Research, Grants, & Projects

WPT RET Teacher presenting research findings beside a large academic poster display, pointing to charts and graphs during a poster session. The poster includes data visualizations, graphs, and text panels related to concrete material research, while another attendee stands in the foreground listening.

Research informed by Practice, Practice informed by Research

The STEM Education Center pairs education research to the practice of STEM teaching and learning in a reinforcing cycle. We contribute to the advancement of STEM education as both researchers and practitioners.

Preview

Two side-by-side images of hands-on STEM learning activities. In the left image, two individuals work together at a laboratory bench with scientific equipment, tubing, and containers. In the right image, two individuals collaborate at a classroom table, using markers and examining small objects as part of a design or engineering activity. The images highlight collaborative, experiential learning in laboratory and classroom settings.

 

CONTACT
STEM Education Center at WPI
100 Institute Rd
STEM Education Center
Worcester, MA 01609
Location: 157 West Street
Phone: 508-831-5512

Research Projects

the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals  Logo

The NSF Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) supports authentic summer research experiences in WPI faculty labs for middle/high school in-service and pre-service teachers. RET participants enhance their scientific disciplinary knowledge and translate their research experiences into classroom lesson plans in Integrated STEM.  

The research focuses on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) for an integrated approach of learning and doing science, math, and engineering through real-world problems that focus on people and the planet. 

TPP Go and Teach Logo

The GoATeach (Go And Teach) NSF Noyce Scholarship Program offers WPI undergrads in the Teacher Preparation Program scholarships their last two years of college and teaching-related internships with partners in the local community. 

 The Noyce grant also investigates how community-based teaching experiences and culturally responsive pedagogy training attract, prepare, and retain STEM undergraduates to teach in urban, high-need school districts. 

Seeds of STEM Program Problem Panda Logo

Seeds of STEM (SoS) is an integrated STEM curriculum for grades PK-K, developed by a team of teachers and researchers from WPI, Holy Cross, and Worcester Head Start.  

 SoS was included in two of the 2020 Institute of Education Sciences (IES) five guides of learning innovations that are ready for classroom use. Contact Mia, mdubosarsky@wpi.edu, with any questions. 

Consulting and Partnering on PK-12 STEM Education and Research Broader Impacts 

We support WPI students and faculty by sharing our knowledge, resources, and connections to PK-12 schools and local community organizations to assist projects (IQPs, MQPs) and research Broader Impact plans. Get started with our consultation form.

Our team members also routinely give guest lectures, seminars, and workshops on 

  • PK-20+ STEM education, pedagogy, or teacher training 
  • research mentor trainings (e.g., creating inclusive research lab environments) 
  • research impacts for societal benefits (i.e., crafting Broader Impact plans)

 Make requests through our consultation form.

ARIS Advancing Research Impact in Society logo

We are part of the ARIS (Advancing Research Impact in Society) community and support WPI researchers with their broader impacts as a consultant and/or partner. Areas include teacher training, curriculum development, connections to schools and teachers, educational materials and events for the public, and access to STEM experiences for underserved communities. Fill out our interest form to get started!

The work of the STEM Education Center has been recognized on state and national levels through contracts and grants. We also contribute to the existing body of knowledge about STEM education through scholarly presentations and publications of our work. 

Grants 

The STEM Education Center team members (bolded below) are PIs, co-PIs, and Senior Personnel of multiple grants each year. Click on the categories below to find out more about our research projects.

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Educator Leadership & Mentorship
Student Success & Access
Integrated STEM Classroom Materials
Teacher Preparation

 

Scholarly Work

The STEM Education Center team members (and collaborators) routinely present their work at conferences and through publications. 

 

Publications and Presentation
  • K.C. Chen, N. Robertson,  T.F. Bruckerhoff, J. DiBonaventura, & T. Noviello, “Partnering with Community-Based Organizations to Support Pre-Service Teachers in developing Competencies in Culturally Responsive Teaching and Family Engagement (Work in Progress),” ASEE 2025.  
  • J. A. Rosewitz, K.C. Chen, D. Boucher, B. Raphino, “Change from within, not tearing down walls: Small S-STEM program success instigates institutional-level change at a private STEM university,” ASEE 2025.  
  • K.C. Chen, T.F. Bruckerhoff, J. DiBonaventura, N. Robertson, & T. Noviello, “Integrating Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) competencies and approaches across a Teacher Preparation Program through a NSF Noyce program,” ASEE 2025. 
  • Y. D. Telliel, & K.C. Chen, (2025), “Ruminations on the NSF Broader Impacts Criterion: A Dialogue with Academic Researchers and Broader Impacts Professionals,” Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 17(2). 
  • T. Davis, N. Sann, M. Dubosarsky, S. Kayumova, & K.C. Chen, “Rosie’s Walk: A Culturally Responsive Computational Thinking PK-1 Challenge (Resource Exchange) ,” ASEE 2024.  
  • K.C. Chen, D. Taylor, & E. Solovey, “Research Experiences for Teachers (RET): Engineering for People and the Planet as Inspiration to Teach Integrated STEM,” ASEE 2024. 
  • K.C. Chen, H. McDevitt, H. Vedogbeton, D. Boucher, A. Lane, B. Raphino, and O. Ayobami, “Imagining and Co-designing a Supportive College Experience for First Generation Students through an NSF S-STEM Program,” ASEE 2023. 
  •  T. A. Butler, R. Meadows, K. C. Chen, and S. Sontgerath, (2021, January). Empowering Women in STEM through Research and Mentorship in a Multi-Tiered Program. In 2021 CoNECD. 
  • M. Dubosarsky and J.H. Hubelbank.  “Elements that Support and Hinder the Development and Implementation of a School-wide/District-wide STEM Integration Program (Evaluation),”   ASEE 2018.