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Expanding Frontiers is a publication of the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium (WaSGC).
Autumn 1994
Table of Contents:
Summer Research Program Yields a
Bonanza of Opportunities
Washington Space Grant Soars Into its
Second Five Years
Space Grant Intern Goes to Goddard
All on UWTV
Reception Honors the Stars of Space
Grant
Astro Adventures is on its Way!
Teachers' Resource Center
Liftoff to Learning and a New School
Year
New Scholarships for Community College
Transfer Students
Mini-grants, A Ticket to a Tour of the
Unknown
NASA Space Grant Scholarship: The
Chance of a Lifetime
Every summer, the abundance of labs on the UW campus means a myriad of
opportunities for students, but finding the right research job can be
confusing and overwhelming. Some students end up literally going door to
door with no idea of what questions to ask, what level of work is
required, or even if the faculty member is inclined to hire a student
worker. The NASA Space Grant Summer Undergraduate
Research Program offers an intelligent solution. Now in its second
year, this program identifies capable students, then matches them with
professors conducting research in the students' field of interest. Dr.
Janice DeCosmo, Space Grant's associate director of science education,
said that often a student will "just fit into a niche and really
blossom."
Last summer, 23 undergraduates at the UW got a taste of what a career
in research is all about. They had a golden chance to not only do
original research but to watch scientists in action. For many of the
students, "what they did during their summer vacation" has
helped them to make critical decisions about the future.
Freshman Myron Chornuk already knows that he wants to be--an astronaut.
"Johnson Space Center and Brooks Airforce Base are the most exciting
places in the world!" he said. Myron spent the summer studying the
effects of high gravity on blood flow distribution to the lungs with UW's
Dr. Michael Hlastala. The project directly relates to the training of
astronauts and airforce pilots because they run the risk of losing
consciousness in high-g conditions. Myron's task was to study the lungs
of four thoroughbred race horses. He analyzed each horse for several
weeks with the use of fluorescent miscrospheres. In December, he will go
to Texas for winter break to join a team at Brooks Airforce Base doing
similar experiments on pigs placed under the stress of a centrifuge. Dr.
Hlastala reported that his staff had nothing but praise for Myron's work
and that "his data was really superb."
After three months in a zoology lab, freshman Kimberley Johnsen came to
a definite conclusion: she does not want to do research. Under the
supervision of UW's Dr. Robin Wright, she helped a graduate student create
DNA dishes to grow yeast. Her work enriched her appreciation for biology,
but, at times, she found the tedium of the scientific process
exasperating. "I wanted quick results." Kimberley's presence
in the lab, Dr. Wright said, brought "very fresh eyes to
science." She related a staff discussion about funding. Kimberley
had been utterly amazed that there was more to worry about in lab work
than just doing the experiments. "We could see ourselves through her
eyes." The process, Dr. Wright said, was "energizing and
inspiring."
"I learned more about earthquakes and geology than any science
class ever taught me," sophomore Greg Craff reported about his summer
in UW's seismology lab. He and two other NASA students worked with Bill
Steele and Dr. Ruth Ludwin. He was hired, Greg said modestly, as an
"amateur computer repair man." In fact, he was far more than
just a trouble shooter. Along with refining the memory management of the
lab's PCs and holding workshops for the staff on Framework 3.0, he learned
to identify earthquakes on helicorder records. By measuring the length of
the seismic disturbance on the record, he could determine the size of the
earthquake and answer questions on the lab's busy telephone lines. He and
his two NASA colleagues came "with a breath of experience," Dr.
Ludwin said. "To work with people who are so intelligent and quick to
pick things up makes a world of difference."
The NASA Space Grant Summer Undergraduate Research Program is already
recruiting students and professors for next year. Those interested in
participating in the program should contact the Space Grant Program at
1-800-659-1943, or in the Seattle area, 543-1943.
Washington Space Grant Consortium
Soars Into Its Second Five Years
February 1, 1995 is a banner day for the Washington Space Grant
Consortium. It heralds the end of our first five-year grant period from
NASA and the beginning of our next five years! Since 1989, the Consortium
has grown to include six institutions and two corporate affiliates. We
have established many new projects and built a network of key contacts
with education, research and industry groups across the state.
Last spring, NASA's
National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program asked each of its
52 state programs to critically review the past five years and draft plans
for the future. NASA responded favorably to Washington's self-study, and
especially praised the growth of the Consortium, the creation of an
undergraduate research program, and the development of interdisciplinary
curriculum for undergraduate science courses. As a result of this positive
rating, the Washington Space Grant Consortium will continue to receive
NASA funding through the next five years.
The challenge to the Washington Consortium now is to successfully
compete with the other 52 consortia to obtain the highest level of funding
during the next grant cycle. To meet this challenge, we will continue to
expand upon our current programs and explore new directions. Among our new
efforts is a project to bring real-time images from space into the hands
of teachers, students, and other community members. The first step will be
to establish a network of resource people throughout the state, trained in
accessing, viewing, and interpreting these images. We will offer a series
of workshops to accomplish this training beginning next spring. In
addition, several of our undergraduates' research work next summer will
focus on space-based data. We look forward enthusiastically to continued
fruitful collaborations with current Consortium members, and welcome
inquiries from other organizations interested in joining the Washington
Consortium. Thank you to all who participated in the successful
evaluation process!
Space Grant Intern Goes to NASA's
Goddard Space Flight Center and has the Time of His Life!
By Gene Fujii, UW Graduate Student
Aeronautics and Astronautics
This summer I participated in a unique summer internship program called
the Space Academy at the NASA
Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. The Space Academy, in its
second year, is a new type of summer program jointly sponsored by Goddard
and the Space Grant Colleges. This year there were 24 students from 23
different states selected, and I was lucky enough to attend the program
as the Washington Space Grant representative.
Unlike other summer programs, the Space Academy is unique because it
combines many different experiences into its program to give students a
first hand view of what NASA and the future of the space industry is
really like. These experiences included: doing research in a lab, meeting
various executives and scientists from NASA and the space industry,
visiting other NASA centers and companies, and working on a group project.
The following is just a brief description of some of the things I did in
the 10 short weeks of the program.
Half of our time was devoted to working in the lab on a research
project. Each student was matched with a Principle Investigator from
Goddard. I worked on a project to test the feasibility of a radiative
cooler made completely of composite materials for the proposed Pluto Fast
Flyby Mission. Using composite materials for a radiator was a new and
innovative idea that has never been tried before. I had hands-on
experience setting up and running the experiments. To simulate the cold
temperatures of deep space, we used liquid helium which is at a
temperature of about -452¡F. We obtained excellent results from our
experiments and concluded that radiators made of composite materials are
not only effective but very light-weight and strong. It was very exciting
for me to work on a real project that has the potential to make a
difference.
One of the biggest highlights of the summer was our trip to Florida to
view a shuttle launch. All 24 of us and a few staff people piled into
three vans and one car and drove 17 hours from Maryland to Florida. The
long drive was worth it! We received passes to watch the launch from a
VIP viewing area which was 3 miles from the launch tower. It is
impossible to describe in words what I saw and how I felt. Seeing,
hearing, and even feeling the shuttle lift off into space was one of the
most exciting experiences I have ever had.
Another part of Space Academy was to work on a group project. We
argued and discussed for many days, before we decided on CLASS (Children
Learning About Space Sciences). The main idea of CLASS is to develop a new
type of educational activity that uses the Get Away Special (GAS)
containers to fly experiments in the shuttle cargo bay. Before I started
working on CLASS, I thought it would just be a good learning experience.
We presented our ideas to many of NASA's people, who responded with great
enthusiasm. Divided into various committees, we devoted a lot of our
spare time to the project. It was such a success that, even now, many of
us are still working with NASA to try and start a pilot CLASS program.
The best part of the program, however, is the many friends that I made.
Although our vacation has ended and we have all gone back to our schools,
the Space Academy program, in some sense, is not over. Many of my new
friends are still working on the group project, and we continue to stay in
touch. There are already plans for a reunion. Who knows, maybe some of
us will be running the space program of the future or traveling to Mars
together.
Editor's Note: Congratulations to Gene Fujii who won the 1994 Goddard
Award for Best Student Researcher!
Space Sprouts, Lost Spacecraft &
Robots--
All on UWTV
Space Sprouts: the Final Frontier in Interplanetary Cuisine is just one
of the hot topics offered by
UWTV(Channel 27). The cable station, formerly UW/Cablearn, features a
wide range of programs for the armchair traveler to the stars. Monday
through Friday, from midnight to four a.m., UWTV offers exciting reports
on past and current shuttle missions and other topics from NASA Select.
(The programs can also be seen on Fridays from 9:00 to noon.)
Last December, as a special treat for Hubble Space Telescope fans, UWTV
offered two weekends of 24 hour-a-day coverage of the repair mission
straight from NASA Select. This spectacular footage was so popular that,
with the assistance of Lisa Peterson, Space Grant coordinator, the station
showcased three NASA video series in March. Recently, they aired the
Discovery Shuttle Mission daily and even preempted their Saturday programs
for a new broadcast.
"We're trying to air the NASA missions whenever they occur,"
Susan Brandt, UWTV operations manager, said. "If you're interested
in that and other space-related, high technology programming, we're the
place to be." Viewers can select from a potpourri of tantalizing
shows in the fields of science, engineering, computing, and multimedia
technology, to name a few.
For a program guide, call (206) 685-8827 or send electronic mail to: uwtv@u.washington.edu. UWTV can
be viewed by subscribers of cable television throughout the Puget
Sound.
Reception Honors the Stars of the
Space Grant Program
Amid spirited applause, the 1994 Space Grant scholars walked forward to
receive their awards at a reception held September 26 in Kane Hall. The
reception honored students receiving undergraduate scholarships and
graduate fellowships, as well as participants in the summer research
program. To began the awards ceremony, Science Education Associate
Director Dr. Janice DeCosmo gave a brief history of the UW NASA Space
Grant Program.
Dean Campbell, one of several speakers, urged students to seek out
personal contact with their professors. In a rapidly changing world, he
said, "the goal is not to get them to tell you what they know--that
will soon be obsolete--the goal is to get them to tell you how they
learn." Acting Provost Dr. David Thorud welcomed the students to the
university. Al Hametner, Boeing College Relations Manager said his
company is looking for graduates that are not only skilled in academics
but "have a desire to learn for life."
Two of last summer's interns, Gene Fujii and Christy Engan, closed the
program with accounts of their recent adventures. After the awards
ceremony, students, parents, and faculty had a chance to chat and drink
coffee and lemonade in the late afternoon sun.
Astro Adventures is on its Way!
A new curriculum package has literally hit the streets. Since last
spring, the Pacific Science Center has
been going on the road with their Space Odyssey van to distribute Astro Adventures to schools throughout our
state. Funded in part by the NASA Space Grant program, the stunning book
was based on years of in-classroom research by authors, Dennis Schatz,
Associate Director, and Doug Cooper, Supervisor of Teacher Education, of
the Pacific Science Center. The result is 115 pages of ready-to-use
lesson plans that grab a kid's imagination and don't let go. Students get
a chance to make a sun clock, create a constellation, invent an alien, or
study messages from space, among other fun activities.
At each stop of their van as they ride on through the school year, the
Pacific Science Center staff gives teachers a start-up workshop, complete
with the book, supplies and equipment--such as lamps and Styrofoam balls
to do the moon phase simulation. Astro Adventures, Mr. Schatz said,
"stands on its own after the van is gone."
The new curriculum is on sale at the Pacific Science Center and
through the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Copies are available for
check out in our NASA Space Grant library. For more information, please
call the Space Grant Program at 1-800-659-1943, or 543-1943 in Seattle,
the Pacific Science Center at 443-2001, or the ASP Catalog line:
415-337-2624.
New Hours at Teachers' Resource
Center
The NASA Regional Teachers Resource Center (RTRC) has expanded its
hours! Weekly hours are 7:30 to 5:00 p.m. daily. Starting September 17,
upon popular request, the RTRC will also be open the first and third
Saturday of every month from 7:30 to 11:00 a.m. Jackie Trump, a teacher
at Explorer Middle School, has graciously agreed to volunteer as our
Saturday librarian.
Located in 352 Johnson Hall on the UW campus, the center is easy to
find. Materials include videos, curricula, books, slides and
audiocassettes. Teachers can order by mail, or make an appointment to
visit. Copies of NASA programs are available for duplication at cost,
i.e., by providing blank film or tapes. Resource books are also available
on loan. For a complete catalog, contact the RTRC at 1-800-659-1943, or
543-1943 in Seattle.
By Jackie Trump
Explorer Middle School, Everett, Washington
NASA's new Liftoff to Learning series (six episodes) has something for
everyone who is looking for a perfect "sparkler" to add to their
grade 6-8 science curriculum. I have used this excellent series in my
science classroom for two years. My students always enjoy them and are
generally motivated to research further on their own.
Each episode contains a printed 3-4 page background with term
definitions, a 10-20 minute video with superb graphics which is taught by
astronauts on orbit, 3-6 simple activities to demonstrate the concepts
presented in the video, additional references, and the biographies of the
STS crew featured. Each episode can either stand alone for a mini-unit,
or they can all be tied together for a longer, more comprehensive study of
what NASA's space missions can teach us.
Episode 1- Space Basics tries to answer four basic questions
about space flight. How do spacecraft travel into space? How do
spacecraft remain in orbit? Why do astronauts float in space? How do
spacecraft return to Earth? (20 minutes)
*The hands-on fun includes: Falling Coffee Cup, Ball and Ribbon, and
Satellite Orbit Model.
Episode 2 - Go For Eva discusses the reasons for wearing
spacesuits during spacewalking missions, how spacesuits work, and what
kinds of jobs astronauts perform while spacewalking. (14 minutes)
*The hands-on fun includes: Potato and Straw, Vacuum Pump
Demonstrations.
Episode 3 - Newton in Space demonstrates the importance of
Newton's Laws of Motion for space flight. (13 minutes)
*The hands-on fun includes: Soda Pop Can Engine, Rocket Car, and Newton
Cart.
Episode 4 - All Systems Go! discusses the reasons for and
demonstrates some of the physiologic changes that occur in the human body
while in the microgravity environment. (34 minutes--can be shown in two
parts.)
Episode 5 - The Atmosphere Below describes how changes in
Earth's atmosphere are investigated from outer space onboard shuttle
missions. (16 minutes)
Episode 6 - Voyages of Endeavour - Then and Now compares the
voyages of the ancient sea-going vessel, Endeavour and the Space Shuttle
Endeavour. (10 minutes)
The entire set of curriculum and videos for Liftoff to Learning, can be
obtained by sending a blank videotape, and $5.00 for shipping and
handling, with your request to:
Regional Teacher's Resource Center, University of Washington, AK-50,
Seattle, WA 98195
* Space Basics and Newton in Space can be seen on the Discovery
Channel's "Assignment Discovery", November 14, and January 2 at
9:00 AM.
New Scholarships for Community
College Transfer Students
The Washington Space Grant Scholarship
Program has recently opened its doors to any of our state's community
college students who plan to continue studies in math, engineering and
engineering at the UW.
The new program is aimed at students who have taken nontraditional
paths to continue their education. Women, underrepresented minorities, and
students with disabilities are encouraged to apply. This year, our two
recipients have come to the UW, having traveled far distances, both in
body and mind.
Jorge Chavez arrived at A.C. Davis High School in Yakima from Mexico,
nine years ago, with virtually no working English. By the time he
graduated, Jorge had worked through all the math and science classes
offered at Davis and most of the classes available to him at the local
community college. He attended YVCC for two years where he served as a
tutor for math, chemistry and physics. He was also a translator for the
school district, helping parents and teachers to communicate. Jorge
received a one-year book scholarshiip to attend the UW and plans to pursue
an engineering degree.
Daniel Steward, a fisherman home from the sea, enrolled at Seattle
Central Community College two years ago. Following a brief stint of
college after graduating from high school in 1981, Dan left to work in a
variety of jobs, including commercial fishing in Alaska. "Nothing I
did," he recalled, "gave me any feeling of accomplishment."
In 1988, the salmon boat he was crewing on sank. The experience was a
turning point--he decided to go back to school. Intent on excelling, Dan
made the Dean's List for two years at SCCC. He also received the American
Chemical Society's Award for most outstanding student in organic
chemistry. With an eye on a career in medicine, he volunteers at several
area hospitals. Daniel received a partial tuition scholarship for one
year and plans to earn a degree in biochemistry.
Applications for next year's scholarships are due on January 31, 1994.
All that is required to nominate a student is a phone call to our office.
Students are also encouraged to call. For applications or questions,
please contact the Space Grant Program at 1-800-659-1943, or in the
Seattle area at 543-1943.
Space Grant Mini-Grants, a Ticket to a
Tour of the Unknown
For the Space Grant staff, fall brings the quickening of the air and
also some fascinating reading as K-12 teachers from all over the state
send in their final mini-grant reports. The reports often include: photos
of young astronauts or scientists in action; newspaper clippings; and
crayon drawings ("Dear NASA...study my rocket.") In January, the
Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium and the Office of Superintendent of
Public Instruction gave grants to 103 teachers. The grants were awarded
in amounts of up to $250, and were matched with funds from school
districts and other sources. As always, Washington's teachers put their
funds to good use, and introduced their students to worlds they'd never
seen before.
On Whidbey Island, at South Whidbey High School, a group of rookie
marine biologists and their teacher set out to resolve a local
controversy. Was water skiing destroying the ecosystem of nearby Deer
Lake? The group's mission: to assess the damage. Their leader, Carl
Westling, purchased state-of-the-art water testing equipment with funds
provided by Space Grant and other sources. Over a two month period, he
and his high-schoolers visited the lake every two weeks to conduct tests
at three different sites on the lake. Working as a team, the students
tested the lake's pH, carbon dioxide, dissolved oxygen, nitrates and
phosphates, etc. A plankton net came in handy to study minute
animals.
By June, the results were in. The BIO-team's data proved that despite
the water skiing, Deer Lake is still very healthy. The students' work was
presented to the Deer Lake Homeowners Association as a base line for
future study. Next year, Carl Westling and his aquatic biology class will
be back to conduct more tests on the lake.
In Colville, students at Hofstetter Elementary got to see what a hair
really looks like. Just in time for the summer session, three new
microscopes arrived. These tickets to a tour of the unknown were provided
by a Space Grant mini-grant and a matching grant from the school district.
The local high-school pitched in and donated six used microscopes.
Operation CELL SEARCH was on its way.
In June, teacher Jamie Rehn opened the door to a world of miniature
life to an enthralled group of explorers, ages 7 to 12. In one lesson,
they were asked to fill a container with water from a nearby fish hatchery
and predict what might be in there. The kids loved their samples. It
became a major infraction to touch another's pond water. As the summer
went on, the eager viewers made ongoing lists, describing items and life
forms viewed. Operation CELL SEARCH was a success and will continue
throughout the school year.
According to David Hirdler of Madison Elementary in Mount Vernon--in a
4th grade classroom, beakers will occasionally hit the floor. He used his
mini-grant and matching funds to restock the school's old science kits.
The new beakers and thermometers made it easier for him to introduce his
students to the wonders of hands-on physics. This year, his class
explored heat and states of matter. They learned to use lab equipment, to
measure, and honed their math skills. Last Spring, Mr. Hirdler taught
other teachers how to teach physics in a class at Western Washington
University. "Holding a dozen teachers' attention for 30 hours is
not always easy," he recalled. The new science kits came in handy.
It is after midnight on June 4, 1994. The third-graders in Edna
Dillard's class at Bellevue's Enatai Elementary are spending the night at
school to complete pre-launch activities for a simulated rocket launch the
next day. Till 3:00 a.m., these young astronauts will plot their space
travels on a hand-made map of the moon, do experiments, suit up to go on
EVAs (extravehicular activity), deploy robots, and talk on walkie-talkies
to Mission Control. None of them are bored. When some of the fathers
drop by to say good-night, they end up staying for two hours.
The dynamo behind this infectious educational fun is Edna Dillard, who
last year, on her first try was chosen to attend the competitive NASA
NEWEST workshop. The class launch was a kind of a graduation for the 3rd
graders after a year of space study. To music from The Planets (G.
Holst), the 8 foot tall Enatai rocket appeared to blast off in clouds of
smoke. Next year, Ms. Dillard and her students are going to Mars.
NASA Space Grant Scholarship: The Chance of
a Lifetime"
Once again, high school seniors with a passion and aptitude for
science, engineering, or math are invited to go for the gold, a NASA Space
Grant Undergraduate Scholarship. They will be competing with an elite
group of some of the best young minds in our state. Applications for next
year's scholarships are due on January 13, 1995. All that is required to
nominate a student is a phone call to our office. Students are also
encouraged to call. For applications or questions, please contact the
Space Grant Program at 1-800-659-1943, or in the Seattle area at
543-1943.
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