Purdue College of Education Lands Record Grant

Carla Johnson will lead Purdue's part of the project.

Purdue University’s College of Education will receive more than $5 million for its part in a consortium. The funding is the largest award of its kind ever received by the department. Purdue will use the grant to evaluate a STEM-focused U.S. Army program.

The Education Outreach Program is designed to improve efforts in teaching research and engagement.

Leading the evaluation and associated research of the program is Associate Dean for Research, Engagement and Global Partnerships Carla Johnson. Her responsibilities include improving STEM literacy rates, providing resources to educators and developing infrastructure for sustainable STEM education outreach.

Battelle Memorial Institute is the lead organization for the decade-long national project. Johnson says "it is a great honor to partner with Battelle Memorial Institute and to serve as the evaluator of their expansive global STEM education portfolio. Millions of dollars are invested in these enrichment programs, competitions and apprenticeships annually. Through our research activities, Purdue not only will determine annual progress, but also will provide substantive feedback focused on continuous program improvement and innovation."