The innovation engine for new materials

RET - Research Experience for Teachers

The 2013 RET program is scheduled to run June 17 to July 26.  For more information including proposed summer 2013 dates and stipend information please see the "Summer 2013 RET info" pdf to the right.  

In the MRL RET program secondary school teachers participate in MRL laboratory research under the mentorship of MRL graduate, post-doctoral and faculty researchers. Teachers work collaboratively to translate their research experiences into the development of new investigative lab projects for science classrooms.

For the first summer of the MRL RET program (RET1), teachers are placed as interns in research groups for 6 weeks. For the second summer of participation (RET2), teachers work for 4 weeks developing a science curriculum for publication and presentation to their colleagues. The goal of these investigative units will be to encourage students to collect scientific data, make responsible conclusions about their meaning and communicate their findings to other students.

The investigative teaching resources developed by the teachers will be presented at annual workshops for science teachers throughout the Santa Barbara County area. The next workshop will be in March 2013.
INQUIRIES ABOUT THIS PROGRAM? PLEASE CONTACT Frank Kinnaman.

An Education Project at the Materials Research Laboratory
Sponsored by the National Science Foundation

Current RET Curriculum Projects

A set of Activities Exploring Synthetic and Environmentally-friendly Polymers, their Properties and Applications
This compact two week long high school chemistry curriculum provides basic lessons on polymers addressing CST standards as well as extension activities that focus on...
Examples of open source technology in the science classroom
This project is an exploration of emerging hardware and software projects which share a common theme of being “open source” projects.  Along with being generally innovative...
Quantitative Real-World Inquiry Topics: Fireworks, Pickles and X-Ray Guns
  This portfolio includes three inquiry-based lab modules focusing on atomic structure, solution conductivity and astronomical spectroscopy.  These modules allow students to...

Current RET Research Projects

Studying the Evolution of Mating Systems in Clarkia
This summer I had a great experience working in the Mazer Lab with great mentors and fellow interns. The Mazer lab is studying the evolution of mating systems in Clarkia. ...
Do Adhesive Mussel Plaque Proteins have Antimicrobial Properties?
In the summer of 2012, I assisted PH.D. candidate Nadine R. Martinez Rodriguez on a project to investigate the adhesive plaques of marine mussels. We were primarily working...
Reducing Platinum Content in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells rely upon the expensive metal Platinum as a catalyst for the anodic and cathodic electrochemical reactions.  Widespread adoption and use...
Micropatterned hydrogels in microfluidic devices
I had the opportunity to gain research experience by developing and characterizing micro-patterned hydrogels with Joel Paustian in the Squires Lab in the Chemical Engineering...