Biotechnology Research Incubator for Teachers and Students

The three-week pilot program represented an enhancement over the previous two-week initiative, tailored for training middle and high school teachers. This hands-on research technology training experience was complemented by activities involving scientific literature reading and professional development, all aimed at advancing educators’ proficiency in delivering impactful science education in schools.

• Program director: Shixia Huang, Ph.D.
• Co-directors: Katherine Harris, B.S. and Fred A. Pereira, Ph.D.
   

Teachers fostered critical-thinking and problem-based solving skills to unlock the student’s passions for science and innovation in science, technology engineering, mathematics and medicine (STEMM) education. In this program, the teachers are exposed to authentic, cutting-edge biotechnologies and mentored by research scientists and STEMM specialists to translate their workshop experiences into direct collaborative, problem-based learning classroom experiences for their students.

• Program director: Shixia Huang, Ph.D.
• Co-directors: Katherine Harris, B.S., and Fred A. Pereira, Ph.D.

BRITE Biotechnology Research High School Student Symposium was an opportunity for students to organize their research work into a structured abstract and present their research in a poster or PowerPoint format to their peers and mentors. Through participating in the symposium, high school students learned how to write a scientific abstract and make a poster or a PowerPoint presentation for conferences.

• The abstracts presented in 2022 were by high school students who conducted biotechnology research projects at Baylor College of Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Southern University and New York University.
• Program director and symposium chair: Shixia Huang, Ph.D.
• Symposium co-chair: Crystal Shin, Ph.D.

Collaborating with Dr. Daniel Kainer at the Lone Star College Biotechnology Institute, BCM-BRITE offered biotechnology education for community college students, including lectures, advance technology field trips and internship opportunities.

• Program director: Shixia Huang, Ph.D.