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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1997

The HSCaRS Summer Enrichment Program; Research Opportunities for Minority and Women Undergraduates in Global Change Science

The primary objective of the HSCaRS Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) is to make significant contributions to the NASA Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) and the Alabama A&M University (AAMU) Center for Hydrology, Soil Climatology and Remote Sensing (HSCaRS) research missions by providing undergraduate student research internships with an emphasis on minority and women students. Additional objectives are to encourage more minority and women students to pursue advanced degrees in Earth system and global change science and to increase the participation of minority institutions in the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Also, the SEP strives to make students in the traditional science disciplines more aware of the opportunities in Earth System Science. In designing the SEP, it was acknowledged that HSCaRS was a new research effort and Center. Consequently, students were not expected to immediately recognize the Center as one would older, more established research laboratories with national reputations, such as Los Alamos, Battelle, National Consortium for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), etc. Yet we still wanted to compete nationally for the best students. Therefore, we designed the program with a competitive financial package that includes a stipend of $400 per week, round-trip transportation from home to the summer research site, and free campus housing and meal plans provided by Alabama A&M University. Students also received a modest living allowance of approximately $25 per week. The internship program was 10 weeks in residence at Alabama A&M University or IGCRE, and gave students the opportunity to select from six general research areas: micro-meteorology, soil data analysis, soil moisture modeling, instrumentation, geographic information systems, and computer science. Student participants also enrolled in an introductory global change science course as part of the summer program (a copy of the course outline is in the appendix). The program included participation in a field program for approximately two weeks. All students were required to participate in the field program as a learning experience, regardless of the relationship of the field program to their majors or particular research project.

Estes, Jr., Maurice G.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Contributions to Educational Structures that Promote Undergraduate Research

The opportunities for community college and traditionally underrepresented minority students to participate in research experiences are typically rare. Further, what research experiences that are available often underutilizes the students' potential and do not have follow-up programs. The Physics Outreach Program (POP) working in conjunction with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is designed to reach out to this segment of the student population and encourage them to consider careers in physics and astronomy. The program is special in that it creates a "vertical" consortium or pipeline of schools whereby students graduating from one participating institution will then transfer to another. This helps to insure that participating students will experience continuity and, with the assistance of JPL equipment and staff, a quality of instruction that they would otherwise not be able to afford. Key words. educational outreach, undergraduate research, community college research, underrepresented minority student research

Sepikas, John↗
NASA NTRS1997

An Undergraduate Intern Program at PACES

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) established the Pan American Center for Earth and Environmental Studies (PACES) in 1995 to conduct basic and applied research that contributes to NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. Specifically, PACES provides a repository of remote sensing and other information that supports investigations into an improved understanding of geological, ecological and environmental processes occurring in the southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Approximately 85% of UTEP's students come from El Paso County, a fast growing urban region representative of many large cities in the Southwest that have, or will soon have, a majority of their population composed of groups currently underrepresented in the scientific and technical workforce. UTEP's student population has an ethnic distribution (63% Hispanic, 32% Anglo, 3% African American, 1.5 % Asian American, and less than 1% Native American) that closely matches the demographics of the region it serves. Thus, UTEP has a mission to serve a multicultural population where minority students comprise the majority. Most Hispanic students at UTEP are primarily of Mexican origin. A large number are first or second-generation U.S. citizens. Characteristics that unite Hispanic students, in particular those of Mexican-origin, are a strong sense of family loyalty and a belief that all family members are responsible for contributing to the economic stability and well-being of the family. Most of their families are larger in number than the national average, and a variety of generations live together or share considerable resources. Thus, many young people feel an obligation and a desire to go to work at a young age and to continue working while in college, thereby assisting their parents and other family members. Older siblings understand that they have responsibilities to do household chores, to aid their younger siblings economically, and to assist elderly family members. This "work ethic" within the context of family responsisilities is often viewed as being as important as higher education aspirations by both parents and university students. As a consequence, much effort at UTEP has been placed in recent years upon creating opportunities for students to earn income while working on campus as undergraduate research assistants on research projects related to their majors. Work assignments of this sort serve to promote retention efforts, to introduce students with the possibility of graduate study and to develop students professionally. Also, the involvement of students in group-oriented research projects at UTEP which require frequent oral and written reports has been proven beneficial at promoting communication skills of students. Because an estimated 60% of UTEP's students are first-generation college students, many are often uncertain graduate education.

Starks, Scott A.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Undergraduate Education and Research Programs, Facilities, and Information Access

The titles in this section include: 1) GRIDVIEW: Recent Improvements in Research and Education Software for Exploring Mars Topography; 2) Software and Hardware Upgrades for the University of North Dakota Asteroid and Comet Internet Telescope (ACIT); 3) Web-based Program for Calculating Effects of an Earth Impact; 4) On-Line Education, Web- and Virtual-Classes in an Urban University: A Preliminary Overview; 5) Modelling Planetary Material's Structures: From Quasicrystalline Microstructure to Crystallographic Materials by Use of Mathematica; 6) How We Used NASA Lunar Set in Planetary and Material Science Studies: Textural and Cooling Sequences in Sections of Lava Column from a Thin and a Thick Lava-Flow, from the Moon and Mars with Terrestrial Analogue and Chondrule Textural Comparisons; 7) Classroom Teaching of Space Technology and Simulations by the Husar Rover Model; 8) New Experiments (In Meteorology, Aerosols, Soil Moisture and Ice) on the New Hunveyor Educational Planetary Landers of Universities and Colleges in Hungary; 9) Teaching Planetary GIS by Constructing Its Model for the Test Terrain of the Hunveyor and Husar; 10) Undergraduate Students: An Untapped Resource for Planetary Researchers; 11) Analog Sites in Field Work of Petrology: Rock Assembly Delivered to a Plain by Floods on Earth and Mars; 12) RELAB (Reflectance Experiment Laboratory): A NASA Multiuser Spectroscopy Facility; 13) Full Text Searching and Customization in the NASA ADS Abstract Service.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2005

Bridging a High School Science Fair Experience with First Year Undergraduate Research: Using the E-SPART Analyzer to Determine Electrostatic Charge Properties of Compositionally Varied Rock Dust Particles as Terrestrial Analogues to Mars Materials

NASA missions to Mars confirm presence of surficial particles, as well as dramatic periods of aeolian reworking. Dust deposition on, or infiltration into, exploration equipment such as spacecraft, robotic explorers, solar panel power supplies, and even spacesuits, can pose significant problems such as diminished power collection, short circuits / discharges, and added weight. We report results conducted initially as a science fair project and a study now part of a first year University undergraduate research experience.

Scott, A. G.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Mission leverage education: NSU/NASA innovative undergraduate model

The BEST Lab (Center for Excellence in Science Education), the Center for Materials Research (CMR), and the Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science (CS) Departments at Norfolk State University (NSU) joined forces to implement MiLEN(2) IUM - an innovative approach tu integrate current and emerging research into the undergraduate curricula and train students on NASA-related fields. An Earth Observing System (EOS) mission was simulated where students are educated and trained in many aspects of Remote Sensing: detector physics and spectroscopy; signal processing; data conditioning, analysis, visualization; and atmospheric science. This model and its continued impact is expected to significantly enhance the quality of the Mathematics, Science, Engineering and Technology (MSET or SMET) educational experience and to inspire students from historically underrepresented groups to pursue careers in NASA-related fields. MiLEN(2) IUM will be applicable to other higher education institutions that are willing to make the commitment to this endeavor in terms of faculty interest and space.

Chaudhury, S. Raj↗
NASA NTRS2012

Origins of Sinuous and Braided Channels on Ascraeus Mons, Mars - A Keck Geology Consortium Undergraduate Research Project

Water has clearly played an important part in the geological evolution of Mars. There are many features on Mars that were almost certainly formed by fluvial processes -- for example, the channels Kasei Valles and Ares Vallis in the Chryse Planitia area of Mars are almost certainly fluvial features. On the other hand, there are many channel features that are much more difficult to interpret -- and have been variously attributed to volcanic and fluvial processes. Clearly unraveling the details of the role of water on Mars is extremely important, especially in the context of the search of extinct or extant life. In this project we built on our recent work in determining the origin of one channel on the southwest rift apron of Ascraeus Mons. This project, funded by the Keck Geology Consortium and involving 4 undergraduate geology majors took advantage of the recently available datasets to map and analyze similar features on Ascraeus Mons and some other areas of Mars. A clearer understanding of how these particular channel features formed might lead to the development of better criteria to distinguish how other Martian channel features formed. Ultimately this might provide us with a better understanding of the role of volcanic and fluvial processes in the geological evolution of Mars.

de Wet, A. P.↗
NASA NTRS2019

NASA Undergraduate Student Instrument (USIP) Project--Lessons Learned

NASA offers real-world experiences, with the goal of developing students’ skills and capabilities in science, technology, engineering and math, skills critical to building a STEM-literate workforce and achieving the nation's exploration goals. In 2016, the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and the Office of Education National Space Grant Program (OE Space Grant) awarded $8 million through the Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) to 47 student teams to conduct hands-on research with 23 of the projects being CubeSat projects. The USIP student teams proposed science or technology experiments that are relevant to NASA missions, and the platform to fly their payload. The platforms include sounding rockets, scientific and hand-held balloons, aircraft, suborbital reusable and commercial launch vehicles, and CubeSats launched as a secondary payload on an orbital vehicle. The mission management for USIP was the responsibility of NASA Goddard Space Flight Centers Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia. The university faculty supporting USIP attest to the benefits students are receiving in the hands-on aspects of the projects, as well as the real-world problem resolution. The USIP university teams are receiving an authentic NASA educational experience that will encourage the students to be part of NASA’s or the Nations’ future workforce and leaders.

Winterton, Joyce L.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Undergraduate research report

Studies are reported of the probability distribution of yield strength for mild steel, and the application of numerical techniques to solve mechanical vibration problems. Tensile experiments were conducted for 50 cold rolled and 38 hot rolled mild steel rods. Chi-square, Kolmogro-Smirnov and goodness-of-fit methods are used to test the normality or lognormality of the experimental results. As an example of the application of numerical techniques, a nonlinear dash-pot-speing system subjected to seismic excitation is analyzed by using the fourth-order Runge-Kutta integrated method.

Yeh, H. Y.↗
NASA NTRS1974

An analysis of job placement patterns of black and non-black male and female undergraduates at the University of Virginia and Hampton Institute

Research questions were proposed to determine the relationship between independent variables (race, sex, and institution attended) and dependent variables (number of job offers received, salary received, and willingness to recommend source of employer contact). The control variables were academic major, grade point average, placement registration, nonemployment activity, employer, and source of employer contact. An analysis of the results revealed no statistical significance of the institution attended as a predictor of job offers or salary, although significant relationships were found between race and sex and number of job offers received. It was found that academic major, grade point average, and source of employer contact were more useful than race in the prediction of salary. Sex and nonemployment activity were found to be the most important variables in the model. The analysis also indicated that Black students received more job offers than non-Black students.

Anderson, A. F.↗
NASA NTRS1984

A cooperative program to stimulate student involvement through the MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program

Flow characteristics in the low speed Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel were studied. Calculations to check the precision of the tunnel were conducted. A program for generating computational grids around an airfoil was developed and compared with the wind tunnel model. Low Reynolds number flow phenomenon of periodic vortex shedding in a wake were also studied by applying a hot-wire anomemeter.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1990

University of Maryland walking robot: A design project for undergraduate students

The design and construction required that the walking robot machine be capable of completing a number of tasks including walking in a straight line, turning to change direction, and maneuvering over an obstable such as a set of stairs. The machine consists of two sets of four telescoping legs that alternately support the entire structure. A gear-box and crank-arm assembly is connected to the leg sets to provide the power required for the translational motion of the machine. By retracting all eight legs, the robot comes to rest on a central Bigfoot support. Turning is accomplished by rotating the machine about this support. The machine can be controlled by using either a user operated remote tether or the on-board computer for the execution of control commands. Absolute encoders are attached to all motors (leg, main drive, and Bigfoot) to provide the control computer with information regarding the status of the motors (up-down motion, forward or reverse rotation). Long and short range infrared sensors provide the computer with feedback information regarding the machine's relative position to a series of stripes and reflectors. These infrared sensors simulate how the robot might sense and gain information about the environment of Mars.

Olsen, Bob↗
NASA NTRS1990

Walking robot: A design project for undergraduate students

The design and construction of the University of Maryland walking machine was completed during the 1989 to 1990 academic year. It was required that the machine be capable of completing a number of tasks including walking a straight line, turning to change direction, and manuevering over an obstacle such as a set of stairs. The machine consists of two sets of four telescoping legs that alternately support the entire structure. A gear box and crank arm assembly is connected to the leg sets to provide the power required for the translational motion of the machine. By retracting all eight legs, the robot comes to rest on a central Bigfoot support. Turning is accomplished by rotating this machine about this support. The machine can be controlled by using either a user-operated remote tether or the onboard computer for the execution of control commands. Absolute encoders are attached to all motors to provide the control computer with information regarding the status of the motors. Long and short range infrared sensors provide the computer with feedback information regarding the machine's position relative to a series of stripes and reflectors. These infrared sensors simulate how the robot might sense and gain information about the environment of Mars.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1992

G254 undergraduate experiment

This paper describes the experiments on payload G254. Each experiment is accommodated in a spacepak and six experiments fly in a full canister. One of the experiments will be housed in a new Isospacepak structure, which will be described briefly. Five of the six experiments have dedicated controllers. The objective of each experiment is discussed. In addition, the operational scenario is provided.

Barton, Doran↗
NASA NTRS1991

Walking robot: A design project for undergraduate students

The objective of the University of Maryland walking robot project was to design, analyze, assemble, and test an intelligent, mobile, and terrain-adaptive system. The robot incorporates existing technologies in novel ways. The legs emulate the walking path of a human by an innovative modification of a crank-and-rocker mechanism. The body consists of two tripod frames connected by a turning mechanism. The two sets of three legs are mounted so as to allow the robot to walk with stability in its own footsteps. The computer uses a modular hardware design and distributed processing. Dual-port RAM is used to allow communication between a supervisory personal computer and seven microcontrollers. The microcontrollers provide low-level control for the motors and relieve the processing burden on the PC.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1991

Materials design - An undergraduate course

General principles of systems engineering are applied to the design of materials to meet specific performance objectives. Results of ongoing reseach on processing/structure and structure/property relations in ultrahigh-strength steels are used to illustrate the formulation of quantitative microstructural objectives to achieve required property combinations, and the computer thermodynamics-based design of compositions responding to prescribed processing conditions. A class project addresses the conceptual design of a 7-component stainless bearing steel for a critical Space Shuttle application.

Olson, G. B.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Lunar and Meteorite Thin Sections for Undergraduate and Graduate Studies

The Johnson Space Center (JSC) has the unique responsibility to curate NASA's extraterrestrial samples from past and future missions. Curation includes documentation, preservation, preparation, and distribution of samples for research, education, and public outreach. Between 1969 and 1972 six Apollo missions brought back 382 kilograms of lunar rocks, core samples, pebbles, sand and dust from the lunar surface. JSC also curates meteorites collected on US expeditions to Antarctica including rocks from Moon, Mars, and many asteroids including Vesta. Studies of rock and soil samples from the Moon and meteorites continue to yield useful information about the early history of the Moon, the Earth, and the inner solar system.

Allen, J.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Project Report: Undergraduate Student Research Program (USRP)

To better understand geochemical processes occurring on Europa's seafloor, we investigated the effects of varying Fe?content in the seafloor rock and varying temperature. Iron is important in such geochemical processes as the production of methane through serpentinization (e.g. Allen and Seyfried, 2003) and can be a nutrient for microbes (Russell and Hall, 2006; Park and Kim, 2001). It can also offer clues as to the state of differentiation of Europa's core/mantle. If Europa is fully differentiated and contains an iron core, we would expect there to be little iron in the mantle and ocean floor whereas a homogeneous Europa would have iron evenly dispersed throughout the ocean floor. Furthermore, the composition of the ocean is a result of water?rock interactions at the seafloor. This project investigated the effects of temperature on geochemical processes, comparing high temperature (> 250oC) hydrothermal vents (Kelley et al., 2001) to lower temperature (~20oC) cold seeps (e.g. Orphan et al., 2002).

Europa↗