(381d) Education and Outreach Activities: Renewable Energy from Forest Resources

The National Science Foundation (NSF) funds projects in a multidisciplinary research program titled MUSES (Materials Use: Science, Engineering and Society). MUSES funds new multidisciplinary activities that encourage researchers in engineering, physical and life sciences, social and behavioral sciences, economics, mathematics, and education to reach beyond their disciplinary boundaries in order to address complex issues related to materials use in the environment. In 2005, MTU was awarded a $1.7 million grant from the NSF MUSES program titled ?Renewable Energy from Forest Resources: An Investigation of the Complex Interrlelated Issues Associated with Generating Automotive Fuels from Lignocellulosic Biomass?. The education and outreach goals for this program include;

a) Expand sustainable development education into undergraduate and graduate curricula at MTU leading to broader understanding of sustainability and biocomplexity.

b) Offer innovative research and mentoring opportunities for middle/high school students.

c) Offer real-world career experiences for university students.

d) Develop K-12 and informal science education programs that address biocomplexity and sustainability issues.

e) Expand citizen awareness of the consequences of unsustainable decisions and generate a public willingness for sustainable decisions.

Details of these education and outreach programs will be presented.