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Education

Smart Lighting Engineering Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

To support the Center's vision, the ERC education program seeks to prepare an interdisciplinary community of students for successful competition in the global economy. ERC students engage in hands-on and minds-on learning in a rigorous and challenging academic environment, with problem-based learning experiences that connect fundamental engineering knowledge from a variety of disciplines; best practices in design, product development, and entrepreneurship; and contemporary engineering tools. A systems approach to framing and solving problems is followed, integrating sound technical fundamentals, business considerations, understanding of social and environmental impacts, and the needs of a technical workforce prepared to make difficult systems-level tradeoffs.

The SMART LIGHTING Education, Outreach, and Diversity program plans are highly interconnected within our educational culture, which features: (1) exceptional research based on strong fundamental science; (2) active, regular engagement with industry, research labs, domestic and international universities, K-14 schools, and museums; and (3) commitment to an ever more diverse student body and workforce. Based on the Mobile Studio and other educational materials, we are developing a portfolio of learning modules that can be utilized at all educational levels in all educational venues and that incorporate significant experimentation and numerical modeling in addition to traditional paper-and-pencil problem solving.

Our ERC education and outreach programs have five basic components, listed below:

• Science you can see builds on the suitability of light for a fully engaging visual experience with strong societal impact. Because of the visual accessibility of the science and engieering of light, students will be attracted to the promise of smart lighting and become enthusiastic advocates working with the communities of potential future students, engineers, scientists, and other ERC partners.
• Learn by teaching builds on the principle that teaching educates educators. All graduate students and researchers will be involved in developing and delivering education to a wide variety of formal and informal venues to enhance their learning and to develop the skills necessary to work in other educational cultures.
• Beyond research offers education in innovation in a global economy through training in and a practical appreciation for effective communications, intellectual property, entrepreneurship, working and living cultures, and the rudiments of effective teaching and educational assessment.
• Courses in smart lighting and related fundamental disciplines will be developed to fully prepare our undergraduate and graduate students to pursue their research and careers. Modules will be developed for introductory and core courses in the engineering and science programs in which Center faculty teach.
• Special educational opportunities will include summer programs as part of Beyond Research, internships, student and faculty exchanges, Chautauqua, REU, and RET programs that engage ERC students, potential students, and their teachers.

All partner universities monitor existing outreach activities at their institutions to identify opportunities for participation by SMART LIGHTING students and investigators. For smart lighting to achieve its promise, a new generation of engineers that better reflects the demographic makeup of the US population as a whole will be required to develop and transfer this technology into the marketplace. As a new ERC, we will focus initially on engaging the various elements of our educational program in mature existing outreach activities at our six institutions, including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's (RPI's) Black Family Technology Awareness Day, Boston University's (BU's) Summer Challenge Program for High School Students, the Black Engineer of the Year Awards Council of ECE Chairs' Meeting in Baltimore, and Morgan State University's Maryland Junior Science & Humanities Symposium and Regional High School Feeder Program.

ERC research facilities will be used by undergraduate and graduate students at all levels who are directly involved in SMART LIGHTING research. Participants in REU, RET, and Young Scholars programs will also work in these facilities, under the guidance of graduate students or staff. In addition, each partner university will develop and maintain attractive and accessible facilities that are part of at least one of the research testbeds, the use of which will be integrated into smart lighting-relevant courses. These facilities will be updated continuously and will serve as an introductory experience and venue for outreach activities at all partner schools. It will be possible to participate in some activities in these facilities at a distance through the ERC's website.