Graduate student Reggie Archer recently received a 2006-2007 LEAPS (Let’s Explore Applied Physical Science) Graduate Fellowship. The outreach program enables UCSB graduate and undergraduate “fellows” to act as instructors and mentors in local eighth and ninth grade science classes. The program is funded by a National Science Foundation GK-12 program (Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education) grant which Dr. Elisabeth Gwinn of the Physics Department and Dr. Fiona Goodchild of the Materials Research Laboratory successfully applied for in 2002. “The UCSB proposal earned a three-year grant of $1.2m, the only such award granted to a California university. In local schools, LEAPS aims to increase the number of investigative activities and experiments conducted by local students and to encourage more Grade 8 students to complete science fair projects. On campus, LEAPS hopes to develop research scientists, engineers, and educators with the knowledge and experience to effectively interface with K-12 schools and communicate scientific ideas to the public”). The full NSF Graduate Fellowship of $30,000 per year includes tuition and fees, as well as health insurance. Congratulations and kudos to Reggie!
