A Cal Poly chemistry professor is among three U.S. university faculty to be awarded the national James Flack Norris Award for outstanding teaching in chemistry by the American Chemical Society. Dr. Phil Costanzo is being recognized for his work with the American Chemical Society's Macromolecular Alliance for Community Resources & Outreach for achievements in chemistry education and its extensive, sustained impact on the polymer education community.  Costanzo’s work has included broad educational outreach through guidance for K-12 instructors and higher education teachers providing developmental instruction. “There are people who now need to teach polymer science who have never taken a class in polymer science,” Costanzo said. “That can be intimidating. So, we'll help people develop full curriculum at a high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels.”

The use of technology to improve quality of life and education is one of the great challenges of the 21st century. In this context, the project led by Rafael Berlanga, professor in the Department of Computer Languages and Systems, and Lledó Museros Cabedo, senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the Universitat Jaume I, investigates how to apply explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) to promote healthy habits, enhance cognitive abilities and foster social inclusion.

This research, included in the XAI4SOC-UJI project and funded by the 2021 State Scientific Research Plan, responds to the call of the United Nations General Assembly's Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030), which promotes the empowerment of older people to remain active citizens, while educating young people in values and habits that improve well-being. In this context, XAI4SOC-UJI combines advanced technologies, such as cognitive video games and conversational systems, to help adolescents in particular to develop spatial reasoning skills and to recognise and manage emotions.

China’s “double reduction” policy, launched in 2021, seeks to ease student stress by limiting homework and curbing off-campus tutoring. Early results show reduced anxiety and greater parent satisfaction, yet challenges remain. Teacher workloads have increased, resource gaps persist in rural schools, and underground tutoring continues. Sustained progress will require systemic reforms and collaboration among schools, families, and policymakers to ensure balanced, high-quality education for all.

For ten weeks, these Summer Fellows will study in the laboratories of MMRI’s principal investigators (PI) gaining invaluable scientific research experience.