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Expanding Frontiers is a publication of the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium (WaSGC).
Autumn 1995
Table of Contents:
WANTED: Students for NASA Scholarships
Mini-Grant Can Transport Young
Travelers to Just About Anywhere
NASA Space Grant Reception Celebrates
Students
NASA Summer Undergraduate Research
Program
Western Regional Space Grant Conference
Introducing Professor Julie Lutz of WSU
New Space Grant Class Makes Science Fun
for College Students
Astronomy Curriculum Designed For
Hands-On People
Last year, a record 315 of our state's top achieving high school
seniors vied for the chance to study science, engineering or math at the
University of Washington on a Space Grant
Scholarship. Two of these promising students received full 4-year
scholarships covering room, board, and tuition. The other 22 finalists
received a variety of awards that included waivers for room and board or
tuition, and book funds.
Why apply for a Space Grant scholarship?
The sheer size of the university and the staggering number of courses
available can overwhelm the average freshman. Along with financial
support, Space Grant scholars receive a redeemable ticket to many other
benefits. These include: the opportunity to live with other Space Grant
Scholars on a designated floor of a UW dorm, weekly gatherings with peers,
support from faculty and student mentors, and summer research
opportunities with top scientists and engineers on the UW campus, at NASA
centers, and in industry. Does it sound too good to pass up? This year,
once again, the Washington NASA Space Grant program invites our state's
future scientists, mathematicians and engineers to apply for these
exceptional scholarships.
Designed for students who have taken nontraditional paths to continue
their education, the community college transfer
scholarships are awarded to promising students planning to transfer to
the UW and continue studies in math, engineering or science. These
awardees receive all of the benefits listed above.
Applications for freshmen are due on January 13, 1996. The deadline
for community college transfer applications is April 15. Women and
underrepresented students are strongly encouraged to apply. All that is
required to obtain an application 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.
A Space Grant Mini-Grant Can
Transport Young Travelers to Just About Anywhere
Dr. Suess wrote a book entitled, Oh, the places you'll go! For school
children in 78 of Washington's classrooms last year, Space Grant
mini-grants created wonderful places to go. Some students went on
data-collecting trips to our state's creeks and woodlands, others on
simulated jaunts to Mars and the moon. They traveled light with pencils,
compasses and magnifying glasses and found the universe in a jar or a
lunar crater. Oh, the places they went. Oh, the places they'll go again
in 1996. In January, the Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium and the
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction will award grants in
amounts of up to $250, which will be matched with funds from school
districts and other sources. Applications are included in this
newsletter.
A Space Grant mini-grant can transport young travelers to just about
anywhere.
At Prosser's Housel Middle School, one week last May, 450 seventh and
eighth graders went, three classrooms at a time, on all day field trips to
a local irrigation pond. Ducks and geese had been spotted there and since
the pond is right under a major migratory flyway, the students wanted to
determine whether the site would support a population of migratory birds.
With funds provided by a Space Grant mini-grant and other sources, Ben
Booth, one of the school's science teachers, was able to purchase testing
equipment and arrange for transportation. With the aid of teachers and
parent volunteers, armed with field guides, this mighty task force was
able to study the pond by rowboat and on foot. They tested the water and
took temperature readings, using the figures to draw detailed isotherm
maps. They learned about local waterfowl, plants, animals and insects and
brought water samples back to the classroom, teeming with aquatic
life.
"The students got an idea of what a real scientist does...and an
appreciation for what they could see with their bare eyes!" Mr. Booth
said. The pond study will be an ongoing research topic for the school.
With a Space Grant mini-grant and matching
funds, Seattle's Intermediate School did not travel to the sun but they
made a marvelous sundial! Their technical advisor was UW Astronomy
Professor Woodruff Sullivan, a veteran sundial builder. With Prof.
Sullivan's help, the wall sundial was built to last, with aluminum and
stainless steel.
In preparation for building, all of the school's students (3rd through
6th grade) made working card-board models and visited the new UW
planetarium to learn about the sun. The older students calculated and
plotted the all important positioning of the hour lines and gnomon, the
vertical rod that makes the shadows. Everyone painted on colorful artistic
designs such as a moon and a NASA shuttle. When the paint inevitably
fades after many years, the dial's design allows it to be easily removed,
repainted by a new generation of students and re-installed. The dial will
serve both the school and the neighborhood as a teacher of the motions of
the sun, and a reminder of the passage of time.
For more information about the mini-grants, please contact the Space
Grant Program office at 1-800-659-1943 or (206) 543-1943 in Seattle.
NASA Space Grant Reception
Celebrates Students
Karl Hutterer, Director of the Burke Museum, feels that the Space Grant
Program provided his spirited young daughter with a sense of direction
during her undergraduate years. He spoke at a reception on September 29
which honored students receiving the 1995 undergraduate scholarships and
graduate fellowships, as well as participants in last summer's
undergraduate research program.
One of several speakers, Dr. Hutterer offered a parent's perspective.
His daughter, Kate, graduated from the UW last spring and is continuing
her studies in analytical chemistry at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. Kate, her father said, started at the UW as a somewhat
rudderless freshman and benefited greatly from the one-on-one attention
and the rich outreach and research opportunities she received as a Space
Grant scholar.
Vice Provost Dr. Steven Olswang continued the program by welcoming the
new students to the university and stressed the importance of the research
opportunities that Space Grant helps to facilitate for many UW students.
Two of last summer's research interns, Elizabeth Frame and Tobias Mann,
followed with lively accounts of the intricate marvels of microbiology and
computer cartography.
In closing, Space Grant Associate Director Pinky Nelson presented the
awards with the help of special guests, Mr. Bob Schmetzer of Penwest who
awarded five scholarships funded by Penwest, and Mrs. Patricia Curkendall
and Mrs. Marcia Ann Crossett who presented two scholarships funded by the
Donnegaard family endowment.
NASA Summer Undergraduate Research
Program: From Fish in Space to a Tropical Rain Forest
UW junior Alysha Reinard got more than she bargained for from her
summer job. She got stimulating part-time work through the next school
year, a mentor who gives good advice, and an opportunity to present her
work in San Francisco at the December meeting of the prestigious American
Geophysical Union. Now, for 10 hours a week, Alysha studies a variety of
topics, from x-rays of the aurora to microbursts, with UW's Dr. Ruth
Skoug.
"Sometimes, the particles that come from the sun come into the
atmosphere in bursts of about half a second," Alysha said
knowledgeably. "These are called microbursts. We don't know why they
happen but we're trying to find out."
She and Dr. Skoug have become colleagues and friends. The scientist
acts as the precocious junior's mentor, passing on helpful tips about
student housing, graduate school and what classes to take. Dr. Skoug, who
recently received her doctorate, is a veteran of these wars.
"One of the neat things about Alysha is that she's very dedicated
to a project," she said. "She's willing to put in the time to
get it right even if it's not fun."
Now in its third year, the NASA Space Grant
Summer Undergraduate Research Program is going strong. Last summer,
23 students were paid to do research in fields from Aeronautics to
Zoology. Freshman to seniors, they did original experiments and studies on
topics as varied as coral dating, Antarctic space science and atomic
physics. The response from students and professors was uniformly positive.
One professor said in amazement, "Where do you get these
people?"
These students come to us. The UW receives more funding for research
than any other state university in the country. Yet, even with a plethora
of labs on campus, finding the right research job can be confusing and
overwhelming. The undergraduate research program takes the guesswork out
of the job hunt by matching capable students with professors conducting
research in the student's field of interest. Once hired, young
researchers get a rare view of the day-to-day life of a working scientist.
For many, this insider's view shapes their decisions about the future.
The rewards of a summer job in a UW lab are not only academic but
financial. Space Grant students earn a salary for the summer and are
often asked to return in the fall. At least half of last summer's workers
now enhance their studies with part-time jobs in research.
This coming fall, Space Grant will organize the first campus-wide
undergraduate research conference to give these students a chance to
present their work to peers, faculty, family and friends. The NASA Space
Grant Summer Research Program is still recruiting students and professors
for this summer. Those interested in participating in the program should
contact the Space Grant Program at 1-800-659-1943, or 206-543-1943 in
Seattle.
Western Regional Space Grant
Conference
Delegates from 30 different Space Grant Consortia traveled to the
Western Regional NASA Space Grant Conference held this year in Seattle on
October 12-14, 1995. Hosted by Washington Space Grant on the University
of Washington campus, the conference began with a day of tours to local
interests such as Museum of Flight and UW's Human Interface Technology
(virtual reality) Lab.
The next day and a half featured presenters who spoke about innovative
projects such as solar terrestrial physics experiments at the UW and the
University of California in Los Angeles, NASA's presence at Washington's
Northwest Indian College, and Idaho's SPARK aeronautics program for high
school students. Julius Dasch presented recent developments at NASA
headquarters and representatives from Texas, Colorado, and California also
presented current projects. The delegates used other sessions to
brainstorm and share ideas on successful Space Grant programs in their
states. Next year's conference will be held in Sante Fe, New Mexico.
Introducing Professor Julie Lutz of
WSU
The Space Grant project at consortium member institution Washington State University (WSU), has a new
staff member. Dr. Julie Lutz joins team leader Jack Horne, director of
WSU's Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education Center. Dr. Lutz is
a professor of mathematics and astronomy who directs the astronomy program
and chairs the WSU mathematics department. She and Mr. Horne will be
working with a new group of teachers this fall and teaching them an
inductive, hands-on approach to astronomy. They will also be visiting
schools in rural southeastern Washington, as well as developing and
teaching classes on campus for pre-service teachers.
Dr. Lutz brings a wealth of experience to her new position. She is a
former director of the National Science Foundation Division of
Astronomical Sciences and has developed and taught pre-service courses in
mathematics and astronomy for many years. The Washington NASA Space Grant
Consortium welcomes Dr. Julie Lutz.
New Space Grant Class Makes Science
Fun for College Students
Meteorology 100, an innovative class at
Seattle Central Community College (SCCC), has been getting rave reviews.
On recent evaluations, students said the instructor was encouraging,
enthusiastic, and inspirational. Such glowing words are not often used in
relation to introductory science courses, but this one is different.
Designed and taught by Space Grant Director of Science Education Janice
DeCosmo, the course uses teaching methods not common to 101 level courses,
such as inquiry-based laboratory exercises, cooperative learning, student
journals and individual and group projects.
Recognizing that traditional methods do not always reach the
non-traditional science student, Dr. DeCosmo gives fewer lectures and
seeks more immediate feedback. The result is a potent interactive
environment in which students not only learn but have fun. They build on
their knowledge of basic science concepts within the context of the
contemporary issue of climate change. The course content focuses on the
atmosphere, with emphasis on the climate processes that connect the
atmosphere with the oceans, the biosphere, land and ice.
The 5 credit course will be offered at SCCC during winter quarter on
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. New students can register
from Dec. 6 to 14. The class cost is $221.75 for five credits, plus
student fees. For registration information, please call SCCC at 587-3800.
For other questions, please contact the Space Grant Program office at
1-800-659-1943 or (206) 543-1943 in Seattle.
The Pacific Science Center has been
on the road with their Space Odyssey van to distribute Astro Adventures to schools throughout our state
since the spring of 1994.
Funded in part by the NASA Space Grant program, the inventive
curriculum package is based on years of pilot testing by
authors, Dennis Schatz, Associate Director, and Doug Cooper, Supervisor of
Teacher Education, of the Pacific Science Center.
The result is 19 complete lessons and dozens of exciting suggestions
for exploring astronomy topics. With ready-to-go materials for grades 4
and up, teachers and students can investigate the phases of the moon,
create an alien, make a sun clock, or study messages from space, among
other fun activities. The curriculum is on sale at the Pacific Science
Center. For more information, call the center at (206) 443-2001.
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