Principal Investors

UC Senior Personnel
2008-2009

Description of Position

Length of Time Worked on Project

Institutional Affiliation and Position

Contribution statement

1. Anant R. Kukreti

Lead PI

> 160 hours

Associate Dean for Engineering Education Research and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Cincinnati

Dr. Anant R. Kukreti is the Project Director.  He is the Principal Investigator of Project STEP, and serves as the liaison with NSF.  He coordinates, with assistance for the Grant Coordinator, all project activities including: fellow selection, training and school placement; school and teacher selection; monthly meeting at the schools (in rotation) with the school teacher coordinators; bi-weekly PI meetings; IT coordination for the project; organization of the fellow showcase, technology workshop, and open house; meeting with the project oversight committee; and preparation of the annual reports submitted to NSF.
Dr. Kukreti is the Associate Dean for Engineering Education Research in the College of Engineering and is a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at UC.  He served as Head of CEE from August 2000 to August 2006 after working for 22 years in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, serving as its Acting Director from 1996-1999.  He teaches computer and experimental modeling of structures for earthquake studies.  He has received two Professorships, and won four University and two ASEE Teaching Awards.  He has substantial research funding record (55 for $10,378,936), and technical publications (121 refereed papers, 36 major project reports, 36 conference presentations, and 2 book chapters).  He is currently a PI for 5 NSF educational grants for $3.7 Million.  He has supervised 9 Ph.D. (7 hold teaching positions) and 34 M.S. thesis students, and is currently supervising 2 Ph.D. and 4 M.S. students.

2. Richard A. Miller

Co-PI

> 160 hours

Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Cincinnati

With assistance from other faculty members in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Fellows' research advisors and the secondary school teachers, Dr. Miller advises the Fellows with the content base in order to design, develop, and implement the activities for Project STEP related to an overarching theme of a city. Dr. Miller coordinates activities related to the design of civil infrastructure systems, (e.g., buildings, bridges, transportation, etc.).
Dr. Miller is Professor in the Department of CEE, UC.  He is a faculty member in the area of structural engineering and civil engineering materials.  His main research focus is concrete materials, prestressed and reinforced concrete, testing and evaluation of structures, bridges.

3. Daniel B. Oerther

Co-PI

> 160 hours

Associate Professor and Head, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Cincinnati

     With assistance from other faculty members in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Fellows' research advisors and the secondary school teachers, Dr. Oerther advises the Fellows with the content base in order to design, develop, and implement the activities for Project STEP related to an overarching theme of a city. Dr. Oerther coordinates activities related to sustainable environment with emphasis on social consequences of technology decisions. It includes water cycle, water quality, and stream biology and ecology within the context of a river watershed, e.g., the Ohio River.  Master Engineering Educator and Professor, CEE, CoE, UC.
          Dr. Oerther's research and teaching are in the fields of environmental biotechnology and sustainable development.  He has been a member of the faculty at UC for eight years.  Dr. Oerther has won a number of major national awards including: NSF CAREER and US Department of State Fulbright Fellowship.  Dr. Oerther is internationally recognized as an emerging leader in his research and teaching (PI or Co-PI on forty projects for more than $5million; 50+ refereed papers, 150+ conference publications, and 5+ book chapters).  He is currently PI or Co-PI on 6 externally funded grants from NSF, USEPA, and NIH.  He has supervised 7 M.S. thesis and 2 Ph.D. students to completion, and is currently advising 5 M.S. and 5 Ph.D. students. In 2008 he served as Head of the Department of CEE.

4. Thaddeus W. Fowler

Co-PI

> 160 hours

Professor Emeritus of Education, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, University of Cincinnati

Co-Director, South West Ohio Center of Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education

 

Dr. Fowler coordinates the educational pedagogical training of the fellows at UC and works with the school Sites and administrators to facilitate the work of the Fellows. Dr. Fowler works closely with the coordinator to ensure Fellow development, scheduling and other aspects of Project STEP.
Dr, Fowler is Professor Emeritus, Division of Teacher Education, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, UC.  Currently he is co-directing the SW Ohio Center of Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education, developing working partnerships with school districts, other institutions of higher education, and business and industry in support of STEM education.  He has developed and manages the UC alternative route to licensure program for engineers and other STEM professionals who are transitioning to a career in education.

5. Catherine Maltbie

Co-PI

> 160 hours

Research Associate for Evaluation Services at the University of Cincinnati

Dr. Maltbie is a Research Associate at University of Cincinnati Evaluation Services Center (UCESC), which is part of the Ohio Evaluation and Assessment Center for Science and Mathematics Education established by the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR). Dr. Maltbie replaced Dr. Soled, starting July 1, 2008 as the person in-charge for coordinating the evaluation activities for Project STEP. Dr. Matlbie has a unique combination of educational and industry experience; a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and an EdD in Educational Studies – Psychology. She has taught Human Learning, Assessment & Evaluation and Statistics courses. Dr. Maltbie has coordinated numerous evaluations for projects related to K-16 education, educational technology and STEM education, including College of Education’s CERTI2 grant and numerous NSF grants in the College of Engineering.

6. Ken Simonson

Co-PI

> 160 hours

Director of Academics for the Emerging Ethnic Engineers (E3) Program, College of Engineering, University of Cincinnati

Mr. Kenneth Simonson is the Director of Academics for the Emerging Ethnic Engineers Program (E3), and has worked with the program for 20 years; he is responsible for all programmatic initiatives associated with academic development and support for underrepresented students in the E3 Program. He is also responsible for coordinating all E3 Pre-college programs.  Mr. Simonson is currently Co-PI on the following grant awards; National Science Foundation TYP1A STEP Project for “Enhancing Recruitment of Underrepresented Engineering Undergraduates”, National Science Foundation GK-12 Fellows for Track 2 Project: Building STEMcinnati, National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, totaling $4,400,000.  He is also Co-PI for the National Science Foundation Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation “The Ohio Science and Engineering Alliance”, a consortium of fifteen universities working in collaboration with federal, state, and community agencies to double the number of underrepresented minorities students who earn bachelor’s degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields and to encourage more of our degree recipients to pursue graduate study in these fields.

Mr. Simonson is also an adjunct instructor in the African American Studies Department and serves on the following University of Cincinnati committee; Co-Chair of Assessment and Accountability Sub-committee of President’s Diversity Council, Strategic Enrollment Management for Success Challenge, First Year Experience and Retention, University of Research Undergraduate Research Council and Co-Chair for University of Cincinnati United Way Campaign.
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