Michigan Tech will host high school teachers from all over the US in its new Teachers' Earth Science Institute, thanks to a five-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation.

During the institutes, which will be held during the summer from 2001 through 2005, secondary teachers will team up with University researchers and engineers to conduct original research, both in the lab and in the field. Topics will range from geological exploration to mining engineering to mineral processing.

Institute graduates will return to their high school classes with new teaching ideas and experiments, plus a fresh perspective on an old profession.

"Mining conjures up images of guys with hard hats and pick axes," said Professor Francis Otuonye (Mining Engineering), the project director. "But in the last few decades, mining has become a high-tech, global industry. And as a society, we forget how much we depend on mining for everything from the metals and minerals used in manufacturing to the gems that make up our finest jewelry."

"We hope that these teachers will pass on a better appreciation for the mining industry to their students, and that they in turn might consider it as a career."

The idea for the Teachers' Earth Science Institutes came about as "part of our never-ending effort to recruit mining engineering students," Otuonye laughed. While demand for mining engineers remains strong, it's not a field that automatically engenders a lot of interest among students searching for a major. The Mining Engineering Department Industrial Advisory Board had suggested that he go on the road to talk with high school teachers about MTU's mining engineering program. Otuonye reasoned that it would be even more effective to show teachers the University and introduce them first-hand to the latest developments in earth science education. Then, they could generate some excitement in their students, both for mining engineering and for Michigan Tech. "We may be able to attract students from parts of the country that we don't usually reach," he said.

Michigan Tech is uniquely situated to offer the summer institutes. "It's not just because we have a heritage as a mining school," Otuonye said. "We have the only mining program in the Upper Midwest, we have a vibrant faculty in all the related departments, and our summers are fantastic."

In addition to the NSF grant, industry donors Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., Red Metal Minerals, and Minntec, plus SME-The Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration Inc., are contributing $152,000 to support the Teachers' Earth Science Institutes. Michigan Tech is providing additional support, bringing the total institute funding to $2.2 million. Co-principal investigators for the grant are Fritz Erickson, former chair of the Department of Education; and Richard Tieder, former projects manager in the Institute of Materials Processing.

Back to Main page