Harry Cheng: Making Math and Engineering Accessible to All
Posted by Rachel Steere on March 22, 2021
"Harry Cheng is a professor in the UC Davis Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and is the founder and director of the C-STEM (Computing, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Center.
The C-STEM Center develops computing technology, curriculum and educational strategies, and provides professional development and support for STEM teachers. These efforts extend to teachers without any prior coding and robotics experience to provide equitable access to integrating hands-on computing and robotics into classroom teaching. The curriculum provides K-12 students with up to 13 years of integrated learning of math and computer science. The center is a UC Approved Educational Preparation Program for Undergraduate Admission for both K-12 and community college students to all UC campuses.
'For the last decade my research has really focused on how to develop robotic assistance for educational use and curriculum,' said Cheng. 'I provide professional development because math is one of the most critical areas for student learning in K-12 and it is very important for the STEM field.'
Cheng started the center in 2010 after he reached out to the local school district to bring coding into their classrooms, but realized so many students were struggling in math. He saw there was a bigger challenge and suggested an engineering approach to change the way math was being taught."