Georgia Southern secures prestigious National Science Foundation Grant for innovative STEM research, education and outreach
Georgia Southern University’s Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing and College of Education are teaming up to bring the latest innovative research on renewable energy to STEM educators and their classrooms across Georgia.
That’s all thanks to a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to establish the Engaging Educators in Renewable Energy (ENERGY) program. The funds will be used to develop a three-year-long initiative that will bring Valentin Soloiu, Ph.D.’s energy research into high school and technical college classrooms.
Soloiu and engineering graduate students from Georgia Southern will conduct research related to renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigating climate change, covering topics like renewable and alternative energy (solar and wind), climate change, enhanced energy technologies and the development of sensors and controls for energy applications and smart grids.
Soloiu, the Allen E. Paulson Distinguished Chair of Renewable Energy, will be joined by mechanical engineering professor Mosfequr Rahman, Ph.D. and Elise Cain, Ph.D., director of the Educational Leadership Program in the College of Education, in developing the program.
“The core requirement is to conduct state-of-the-art, transformative research in science and engineering,” explained Soloiu. “After that is complete, we bring high school and technical college teachers in to translate this research into classroom-ready modules.”
Teachers will be selected from a large pool of statewide applicants to work alongside faculty and graduate students from the College of Engineering and Computing. They’ll also receive funds to incorporate that research into their curriculum.
Soloiu will oversee the program as the principal investigator, with Cain serving as the education lead, bringing a multidisciplinary approach to the program.
“I think interdisciplinary collaborations are vital in academic work,” noted Cain. “Faculty from the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing contribute their technical knowledge and skills related to renewable energy, while I bring my College of Education perspectives on educational contexts and pedagogy. Working together allows us to create a robust program with immediate and lasting impacts.”
Educators will visit local companies and interact with leaders in renewable energy, such as Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah and Rolls-Royce Power Systems in Aiken, South Carolina. These experiences are designed to help teachers share career opportunities with students they might not otherwise encounter.
“This program reflects the essence of our institutional mission,” said Cain. “It’s about discovery, teaching, and community engagement—all grounded in excellence and innovation.”
Soloiu echoed those sentiments.
“Many teachers and students in rural areas don’t even know what we do here at Georgia Southern,” explained Soloiu. “By engaging with educators directly, we’re creating awareness, inspiration, and pipelines to higher education and high-tech careers. This is reflective of the University’s dedication to our communities as we move towards R1 status.”
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