Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Summer Programs for Educators: Accepting Applications!

The Education and Outreach area of GLBRC supports and collaborates on a diverse array of programs, which complement our mission and goals. These programs mainly address the needs of K-12 and undergraduate learning communities, and topically address bioenergy-related issues ranging from biotechnology to sustainability. Click on the title to be redirected to the programs website or for more information.

**Now accepting applications for our 2012 Summer Institute and RET Program! Read below for details.**

Research Experience for Teachers (RET) (UW): Accepting Applications!
The RET allows teachers to spend six weeks on campus in the summer (July 9-Aug. 18) to develop a classroom lab or activity related to bioenergy. Participants work with their mentor scientist to conduct bioenergy research and then collaborate with the mentor and the E&O staff to create a related activity to be used in a school setting. Read about previous RET participant experiences in the following article: A Summer in the Lab.

Bioenergy Institute for Educators (UW): Accepting Applications!
In this one-week Institute (Aug. 13-18), teams of educators explore core areas of GLBRC research, get hands-on experience with our education materials, and delve into the development of inquiry-based classroom activities. The Summer Institute is trageted primarily toward grades 6-12 educators and features numerous field trips, workshops and labs. Check out this article about the 2012 institute:Building Bioenergy Savvy Educators.

The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) will direct an undergraduate program at UW-Madison during the summer of 2012. This program is part of the IBS-SRP (Integrated Biological Sciences - Summer Research Program) which provides students an opportunity to conduct research as well as interact with peers in an interdisciplinary learning community. Participating undergraduate students will spend ten weeks conducting full-time research. Example study areas include microbial conversion of biomass to biofuels, genomics, enzymology, protein structure, molecular biology, plant breeding, and ecological analysis.
Article: A Summer in the Lab

The Sustainability Thrust of the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) will offer a summer undergraduate research program at the Kellogg Biological Station (KBS), Michigan State University, focusing on the sustainability of biofuels. In addition to working with a mentor on an individual research project, students will participate in weekly discussions focusing on environmental, ecological, and economic implications of alternative biofuel practices. Students also will meet researchers working on different aspects of biofuel production, from engineering systems to molecular biology, and take field trips to production facilities. Students will present their research finding in a community-wide poster session at the end of the program.

Summer Research Experience in Bioenergy (MSU):
The ten week programis designed to give students experience in the theory and practice of bioenergy in the areas of biology, chemistry, chemical engineering and computational sciences. It includes a variety of projects and participating laboratories and will collaborate with the field-oriented KBS summer research experience (described above) for common experiences. While the main emphasis is on gaining laboratory experience, the ten week program includes informal lectures from faculty and social activities. For more information please contact Professor Jonathan Walton (walton@msu.edu).

“Bioenergy: Sustainability Opportunities and Challenges” (UW-Madison Agronomy 375, Fall 2010) is a three-credit undergraduate course that explores a wide range of interdisciplinary issues associated with bioenergy. There is a strong focus on systems perspectives and understanding the complexities that are involved and so typical for modern scientific and technological challenges. The potential for future biofuels to be a renewable energy source and to mitigate global climate change is highlighted. This course is a part of the UW-Madison FIG program (First-Year Interest Group, http://figs.wisc.edu/), and all the students also take 1st semester General Chemistry and Environmental Studies: People and Resources. READ MORE