Paper ID #31726 Building the Bioengineering Experience for Science Teachers (BEST) Program (Work in Progress, Diversity) Dr. Miiri Kotche, University of Illinois at Chicago Miiri Kotche is a Clinical Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and cur- rently serves as Director of the Medical Accelerator for Devices Laboratory (MAD Lab) at the UIC Innovation Center. Prior to joining the faculty at UIC, she worked in new product development for medi- cal devices, telecommunications and consumer products. She also serves as co-Director of the Freshman Engineering Success Program, and is actively involved in engineering outreach for global health. Miiri received her Ph.D. in Bioengineering and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a B.S. in General Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Dr. Jennifer D Olson, University of Illinois at Chicago Jennifer Olson is a clinical assistant professor in the College of Education at University of Illinois at Chicago. She coordinates the Secondary Education program and teaches curriculum, instruction, & as- sessment courses to undergraduate and graduate secondary education students. Jennifer’s research focus on urban high school reform is informed by nine years of teaching in Chicago Public Schools, giving her an informed perspective of how policy moves from theory to practice. Dr. Olson’s current research interests include urban teacher preparation, teacher professional development and student voice. Her most recent publication in Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching and Research Becoming A Culturally Responsive Teacher: The Impact Of Clinical Experiences In Urban Schools focuses on elementary and secondary teacher candidates’ perspectives of how their clinical experiences influence their preparedness in becoming effective culturally responsive educators. Mr. Darrin Collins, University of Illinois at Chicago Darrin Collins is a PhD candidate in the department of Math and Science Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Darrin performs research with the Bioengineering Experience for Science Teachers (BEST) Program as a Graduate Assistant. He has also worked as a high school biology and environmental science teacher for over 10 years. Darrin received his B.A. in Environmental Science from Denison University and an M.A.T. from National Louis University. c American Society for Engineering Education, 2020