for a Research Experience for Teachers Site, American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference 2023, Baltimore, MD, June 2023
  • Weihang Zhu, Huda Sarraj, Zheng Fan, Francisco Robles, Medhat El Nahas, Burak Basaran, Kamran Alba, Augustina Reyes, First Year Experience from RET Site: High School Teacher Experience in Engineering Design and Manufacturing, American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN, USA, June 26-29, 2022

Sponsor

National Science Foundation