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The Technology Transfer Program
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A. On Assumption’s Campus
Careers in Transportation: In our second year the Center
began to work with the Student Development Office on ways to encourage
student exploration of career opportunities in the transportation
industry. The Student Development Office has acquired print materials
to support this effort and with UTC assistance and the Central Massachusetts
Transportation Association has continued to network with persons
in the industry as well as with the Boston and Central Massachusetts
Chapters of the Women’s Transportation Seminar. The UTC is
cooperating with the Student Development and Alumni Offices in creating
a roster of alumni in the industry, a resource that can be used
to help students understand the route from the B.A. to transportation
career. This roster is not yet complete but the data that has been
seen illustrates that many Alumni are involved in transportation-related
careers.
Campus Ecology Club: The Campus Ecology Club expanded its
membership during the year. Focus was on the process of recycling
in the dorms and how to educate the students to this process. Newspaper
bins were setup in the dorms for recycling and there was some success
with this project.
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B. Throughout the Region
Summer Workshop for Middle School Teachers: Summer Workshop
for Middle School Teachers: In July 2002, the Education Department
and the UTC conducted a workshop, Railroad Ties in the Blackstone
Valley, to develop materials for the Heritage Harbor Museum mentioned
above. The focus was on the Impact of the Providence & Worcester
Railroad on Transportation, Communities, Immigration, Industry, Inventions
and the Environment of the Blackstone Valley. Six middle school teachers
explored resources and developed curriculum packets of lesson plans,
unit plans, and/or teaching resources. The outcome of their work will
benefit not only the Heritage Harbor Museum but also the teachers
and their students.
Research Conference, May 2003: On 31 May, the principal investigators
of those research projects awarded for the year 2002-2003 presented
their findings to a gathering of colleagues in education, transportation
and environmental affairs. Teachers, students, environmentalists and
transportation professionals gathered to hear and discuss the variety
of ways in which the Center’s theme was incorporated into science,
math and social studies classrooms K-12. Those attending the conference
were pleased with the results of the first year’s research efforts,
results that provide models for incorporating the Center’s theme
in classrooms across the nation.
UTC Lecture Series: The Center’s annual public lecture
series was given in cooperation with the Continuing Education Program
at the College. This year’s topic was “Security and Convenience
in Transportation – Post 9/11”. The presentation was a
panel discussion moderated by Dr. Jed Watters of Assumption College.
Guest panelists were Eric Waldron, Worcester’s Airport Director,
Stewart Dalzell, Deputy Director Planning for Massport and other invited
guests.
Conferences: The Center’s Associate Director has been
active throughout the year in a variety of outreach activities including
presenting and exhibiting at the Massachusetts Association of Science
Teachers Annual Meeting, exhibiting at the Massachusetts Environmental
Education Society’s Annual Meeting and networking at the Technology
Education Association of Massachusetts Annual Meeting. The Center’s
Associate Director was also invited to participate in “The Picnic”,
presented by Family and Friends of Transportation in June 2002. As
a family event, many parents and children stopped at the display and
picked up various materials on transportation.
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| C. Throughout the Nation
The Center’s Data Base: The database developed in the
Center’s first year has been reorganized and expanded in the
past three years to include educators, environmentalists and transportation
professionals beyond the twin-state region. The database now includes
1,750 records representing college and university departments and
faculty, schools and educators (K-12), government and non-government
organizations and personnel.
The Center’s Website: The website continues to be upgraded
in order to act as a national educational resource for teachers,
environmentalists and transportation professionals. On-going exploration
has increased the number of links on the Educational Resources pages
for teachers and expanded the number of links related to the Center’s
theme on the Students (K-12) pages for young people. The Technology
Transfer pages now contain links to several of the completed research
projects that can serve as models for curricular developments in
classrooms across the nation. These now include “Exploring
Our New Neighborhood – Our Community’s Growth and Changes,”
“Worcester Earn-A-Bike,” “Student Conducted Studies
of Catalytic Electrode Surfaces for Fuel Cell Applications”,
“Sub-Watershed Hydrologic Study of the Worcester Area”,
“Testing of Road-runoff Rainwater for Heavy Metals and Petroleum
by Schools and Volunteer Groups”, and “Green and Clean”.
Links to descriptions and photos of other Center-sponsored events
such as the
in-service program for teachers, “Classroom on Rails,”
and the Transportation Career Exposition are also posted on the
Technology Transfer pages in order to encourage educators, environmentalists
and transportation professionals to consider such projects for their
schools and organizations.
Transportation Research Board: The Center’s director
attended the annual meeting of the TRB in Washington, D.C., January
2003. The Center did not have a student involved in research that
met the requirements for the Student of the Year Award.
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C. International Outreach
The Center’s Director was unable to attend the International
Environmental Association’s Conference this year. |
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