Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - The National Math and Science Institute (NMSI) has named the University of Wisconsin-Platteville a finalist for UTeach grant funding.

The NSMI launched the program in March 2007 and invited proposals for a replication of the UTeach program at the University of Texas Austin. UWP was among 29 universities invited to submit a final proposal from among 52 applicant universities.

"I think it reflects well on our programming and faculty. We are the only undergraduate-focused school and the only one in the upper Midwest invited to apply," said Tim Zauche, UWP professor of chemistry and principle investigator for the project. Zauche also pointed out that UWP is competing with schools such as University of California Berkeley and UCLA.

The first round of grants will be awarded in October, when NMSI will make awards up to 10 colleges of up to $2.4 million each over five years for the replication of science and math training programs. Zauche wrote the proposal in collaboration with a number of faculty in math, science and education disciplines, as well as other partners.

"Our partners on this grant are the Platteville School District, Milwaukee School District and Aldine Independent Schools in Texas. It's because of our excellent faculty and that we're able to work with school districts like this that we will make this program a huge success, if funded. This is an exciting opportunity for UWP," he said.

The NMSI initiative, started with a lead gift of $125 million from ExxonMobil, is designed to address the declining number of teachers qualified to effectively teach science, mathematics and computer sciences to K-12 students. The program encourages math and science majors to enter the teaching profession by offering a math and science degree plan integrated with teacher certification, financial assistance and early teaching experiences for undergraduates. The UTeach Institute will provide participating colleges and universities with course materials, operations manuals, and consultation and training. Eighty percent of the UTeach graduates from the University of Texas Austin who entered teaching four years ago are still teaching, compared with a 60 percent four-year retention rate nationally.

Anyone interested in learning more about the initiative may contact Zauche at (608) 342-1678 or zauchet@uwplatt.edu

Contact: Tim Zauche, professor, UWP Department of Chemistry, (608) 342-1678, zauchet@uwplatt.edu Prepared by: Evelyn Martens, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, martense@uwplatt.edu