Regents’ Faculty Award for Excellence for Collaboration in Public Service

Julia M. Ross, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, UMBC

Taryn M. Bayles, Professor of the Practice of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, UMBC

Bruce Jarrell, Vice Dean of Academic Affairs, University of Maryland School of Medicine

The University System of Maryland Board of Regents honors Julia M. Ross, associate professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, UMBC; Taryn M. Bayles, professor of the practice of chemical and biochemical engineering, UMBC; and Bruce Jarrell, vice dean of academic affairs, University of Maryland School of Medicine, for their unique collaborative program that seeks to increase awareness of and interest in engineering and science careers. Ross, Bayles and Jarrell are developing and implementing INSPIRES (INcreasing Student Participation, Interest and Recruitment in Engineering & Science), an innovative and engaging standards-based high school curriculum that uses state-of-the-art tools to present motivational and informative lessons for students.

The INSPIRES curriculum challenges students with an engineering design project that has real-world relevance and uses motivational video clips, an inquiry-based approach, relevant scientific and mathematical topics, self-pacing, interactive animations, online assessment questions and hands-on laboratory exercises. Engaging the student using a variety of methodologies targets a wide range of learning styles, makes the science interesting and enhances the learning experience. The team has also developed and conducted a teacher professional development program and is conducting research to determine how interactive and problem-solving simulations and real-world engineering challenges impact and facilitate student learning. The INSPIRES curriculum is currently being tested and evaluated in Maryland high schools. In-service professional development will also be conducted for teachers in Illinois, Pennsylvania and Maryland in summer 2006.

“The curriculum being developed is poised to have a broad impact throughout the state of Maryland and beyond,” said Shlomo Carmi, dean of UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology. “Its goals are noble and the hard work and dedication to public service necessary to achieve these goals are worthy of recognition.”