Our Mission
STEM bridge program aims to create synergies in STEM education by providing high-school students hands-on study experience with current university professors at local universities for a consecutive 6 to 7 weeks STEM related researching and study program.
"[Science] is more than a school subject, or the periodic table, or the properties of waves. It is an approach to the world, a critical way to understand and explore and engage with the world, and then have the capacity to change that world..."
* President Barack Obama, March 23, 2015
STEM Motivational Video
Take a look and enjoy!
What can CAST's STEM bridge do for you?
Organized by CAST-TX, the program is collectively led by 10 – 15 hosting professors, each professor will form a 4-5 students study group to research on a STEM related topic that has been or will be offered in the university classes.
Students will get great exposure to real research environment and being inspired for creative thinking.
6-7 weeks hands-on experience
Before the class starts, students will choose a research topic, and form a study group with other students in the program that share the similar interest.
Once the study group is formed, the group and together with the assigned professor will decide on the details of how the research will be conducted.
Students will be able to use the university classroom, research equipment, and labs under professors’ supervision.
Competition for Awards
STEM bridge Summer Camp program will host a final symposium for students to showcase their research result.
At the symposium, students will compete for CAST STAR (Science, Tech, Academic Researcher) Awards and the winner will receive STAR trophy.
Students who completed the program will also receive a certificate of completion issued by CAST-TX.
STEM Skills Development
By working with professors and researchers in the lab, students will develop a variety of skills that are essential for STEM students to succeed in collage, such as literature search, data collection, data analysis, design of experiments, technical writing, presentation, and problem-solving, etc.
Non-profit & for the future of our children
The hosting professors are all volunteering their time to sponsor CAST STEM bridge Summer Camp program. Each hosting professor will use their own resources and leverage their expertise to maximize the impact they can bring to the community. All CAST STEM bridge organizers and workers are all volunteers. We are here for the community and our children’s future.
- Directors
Dr. Dong Qian
Director of STEM Bridge
Professor of Mechanical Engineering,
UT Dallas
UTD 001
Format: In-person
Research interests:
Computational Mechanics, Multiscale Methods and Applications, Surface Engineering
Dr. Hongbing Lu
STEM Bridge Program Host
Louis A. Beecherl Jr. Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UT Dallas
UTD 002
Format: In-person
Research interests:
Experimental mechanics, Nanomechanics, Mechanics of Time-Dependent Materials, Mechanical Behavior of Nanomaterials, Dynamic behavior of materials, Fracture Mechanics
Dr. Xiaohu GuoSTEM Bridge Program Host
Professor of Computer Science, UT Dallas
UTD 003
Format: In-person
Research interests:
Computer Graphics, Computer Vision, Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality, Geometric Modeling and Processing, Physics-Based Deformation, Medical Image Computation, 3D/4D Reconstruction
Dr. Armin Zare
STEM Bridge Program Host
Assistant Professor Of Mechanical Engineering, UT Dallas
UTD 004
Format: In-person
Research interests:
Modeling, dynamics, and control of large-scale and distributed systems, Optimization, Dynamics and control of complex fluid flows
Dr.Stefano Leonardi
STEM Bridge Program Host
Professor Of Mechanical Engineering, UT Dallas
UTD 005
Format: In-person
Research interests:
Turbulence, Computational Fluid Mechanics, Wind Energy, Drag Reduction, Super Hydrophobic surfaces, Heat transfer
Dr. Yapeng Tian
STEM Bridge Program Host
Assistant Professor Of Computer Science, UT Dallas
UTD 006
Format: Hybrid
Research interests:
Computer vision and computer audition, and applying the developed learning approaches to broad AI applications
Dr. Yaqing Jin
STEM Bridge Program Host
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, UT Dallas
UTD 007
Format: In-person
Research interests:
Fluid mechanics, Renewable energy, Fluid-structure interactions, Turbulent flow, Energy-efficient locomotiont
yaqing.jin@utdallas.edu
Dr. Golden Kumar
STEM Bridge Program Host
Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, UT Dallas
UTD 008
Format: Hybrid
Research interests:
Nanomanufacturing, Metallic Glasses, Nanomechanics, Surface Engineering, Phase Transformations, and Photothermal Properties
Golden.Kumar@utdallas.edu
Dr. Weili Wu
STEM Bridge Program Host
Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, UT Dallas
UTD 009
Format: Hybrid
Research interests:
Big Data Management and Analysis, Social Networks, Database Systems, Wireless Sensor Networks, Data Mining, Spatial Data Mining, Parallel and Distributed Systems, Algorithm Design and Analysis and Bioinformatics
Dr. Shuang Cui
STEM Bridge Program Host
Assistant Professor Of Mechanical Engineering, UT Dallas
UTD 010
Format: In-person
Research interests:
Advanced thermal energy storage materials and systems, Intelligent soft materials/devices
Dr. Jie Zhang
STEM Bridge Program Host
Associate Professor Of Mechanical Engineering, UT Dallas
UTD 011
Format: In-person
Research interests:
Multidisciplinary design optimization, complex engineered systems, power & energy systems, renewable energy, grid modernization, big data analytics, probabilistic design
Dr. Yanwen Xu
STEM Bridge Program Host
Assistant Professor Of Mechanical Engineering, UT Dallas
UTD 012
Format: In-person
Research interests:
Data analytics, physics-informed machine learning, reliability analysis, predictive modeling and uncertainty quantification, design under uncertainty, and stochastic optimization.
Dr. Laisuo Su
STEM Bridge Program Host
Assistant Professor Of Materials Science and Engineering, UT Dallas
UTD 013
Format: In-person
Research interests:
Revolutionary materials for renewable energy devices, rechargeable batteries
Dr. Juyoung Leem
STEM Bridge Program Host
Assistant Professor Of Mechanical Engineering, UT Dallas
UTD 014
Format: In-person
Research interests:
Nanoscale phenomena, mechanics, nanomaterial synthesis, nano/micro fabrications and manufacturing
Dr. Kianoosh Yousefi
STEM Bridge Program Host
Assistant Professor Of Mechanical Engineering, UT Dallas
UTD 015
Format: In-person
Research interests:
Fluid dynamics, turbulence, turbulent boundary layer flows, air-sea interactions, free surface processes, surface gravity waves
Dr. Yu Xiang
STEM Bridge Program Host
Assistant Professor Of Computer Science, UT Dallas
UTD 016
Format: In-person
Research interests:
Interdisciplinary research primarily focusing on robotics and computer vision.
2024 STEM Bridge Summer Camp Program Details (NEW!)
rikERegistration Process:
Each applicant will choose 4 preferred professors. Each hosting professor will decide which students to accept.
Depending on the research project to be announced by the hosting professor, additional cost may occur based on the estimated cost of the materials that might be used for the project in the lab or on the equipment.
Important Dates:
- The application start date is Tuesday, March 19th, 9:00 am
- The applicant end date is Tuesday, March 26th, 5:00 pm
- The acceptance notification date is on or before Tuesday, April 2nd
- The accepted applicant needs to confirm registration with CAST-STEM bridge and complete payment by April 5th 5:00 pm
- The accepted applicant needs to complete registration according to instructions provided by UTD by Monday, April 22th 5:00 pm
- Program Orientation: Sunday, June 2nd , 2:00 pm
- The program start date is Monday, June 3rd and class end on Friday, July 12th
- The Final Presentation and Closing Ceremony will take place in Engineering and Computer Science West Auditorium (ECSW) , on Saturday, July 13th
The program fee: $1050, including the following:
- The program orientation and closing ceremony
- The lab and equipment access
- The weekly seminar with invited speakers
- The awards for STAR trophy winners and certificates
- The student insurance
- The program fee is nonrefundable after 5:00 pm, Friday, June 7th
Program Agenda:
- Monday to Thursday*:
- Study 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Lunch 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
- Study 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
- Friday:
- Study 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Weekly gathering: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
- Closing Ceremony: Saturday, July 20th 9:00am – 3:00 pm (Tentative)
* Each study group’s schedule and study agenda are set by the group professor. The professor may conduct the class virtually, in the classroom, in the research lab, or visiting research related site.
* If you are a out of state student, this summer camp do not provide accommodation, transportation, or daily meals, please confirm you have proper access to all above before enrollment.
2023 STEM bridge Closing Ceremony: 47 High School Students Received CAST STAR Awards
On July 15th, 2023, CAST-TX celebrated the closing of a successful journey, as 75 students wrapped up projects and engaged in a dynamic closing ceremony presentation. Their 3-minute video presentations, followed by 5-minute group presentation, showcased their dedication. Notably, 47 high school students received CAST STAR Awards, highlighting their exceptional work. The event also recognized outstanding projects with first, second, and third prizes, along with Area of Excellence Awards. Impressively, some research outcomes are poised for journal publication. CAST-TX extends sincere gratitude to all involved—professors, graduate students, volunteers, students, and parents—for making the 2023 STEM Bridge a triumph in collaboration and achievement.
WINNERS OF 2023 CAST-STAR AWARDS
Congratulations to the 2023 CAST STAR (Science Tech Academic Researcher) Award Winners!
Winners of CAST STAR Award:
First Prize Winners of CAST STAR Award:
- Group 004
- Students name: Emily Zheng, Chuling Zhang
- Advisor: Dr. Hongbing Lu, Graduate Assistant: Huiluo Chen, Fateme Najafkhani Feijani
- Topic: Multifunctionality of Aerogels
Second Prize Winners of CAST STAR Award:
- Group 007
- Students name: PeytonChang, David Cui, Grace Fei, Victor Xu, Eric Yi, Allen Zhang, Rose Zhao
- Advisor: Dr. Xiaohu Guo, Graduate Assistant: Satya Sai H. Pasupuleti
- Topic: Frictionless Checkout System
- Group 008
- Students name: AllisonZhang, Andrew Li, Eric Wang, Hannah Xu, Harris Xie, Suri Zhu
- Advisor: Dr. Zhenpeng Qin, Graduate Assistant: Ye Gao, Tingting Zhang
- Topic: Digital Detection of Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Third Prize Winners of CAST STAR Award:
- Group 001:
- Students name: Sophie Cho, Nina Huang, Aditya Iyer, Andy Li, Tammy Lin, Steven Sun, Jerry Wang
- Advisor: Dr. Dong Qian, Graduate Assistant: Zhiqi Mao, Sahil Kamath
- Topic: Design Surgical Training Platform for Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Group 005:
- Students name: JoannaJia, Ariana Liu, Eric Qian, Annie Zhu, Angela Zhang, and Fay Xu
- Advisor: Dr. Weili, Graduate Assistant: Ke Su
- Topic: Rumor Blocking With An Unknown Propagation Model
- Group 013:
- Students name: Melinda Hu, Alex Jang, Benjamin Lee, Jeff Zhou, Lisa Zhu
- Advisor: Dr. Shuang Cui, Graduate Assistant: Gustavo F. Perruci, Lyu Zhou
- Topic: Future House
- FAQsQ1: What is the daily schedule? It is full time or part time summer camp?
A: The daily schedule is very flexible. It will be discussed and decided between the hosting professor and the family together to work around each other's summer schedule. It can be full day or half day arrangement. As long as the total time put into the project is more than 100 hours in total, it will satisfy the time requirements.
Q2: What is the suitable grade for the student for this program?A: We aim to support a wide range of high school students, from K9 to K12, meaning that students will become K10-K12 in the coming Fall 2023. We will ask the hosting professors to tailor the project goals and tasks to fit the student maturity levels.
Q3: What about student transportation for the camp?A: Parents are required to provide student transportation. The daily schedule can be discussed with hosting professor to work around parents' schedule. For example, students can work for a couple of days at school and then work at home for the rest of the time.
Q4: How can this project connect with Science Fair competitions?A: The project can be a basis for the student to prepare for Science Fair competition. The STEM bridge project can be continued after summer if the hosting professor agrees to support. Such arrangement needs to be discussed with the hosting professor. STEM bridge will provide related science fair information and schedule. For example, Fort Worth Regional Science and Engineering Fair has 17 categories to compete for middle school and high school students. Winners can advance to regional and national competition including prestigeous Intel international competition. More information about science fair is available at: www.fwrsef.org, dallassciencefair.org.
- Sponsors and Donators
Donation from student parents
Chonghui Liu; Zhiyong Li; Li Zhang; Xinxin Sun; Dongjie Huang; Jin Zheng, Lynn Ma; Mei Tong; Yuan Zhang
"Great efforts of CAST for STEM education"
— Michael Weng, Vlife
ACP Foundation
Founded in 1993, ACP Foundation (formerly known as the Association of Chinese Professionals, Dallas / Fort Worth) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization registered in the state of Texas.
- CONTACT USLet us know if you have any questions about STEM bridge.