Volume 1, No. 1
October 2003
|Cover|
[Image of Mars Exploration Rover]
Life on Mars?
What's Inside: Mars Czar Orlando Figueroa
Avondale School Renamed in Honor of Michael Anderson
Parents/Kids Section
|Side Panel|
Inside This Issue
Welcome from Milagros Mateu 2
Education Update 3
* Renaming of Avondale Elementary
* Viva Technology in San Jose
* Nanotechnology
* John Jay College
Highlights 8
* Orlando Figueroa
* Jennifer Cordova
Office of Education News 10
* Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
* Minority University College Partnership Awards in Space Science
NASA Research Developments 12
* Mars Exploration Rovers
Parents/Kids 14
* NASA Resources in Spanish/Recursos de NASA en Español
* Destination: Mars/Destino: Marte
* Crossword/Crucigrama
Upcoming Events 20
---------
Editorial Staff
Editor in Chief
Milagros Mateu (Millie)
Staff Writer and Editor
Ignatius Hsu
Newsletter Assistant
Ashish David
---------
About the Cover
An artist's depiction of NASA's Mars Exploration Rover traveling on the surface
of the Red Planet.
A pair of rovers launched into outer space earlier this year and will reach
Mars in January
2004. Graphic art courtesy of NASA.
---------
Contact us at: ihsu@nasaprs.com
Newsletter online at: http://education.nasa.gov/hispanic_newsletter
|Welcome from Milagros Mateu|
MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR IN CHIEF
Welcome to the first issue of El Noticiero de NASA, a NASA Minority University
Research and
Education Programs (MUREP) publication. This newsletter strives to engage the
Hispanic
education community in NASA's science, technology, engineering and mathematics
programs.
The underlying goals of the newsletter are to share information on achievements
in NASA related
education and research and foster networking among Hispanic educators, researchers,
students
and parents "as only NASA can."
The newsletter advances its goals by covering education updates on NASA programs
from elementary through graduate schools. It discusses key NASA research and
development activities and provides features on Hispanics that are contributing
to NASA's education and research missions. We will also update readers on research
opportunities and NASA's participation at Hispanic education events.
I am a strong believer that parents play an essential role in their children's
educational experiences. Every issue of the newsletter will provide parents
and kids with bilingual educational resources and stories that build interest
in space exploration. Discussions on education issues held at the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) 2003 Issues Conference exemplify this belief.
Based on these discussions, the CHCI is slated to recommend to the United States
President and Congress that policymakers work to increase parental involvement
in Hispanic children's education.
I would like to acknowledge the many wonderful contributors to this inaugural
issue of the newsletter. These individuals demonstrate that the Hispanic community
and its friends are vibrant and extremely talented networks. Thank you!! As
an integral element of newsletter outreach efforts, we will continue to involve
our readers in the development of stories. I welcome your suggestions and I
encourage you to contribute news about recent events, interesting developments
and important advances in your mathematics and science programs.
I am excited about this newsletter and I hope that you enjoy reading it!
Milagros Mateu (Millie)
University Program Manager
Minority University Research and Education Programs
|Education Update|
Avondale Elementary School Renamed in Honor of Astronaut Michael Anderson
By Kimberly Mounts
Estrella Mountain Community College
On August 29, 2003, students from Avondale Elementary School in Arizona gathered
at an outdoor amphitheatre to celebrate the life and work of Columbia astronaut
Michael Anderson. Along with city officials, NASA representatives and Anderson's
family members, school district representatives joined students and teachers
for a dedication ceremony officially renaming the school 'Michael Anderson
School".
Avondale Elementary School District Superintendent Dr. Cathy Safford said the
school and the students had a special connection to Anderson. Not only was he
once taught in the same classrooms, but he also e-mailed the students from space
and took an Avondale Coyote t-shirt with him on the Columbia mission.
Joanne Sykes and Brenda Daniely, two of Anderson's three sisters represented
the Anderson family. Daniely is a teaching assistant at the elementary school
where Anderson's third grade photo is proudly displayed along with Columbia
memorabilia, student drawings and NASA photos in the student library.
Having grown up in an air force family, Anderson's interest in flying was sparked
at an early age. "Our parents raised us to believe we could do whatever
we wanted to do," said Daniely. "Michael's presence in space was more
than a goal, it was a lifelong path. He would be honored to have a school named
after him. This is where his heart wasŠin education, in knowledge, in books,
and in learning."
Michael Anderson School is a K-2 school located in Avondale, Arizona. It is
part of Avondale Elementary School District #44, which includes five elementary
schools and one middle school. According to Dr. Stafford, few records of the
school's early days still exist. The first schoolhouse was built in the early
1920's in an area that was predominately agricultural. The Michael Anderson
School is now located in the heart of the fastest growing area of Western metropolitan
Phoenix, and serves a diverse population, with a majority of its students being
of Hispanic heritage.
[Image] Caption:"NASA astronaut Carlos Noriega speaks to a group of students in
their native Spanish language native Spanish language."
Many of the school's students had the opportunity to participate in Arizona's
first NASA Awareness Day hosted by Estrella Mountain Community College's NASA
Center for Success in Math and Science in October 2002. EMCC's NASA Center supports
the NASA Center Schools Program, a K-12 outreach effort that seeks to inspire
young students, like Anderson did, to "Dream big and work hard". Serving
as a resource hub for educators, students and families throughout the Avondale
region, the NASA Center fosters the idea of exploration and learning and encourages
students in pursuing educational and career pathways in the math, sciences and
engineering disciplines.
Carlos Noriega, who originally met students from the Michael Anderson School
at NASA Awareness Day, returned to the Valley to honor his friend and fellow
astronaut at the dedication ceremony. Noriega, who was joined by astronaut Terry
Virts, presented school officials with a commemorative gold coin honoring the
crew members of the Shuttle Columbia.
"We are thrilled to rename our school in honor of a former student, who
lived his dreamŠand reminded us on his last mission to Dream Big and Work
Hard," said Principal Dr. Janet Beason, referring to the inspiring e-mail
message Anderson sent her students from space.
Two of those students, Ciley Thompson and Delia Ramales, represented the over
900 students who attend the elementary school. Presenting in both English and
Spanish, the girls shared what Anderson and his dreams meant to them.
"We were very sad when our astronaut, Michael Anderson, did not make it
back to Earth safely, but we know he was called away for a bigger mission,"
said Thompson, a second grader. "We are very proud of our astronaut and
we would like for him to be proud of us. We promise to dream big and work hard,
like he did."
For more information on the Michael Anderson School and Avondale Elementary
School District #44 visit www.avondale.k12.az.us. To learn more about the NASA
Center for Success at Estrella Mountain Community College, visit www.estrellamountain.edu.
-----
Viva Technology Helps Bridge Digital Divide in San Jose
By Anna Park
Viva Technology
200 students and a number of teachers and parents at Clyde L. Fischer Middle
School and Overfelt High School in San Jose, California participated in the
Viva Technology program sponsored and supported by NASA Ames Research Center's
Equal Opportunity Programs Office around the start of summer. Inner city and
rural Hispanic students applied technology to mathematics, engineering and science
disciplines in NASA themed activities designed to boost their interest in pursuing
technical college degrees.
Viva Technology is a nation-wide program for K-12 schools with special needs
that was developed by the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corporation
(HENAAC). The students, teachers and parents at Fischer and Overfelt were among
the first in the region to benefit from the program.
Program Director Frank Cano said, "Viva Technology gives students confidence
to solve problems they sometimes thought were beyond them. It gives them and
their parents tremendous amounts of information to plan and achieve their goals."
[Image]Caption: "Pat Cronin, V.P. from IBM, and Ray Mellado, Chair and Founder
of HENAAC, speak with students at Viva Technology in San Jose"
Phase one of Viva Technology took place over two days in early June, 2003,
where 100 sixth grade students at Fischer participated in skills enhancement
activities. Students were confronted with problems and activities based on key
aeronautic concepts such as 'how wings lift the plane' and 'the laws of motion'.
Local college students majoring in engineering and science at San José
State University and Santa Clara University were also included in the program
to act as captains for the young student teams. These captains discussed the
academic challenges of college and prepared student teams for a quiz on key
aeronautic concepts. Based on the test results, the teams then worked on an
engineering design process to develop a futuristic plane for the year 2103.
Students
sketched two-dimensional planes, modeled the sketches with clay and designed
poster boards of the concepts.
The students also interacted with dynamic Hispanic professionals from NASA
Ames Robotics Education Center, the U.S. Air Force and IBM's Global e-business
Services Group.
During the second phase in late June, high school students from Overfelt worked
on activities similar to those for middle school students over two days, but
with some additional challenges. The students worked in teams with their college
captains from San Jose State University, Santa Clara University and the University
of
California, Berkeley to assess and analyze sets of images from Mars.
Students listened to Max Amaya, an aerospace engineer from NASA Ames Research
Center, discuss his journey to becoming an engineer. Following this presentation,
teams of high school students sketched the plane of the future on paper and
developed, assembled and painted a wooden replica of this plane. To add a twist,
they had to complete the plane with a vital part missing.
Organizers held teacher and parent orientations at both sites. The orientations
were designed to prepare educators and parents for the Viva Technology program.
Mathematics and science teachers received tips to enhance their teaching styles.
Parents were briefed in both English and Spanish about student activities, science
and engineering career opportunities and methods to prepare their children for
technical degrees in college. Lupita Armendariz from NASA Ames Research Center
talked to parents at both institutions about future opportunities at NASA for
their sons and daughters.
NASA Ames Research Center's commitment to prepare students for technical positions
in the work force has led to increased support for Viva Technology Days in the
San Francisco Bay area and key locations throughout California. Up to ten additional
schools will participate in the NASA Ames Viva Technology program this school
year.
-------
Nanotechnology: Big Research Plans with Small Technology
By Ignatius Hsu
Staff Writer
A growing number of Hispanics in the sciences and engineering are turning to
nanotechnology research as the field gains momentum and finds increasing support
at government agencies. Nanoscale materials, which are about 75,000 times smaller
than the width of a human hair, hold the potential to improve NASA's space exploration
capabilities and are already finding their way into commercial products such
as electronic circuits, stain proof clothing and sunscreen.
Dr. Marla Perez-Davis, Chief of NASA Glenn Research Center's (GRC's) Electrochemistry
Branch, explains that nanotechnology provides "The ability to work at the
molecular level, atom by atom, to develop and/or design materials and structures
with fundamentally new properties and functions." Dr. Perez-Davis said
that this field provides "The potential to result in major contributions
to meet NASA's mission needs in all Enterprises." She notes that NASA's
nanotechnology research might lead to improvements in energy storage, power
systems, biotechnology, electronics, medicine and many other fields critical
to its needs.
Dr. Perez-Davis and her staff are among the rank of believers in the emerging
technology. Her laboratory has invested three years studying the technical feasibility
of nanotechnology in producing lighter, high-energy hydrogen energy storage
and hydrogen/air fuel cells. Her team is studying the use of carbon nanotubes,
which are high strength, low density conductors, in energy storage devices such
as batteries.
NASA is making significant investments in nano-technology research and development.
Last year, it invested $35 million focused on nanotechnology research on low
power devices and high strength materials for use in outer space. Congress is
on track to earmark a total of at least $102 million to NASA for research in
this
field over a three-to-five year period. A steady stream of upbeat reports has
bolstered political backing for the microscopic materials. For example, a 2001
National Science Foundation report projected that nanotechnology would blossom
into a $1 trillion a year global industry by 2015.
[Image] Caption: "Student looking at epitaxially grown nanostructured thin films
for super capacitors and fuel cell electrodes at the University of Puerto Rio"
Minority institutions are benefiting from the increased attention on this specialized
science. In January of this year, GRC began a partnership with the University
of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Campus (UPR-RPC) to research fuel cells and lithium
based battery systems. These complementary research activities are resulting
in what Dr. Perez-Davis sees as "Education and training opportunities in
an emerging field to underrepresented students."
UPR-RPC developed a NASA University Research Center (URC) in collaboration
with GRC to increase its research and education capacities. The Center for Nanoscale
Materials (CNM) synthesizes, characterizes and applies nanoscale materials to
high-energy storage devices, fuel cell applications and display technology.
"NASA research programs are the main catalyst in exposing us to nanotechnology,"
said Dr. Carlos Cabrera, the CNM's Principal Investigator.
Ten graduate students and 3 post-doctoral scientists are working with scientists
to manipulate the properties of experimental materials such as nano-crystalline
diamonds. These special diamonds have promising applications as electrical conductors
in energy storage devices and as energy efficient flat panel displays.
The URC proposal took hold after UPR-RPC successfully completed a high school
and university teaching project known as the Training for Excellence on Nanotechnology
Education and Research (NASA-TENER). For just over a year, Dr. Cabrera and his
staff worked through NASA-TENER to strengthen nanotechnology research capabilities
at UPR-RPC, increase student involvement in space research and at other NASA
related disciplines and develop an appropriate nanotechnology curriculum in
English and Spanish.
NASA-TENER has prepared over 200 students to meet the emerging needs of the
booming nanotechnology industry. The program grew from 15 Hispanic students
in 2001 to 200 students in 2002. Students at various stages of the education
pipeline participated in the program's workshops, presentations, research and/or
coursework.
When asked about the future direction of the CNM, Dr. Cabrera enthusiastically
discussed the UPR-RPC's expansion plans. "We foresee our center expanding
into nanobiotechnology and nanoarray sensors," he said. In addition, the
NASA URC grant will fund the CNM's purchase and installation of a high-resolution
$700,000 transmission electron microscope to provide atomic resolution imaging
of nanomaterials.
UPR-RPC continues to seek out new opportunities
to tap into NASA's network of researchers. Dr.
Meyya Meyyappan, Director of the Center for
Nanotechnology at NASA Ames Research Center in
California, flew in to Puerto Rico to give a
presentation in January of this year. Half a year
later, Dr. Cabrera met with him again, this time
in Orlando at the NASA Research Summit networking
event. They have agreed to convene together in
November to discuss establishing a working
relationship between Ames and UPR-RPC.
Although nanotechnology has captured the
attention of scientists and policy makers
nationwide, some major regions are in danger of
under-investing in this area. Texas is one state
that has fallen behind. Nanotechnology
investment in Texas is a paltry $0.02 per
person, compared with $2.90 in California state
and $5.16 in Japan, according to a report
released by the Texas State Technical College.
To address this shortfall, five universities in
the University of Texas System recently formed an
alliance to bring a statewide nanotechnology
consortium, Nano at the Border (N@B), to students
and faculty in the Rio Grande Valley. Two
Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs), the
University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) and the
University of Texas at Brownsville (UTB), are
participating in this initiative. Both
institutions receive funding from NASA's Office
of Education for other projects.
--------
High Performance Computing for Research at John Jay College
By Douglas Salane
John Jay College, The City University of New York
With the help of a three-year NASA Curriculum
Improvement Partnership Award (CIPA), computer
majors at John Jay College of the City University
of New York are learning how to use high
performance computing to solve problems that
confront public agencies.
Over 300 computer and information systems
undergraduates complete advanced course work on
computing facilities at the John Jay Mathematics
Department's CIPA Computer Clusters for
Curricular Improvements in Computer Networking
and Parallel/Distributed Computing (CIPA Cluster
Computing Project). The NASA CIPA program
provides Hispanic and black universities and
colleges with resources, research and technology
to develop a professionally trained scientific
workforce. The United Negro College Fund Special
Programs Corporation (UNCFSP) administers the
CIPA program and has administered the John Jay
CIPA Cluster Computing Project since its
inception in 2001.
Prof. Douglas Salane, the project's Principal
Investigator, notes that the CIPA Cluster
Computing Project has as its foundation the
simple but successful concept of clustering
popularized by NASA. Nearly a decade ago,
scientists at Goddard Space Flight Center
developed the first commodity cluster, known as
the Beowulf Cluster, by connecting a number of
inexpensive personal computers to form an
integrated system capable of solving compute and
data intensive problems. The idea was so
effective in high performance computing circles
that it spread like wildfire to other NASA
centers and to colleges and universities around
the world.
[Image] Caption: "Prof. Douglas Salane and Prof. Sydney
Samuel, Math Department Chair, examine cluster
results at a John Jay NASA CIPA Cluster Computing
Project facility"
A number of courses were developed or revised at
John Jay to prepare students to understand
cluster computing concepts in an age where, as
the popular commercial slogan notes, "the network
is the computer." Networks such as distributed
computers and the Internet are critical to
computing infrastructures. Current CIPA student
Raul Cabrera described his experiences.
"Discussing and reading about parallel computing
is fine," he said. "However, the greatest benefit
to me was the actual hands-on experience using
the computational cluster."
Take for instance John Jay's advanced networking
course that introduces students to the NASA
Information Power Grid (IPG) being developed at
the NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) Division
of Ames Research Center. Modeled and named after
the electric power grid, the IPG is a government,
academic and industry collaboration to solve
challenging computational problems using a
network of high performance computers and other
technologies. In upper level programming courses,
students develop parallel programs using the
Message Passing Interface (MPI), a widely
implemented program interface for distributed
memory architectures that allows programmers to
develop applications for cluster computers and
other distributed memory environments. Students
in database offerings now have access to an
enterprise-level database server and are learning
how to use clusters to build reliable, high
throughput information systems.
The CIPA Cluster Computing Project also sponsored
the construction of computer facilities,
including "the computational cluster," a twelve
node, 24 processor Beowulf Cluster; a
"distributed database cluster" to house
enterprise level database systems and for Web
development; a computer laboratory running the
Linux operating system for projects in network
and distributed computing; and a high performance
network infrastructure to tie these facilities
together and allow students to access the network
from their homes.
Through this NASA award, John Jay provided
fifteen students with the unique opportunity of
contributing to the assembly of these computer
facilities. These students also tutored other
computer systems majors and worked on independent
research projects with faculty members. Twelve
students have since graduated from the Computer
and Information Systems (CIS) program and each of
them is pursuing a Masters degree in computer
science, while 3 other students continue to work
on the project.
One recent graduate, Gerardo Vasquez, noted that
his experience helping to build the original
cluster sparked his interest in high performance
networking. Gerardo is now pursuing a Masters of
Science in computer science with a specialization
in networking.
Under the direction of Prof. Peter Shenkin, a
database specialist, several students have
converted a government incident-based reporting
system into a relational database that runs on
the distributed computing cluster.
Several students are working with Prof. Salane to
develop John Jay computational cluster's capacity
to solve complex computing problems. As part of
this effort, Mr. Cabrera, one of Prof. Salane's
students, recently installed the High Performance
Linpack (HPL) benchmark on the computational
cluster. This software package solves large
linear systems of equations in a distributed
memory environment and is also used to rank the
top 500 fastest supercomputers in the world. The
cluster computer achieved a respectable benchmark
performance of twenty gigaflops (billion
floating-point operations per second). In
addition, Mr. Cabrera and the project research
assistant, a former CIPA student, installed a
version of a message-passing version of the NAS
Parallel Benchmarks from NASA. The NAS benchmark
will help students to fine-tune the cluster and
computer code that simulates fire and smoke
propagation in buildings.
To help faculty members, staff and students keep
current with this rapidly developing field, the
CIPA Cluster Computing Project sponsors a colloquium
series. Experts have spoken on high performance
networking, parallel programming, distributed
systems security, and web information systems.
The NASA sponsored CIPA Cluster Computing Project
has given John Jay College computer majors the
opportunity to become involved in
state-of-the-art computing methods that have made
high performance computing widely available and
distributed information systems the norm.
|Highlights|
Mars Czar Orlando Figueroa
By Ignatius Hsu
Staff Writer
The quest to unlock the mysteries of life on Mars
is capturing the imaginations of people from
around the world, including NASA's Mars Czar
Orlando Figueroa. He is ecstatic that his
program's two Mars-bound rovers will land in
January of next year to conduct a geological
survey that will unravel many of the planet's
secrets.
Figueroa said, "Mars is the first place in the
solar system where we can seek an answer to
whether we are the only living beings in the
universe. It is also a tangible frontier for
humans to explore."
With over 25 years of experience in the
development and management of scientific
missions, Figueroa provides leadership to
thousands of NASA employees and contractors
while managing the Mars Exploration Program's
$600 million annual budget. The development and
launch of the two Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs)
were part of this effort. Figueroa said, "I can't
think of any better job than to work with many
great men and women in a quest to unveil the
mysteries of another world."
As Figueroa directs this high profile program, he
serves as a role model to Hispanic students and
youth across the nation. Figueroa recognizes the
attention he and his program are receiving,
saying, "I am incredibly proud to represent the
Hispanic community as a leader of the Mars
Program. I hope that my example serves as
inspiration for others to follow."
Growing up, Figueroa would monopolize his
family's black and white television to watch
programs about NASA. These shows ignited a flame
inside the young boy to strive for a place at the
Agency.
Figueroa graduated with a Bachelor of Science in
Mechanical Engineering from the University of
Puerto Rico. Having completed his degree,
Figueroa went straight to work for NASA while
completing advanced courses in mechanical
engineering at the University of Maryland. He
started his career at Goddard Space Flight Center
in Greenbelt, Maryland and continued to work
there for 22 years in a number of engineering and
project management positions. Before taking on
the task of directing the Mars Exploration
Program, Figueroa served as the Deputy Chief
Engineer for Systems Engineering.
During his tenure, he earned a number of awards
for his role as a distinguished engineer.
Figueroa received the NASA Outstanding Leadership
Medal for his contributions to the Small
Explorers (SMEX) missions and the Maryland
Science Commission's Community Stars Award for
innovative educational programs.
Mars may be one of NASA's most important quests,
but the agency will look to expand its space
exploration activities to other planets. Figueroa
summarized NASA's space research direction in
relation to Mars, saying, "We will also visit
several moons of Jupiter, where life friendly
environments seem to exist. And beyond that,
there are trillions and trillions of stars in the
universe, many like our Sun, where there may be
planets like Earth waiting to be discovered."
---------
A NASA Success Story
By Stacy Dees
Mexican American Engineers and Scientists
Like most other seniors in industrial
engineering, Jennifer Cordova is extremely exited
about her upcoming December graduation at New
Mexico State University (NMSU). Unlike other
seniors, she will walk away with more than a
diploma in her hand; she will take with her the
invaluable experience of three separate
internships at the NASA Kennedy Space Center
(KSC) in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
As a member of the NMSU chapter of the Society of
Mexican American Engineers and Scientists (MAES),
Jennifer was eligible to be among the first group
of participants in the NASA/MAES Undergraduate
Scholars Program (NASA/MUSP). In fact, she is
expected to be its first graduate. As a NASA/MUSP
Scholar, she has received scholarships for
tuition, money for attending academic and
professional development conferences, paid NASA
internships, and travel funds to get to and from
the NASA internships.
Jennifer began her first research internship with
the NASA KSC in the summer of 2002. As a Human
Factors Intern, she was responsible for
performing a task analysis of the Cargo Late
Access task on the shuttle and an ergonomic
analysis of the waterproofing shuttle tile task.
Jennifer also conducted background research for a
tool that will generate reports to help mitigate
the effects of human error while performing
critical tasks on the shuttle. Due to her
motivation and strong work ethic, she was asked
to stay and work during the fall semester in the
NASA Cooperative Education (co-op) Program.
[Image] Caption: "Jennifer Cordova at work in the
Workforce Planning and Analysis Office at NASA
Kennedy Space Center"
Jennifer accepted the co-op offer, and has since
completed two terms at KSC as a Workforce
Planning and Analysis Co-op. Her co-op duties
include performing statistical analysis on the
current workforce, determining trends in past
workforce data, and forecasting for future
program (Orbital Space Plane) requirements for
reassigning the workforce. In addition, Jennifer
researched the impact of attrition on diversity
at KSC and provided recommendations for a hiring
strategy based on her data analysis.
When asked about her overall internship
experience, Jennifer replied, "My personal
experience at NASA Kennedy Space Center has been
one filled with welcoming faces and supportive
mentors. I have had the opportunity to work with
so many amazing and talented people."
The knowledge sharing relationship between
Jennifer and KSC was symbiotic. Jennifer said, "I
have acquired skills that I have been able to
apply to several school projects, while also
sharing information with fellow co-workers what I
have learned in school." She added, "While at
KSC, I have also seen several shuttle launches,
and more recently the Mars Rover launches. I feel
very fortunate to have had the opportunity to be
a part of the 'One NASA' family."
The internships motivated Jennifer to work at
NASA. "I had the opportunity to collaborate with
individuals who shared my work ethic while
learning a great deal about the aerospace
industry. These experiences increased my interest
in pursuing a career with NASA." Her hard work
did not go unnoticed, as she has just accepted a
civil service position with the NASA KSC in the
Workforce Planning and Analysis Department. Upon
graduation, Jennifer plans on pursuing a Masters
degree in Industrial Engineering while working
full time for NASA.
Jennifer attributes her success to the
inspiration and values her parents instilled in
her, along with their constant support. She is
the oldest daughter of Manny and Jessie Cordova
of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is an excellent
role model for her younger sister, Camille.
Jennifer is a shining example of how NASA can
work with other organizations such as MAES to
improve the lives of deserving students, "Š as
only NASA can." With her future before her,
Jennifer is prepared and confident to tackle the
opportunities she will face as a new employee of
the NASA KSC.
|Office of Education News|
NASA Office of Education Has Strong Showing at
Annual Congressional Hispanic Caucus Conference
NASA Office of Education was a proud sponsor and
participant in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Institute's (CHCI's) 2003 Issues Conference in
Washington, DC on Sept. 22 and 23. More than 50
high school seniors and college students from
around the country attended the NASA supported
Emerging Leaders Keynote Lunch.
During his speech, Dr. Clifford Houston, Deputy
Associate Administrator for Education Programs at
NASA, encouraged students to explore
opportunities at the space agency. Dr. Houston
estimated that 25% of NASA's workforce would
retire within the next five years. He foresees
that current students will step up to fill the
agency's future needs for talented scientists and
researchers. "We've gone to the Moon, to Mars,"
Dr. Houston said. "There's no telling where we
will go in the future, but we need your help to
get there."
----------
[Image] Caption: "NASA representative Dr. Clifford
Houston and retired Lt. Col. Consuelo Castillo
Kickbusch chat with a student after the Emerging
Leaders Keynote Lunch at the Washington
Convention Center, Washington, DC"
At the lunch, Dr. Houston also announced the
recipients of minority university space science
education partnership awards, which included five
Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) and 11 other
Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). (For more
details, read "NASA Names Minority University
Space Science Education Partners").
Following Dr. Houston, retired Lt. Col. Consuelo
Castillo Kickbusch gave an emotional and
heartfelt speech about her struggles overcoming
poverty and illiteracy as a child to successfully
complete college and eventually become the
highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat
Support Field of the United States Army. She
spoke about the problems facing the Hispanic
community in education, such as the alarmingly
high dropout rate of Hispanics in college. Lt
Col. Kickbusch ended on a positive note about the
community's "esperanza," or the great hope. "In
this room are the leaders of the 21st CenturyŠ be
proud," she said.
These speakers made a lasting impression on
number of students, including Xiomara Villalva, a
student at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. She
noted that "The inspirational words of both Dr.
Clifford Houston and Consuelo Castillo" made her
realize that she owed the community a civic
responsibility. When she returned to her campus
from the conference, she began to volunteer in
her community. Villalva said, "I was also
personally convicted to be a mentor/role model
for our community, and so now I've taken some
time out from my school schedule to volunteer at
a nearby elementary school."
In the opposite end of the convention center at
the exhibit hall, an eye-catching NASA booth
provided participants with educational resources
and handouts throughout the Conference. The
prominent display caught the attention of Frank
Reyes, Government Affairs at San Bernardino
Community College, among others. Mr. Reyes said,
"I learned from [NASA's] display and found it
very informativeŠ from the beginning, the display
was a very positive experience." He added that
Milagros "Millie" Mateu, the NASA University
Program Manager who brought NASA to the CHCI
conference, was helpful to him in the past. He
said, "My experience in working with Millie has
been extremely professionalŠ she goes that extra
mile."
Visitors to the booth were treated with an
advanced flight simulator developed at Glenn
Research Center (GRC). The VisionStation's
hemispherical display immersed guests in a
cockpit-like environment as they controlled the
1903 Wright Flyer or docked a space shuttle at
the International Space Station. The simulations
are used in NASA's Science, Engineering,
Mathematics and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA)
programs, which serve historically
underrepresented students in grades kindergarten
through 12.
William Dedula, the VisionStation's lead
developer at GRC, noted, "We had quite a number
of teachers visit our interactive exhibit and
we're confident that they will be sharing their
experiences with their students."
At the Conference's main event, Hispanic members
of Congress chaired summit discussions with
policy experts, academic scholars, corporate
executives and community leaders on education and
over a dozen other vital issues affecting the
Hispanic community.
Participant and NASA staff review educational
materials at the NASA booth of the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus Institute Issues Conference,
Washington, DC. Clockwise: Frank Reyes, San
Bernardino Community College, Elizabeth Gonzalez,
NASA HQ, Maria Torres, Glenn Research Center and
Milagros Mateu, NASA HQ .
-------
NASA Names Minority University Space Science Education Partners
NASA Headquarters Release 03-302 (abridged)
On September 23, 2003, NASA announced the 16
recipients of the 2003 Minority University
College Education and Research Partnership
Initiative in Space Science (MUCERPI) award.
Dr. Clifford W. Houston, NASA Deputy Associate
Administrator for Education Programs, announced
the winners at the Emerging Leaders Youth
Workshop in conjunction with the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Issues
Conference at the Washington Convention Center.
MUCERPI offers minority universities an
opportunity to develop academic programs and/or
faculty and student capabilities in space science
through close partnerships with major space
science research groups. The capabilities
developed under this initiative may include
research, undergraduate or graduate courses or
degree programs, pre-college or public outreach
programs, and/or teacher training in space
science.
"This initiative develops significant
opportunities for students in the K-12
environment and students at minority institutions
of higher learning to engage in space science
exploration and research," said Dr. Adena
Williams Loston, NASA Associate Administrator for
Education. "This initiative assists us in
expanding the educational pipeline and future
workforce," she said.
The 2003 MUCERPI awards include eight
Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCUs), five Hispanic-Serving Institutions
(HSIs), two Tribal Colleges and Universities
(TCUs), and one predominantly minority
university. The awards are three-year grants
offering up to $275,000 per year. MUCERPI's
period of performance is January 1, 2004, to
December 31, 2006.
"The success of this initiative comes from the
willingness of our leading space science
researchers to participate as active partners and
to work seriously to help develop space science
capabilities at minority institutions," said Dr.
Edward J. Weiler, NASA Associate Administrator
for Space Science.
The 2003 HSI recipients of the MUCERPI award are
California State University (Los Angeles);
California State University (San Bernardino,
Calif.); University of Houston Downtown
(Houston); University of Puerto Rico (Mayaguez,
P.R.); and University of Texas-El Paso (El Paso,
Texas).
To access full abstracts about each MUCERPI award
on the Internet, Visit
http://research.hq.nasa.gov/code_s/nra/current/NRA-03-OSS-03/winners.html
|NASA Research Developments|
NASA Rovers to Investigate Past Life on Mars
NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers (MERs) will
pierce the atmosphere of Mars at 12,000 miles per
hour in January of 2004, their impact braced by
airbags, to begin a 3-month long scientific
mission of collecting scientific data on the
conditions and environment of the Red Planet. The
rovers will trudge through 40 meters of terrain
each Martian day, armed with cameras to collect
evidence of liquid water on Mars and environments
that may once have been hospitable to life.
Orlando Figueroa, Director of the Mars
Exploration Program at NASA Headquarters, said,
"The Mars Exploration Rovers will provide an
unprecedented view of Mars, mimicking what human
geologists would do to confirm the existence of
places where life could have evolved. This will
set the stage for future exploration missions to
follow."
The MERs, Spirit and Opportunity, were launched
in June and July. Spirit is scheduled to land in
a giant crater on Jan. 4, 2004 and Opportunity is
scheduled to arrive at a site half way around the
planet called Meridiani Planum on Jan. 24,
Eastern and Pacific Time.
NASA's Mars Global Surveyor orbiter has
identified deposits at Meridiani Planum of a type
of mineral that usually forms in wet
environments. Scientists have revealed through
thirty years of studying Mars that it once
resembled Earth. Images from the Mars Global
Surveyor show large, relatively freshly formed
channels and gullies. These landforms are
evidence that water may have flowed to the
surface in the recent past. Both rovers will
examine rocks and soil for clues about whether
past environments at their landing sites had
conditions necessary to support life.
The MER landings will resemble the 1997
Pathfinder mission, but with far more advanced
instruments, cameras and a greater capability to
move on the surface of Mars. Each rover is
outfitted with solar panels, six retractable
wheels, mechanical arms and a panoramic stereo
camera. An array of sophisticated instruments
will be used to search for evidence that liquid
water may have existed on the planet. NASA
satellites orbiting Mars will receive data from
the MERs and transmit it to scientist back here.
The exploration program is not without its risks.
Of nine attempts to land on Mars, only three were
successful. "The rovers will use innovations to
aid in safe landings, but risks remain," said
Peter Theisinger, MER project manager at NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in a pre-launch
press release on June 4. The JPL, a division of
the California Institute of Technology, manages
the MER project for NASA's Office of Space
Science.
Mars recently captured the attention of
stargazers worldwide. On Aug. 27, the fourth
rock from the sun was as close as it has been to
Earth in 60,000 years. As a result of this
planetary alignment, Spirit and Opportunity will
travel a significantly shorter distance to Mars
than if they had been launched at other times.
|Parents/Kids|
Destination: Mars (K-4)
Traveling to Mars is not a new idea. We have done
it for 25 years using robotic rovers. What is new
is getting humans to land on Mars. Mars is
farther than any other space travel by humans to
date. The current Space Shuttle isn't built to
travel this far. NASA is working on new ways to
get us to Mars.
Supplies need to be sent to the planet. It is not
practical to load everything on one ship.
Researchers expect it to take up to six to eight
trips.
The planet has to be made ready for humans when
they land. A habitat module would be sent ahead
of the crew to be ready for them when they land
on Mars. Sometimes several launched vehicles
would meet in space to combine and become one big
unit. This unit will combine supplies and
continue on to Mars.
The main command module will not land on the
planet. It will orbit around the planet. A
transit vehicle will send the astronauts down to
the planet. The larger command vehicle would
provide transportation for the long journey back
to Earth.
There is not a definite landing date set for
Mars. Scientists are hoping to leave Earth around
2016, land on Mars around 2018 and, finally,
return to Earth around 2020. It took 4 days to
reach the Moon. A trip to Mars will take about
180 days. We are not ready for a trip to Mars
yet. We are headed in that direction.
Courtesy of NASA's Human Exploration and
Development of Space Enterprise and NASAexplores
http://nasaexplores.com.
[Image of two astronauts on Mars]
Caption: "Backpacking on Mars, an artist's rendition"
Destino: Marte (de kindergarten al cuarto grado)
Viajar a Marte no es una idea nueva. Lo hemos
hecho durante 25 años utilizando exploradores
robóticos. Lo nuevo es enviar a seres humanos a
Marte. Marte está más lejos que cualquier
distancia cubierta por los seres humanos hasta la
fecha. Los transbordadores espaciales actuales no
tienen capacidad para viajar tan lejos. NASA está
trabajando para encontrar nuevos medios de
llevarnos a Marte.
Es necesario enviar suministro al planeta. No es
práctico cargar todo en una sola nave. Los
investigadores calculan que para ello se
necesitarán de seis a ocho viajes.
Hay que preparar el planeta para recibir a los
humanos. Para ello, se enviaría un módulo de
hábitat antes que la tripulación para que esté
listo cuando ésta llegue a Marte. Algunas veces,
varios vehículos se encontrarían en el espacio
para combinarse y convertirse en una sola unidad
grande. Esta unidad reuniría los suministros y
continuaría su viaje hasta Marte.
El módulo principal de maniobra y mando no tocará
la superficie del planeta, sino que orbitará
alrededor del planeta. Los astronautas
descenderán sobre el planeta en un vehículo de
tránsito. El largo viaje de regreso a la Tierra
se hará en el vehículo de mando más grande.
No se ha fijado fecha definitiva para llegar a
Marte. Los científicos esperan que la nave
abandone la Tierra alrededor de 2016, llegue a
Marte hacia 2018 y, finalmente, regrese a Tierra
alrededor de 2020. Tomó cuatro días llegar a la
Luna. Un viaje a Marte tomará unos 180 días.
Todavía no estamos listos para viajar a Marte.
Estamos avanzando en esa dirección.
Cortesía de la Empresa de Exploración Humana y
Desarrollo del Espacio de NASA mediante
NASAexplores, http://nasaexplores.com
-------
NASA Resources in Spanish Part I (Parents and Educators)
By Teresa J. Kennedy, Ph.D.
Space Science Network Northwest (S2N2)
NASA is meeting the needs of our nation's
Hispanic student population, the largest minority
group presently found in the classroom, by
translating many high-quality educational
materials into the Spanish language. From
kindergarten through grade twelve, a growing
number of students are speaking Spanish or other
non-English languages in their homes. This
article is the first in a multi-part series that
will examine NASA resources in Spanish.
NASA materials in Spanish provide educators with
enriched science materials that involve and
enhance the academic achievements of the entire
student body, integrate literacy skills in
reading and writing with scientific inquiry and,
specifically, provide these English Language
Learners (ELLs) with the opportunity to learn
grade level curricula. In addition, Hispanic
family members who speak little or no English can
use NASA materials that have been translated into
Spanish to become more involved in their
children's education.
The demand for Spanish mathematics and science
resources is on the rise. Statistics released by
the Census Bureau in 2003 illustrate that the
number of Hispanics in American schools increased
by 37% from Census 2000 to roughly 37 million
today. According to the Census 2000, nearly half
of the 27 million individuals that spoke Spanish
as their primary language that year reported that
they felt they did not speak English very well.
NASA is actively working to reach this audience.
"NASA produces a lot of important information for
a large and diverse audience," said NASA
Administrator Sean O'Keefe in a press release on
May 22, 2002. "Organizing and offering access
from our primary Internet site to the
Spanish-language material we produce reflects the
agency's interest in and commitment to our
growing Hispanic audience."
In November of 2001, NASA announced several
Spanish-language versions of existing NASA
websites. Dr. Jeffrey Rosendhal, education and
outreach director of NASA's Office of Space
Science, commented on this announcement stating,
"NASA is committed to explaining the results of
its programs to the entire American public in all
its diversity."
A comprehensive document provides a listing of
over 50 available online resources from NASA
centers across the nation. This valuable resource
can be found on Idaho's NASA Regional Educator
Resource Center website
(http://www.uidaho.edu/ed/nasa_rerc) by clicking
on the link entitled "Materials in Other
Languages." The document is constantly updated as
new resources are translated and is available
online in two formats, printer friendly PDF and
HTML.
Resources included on the list are educational
briefs, educator guides, brochures, wall sheets,
lithographs, slide sets, videos with teacher
guides, CDROM collections and interactive
websites. Information regarding NASA's
international programs, including the
International GLOBE Program, is also listed.
[Image]
Caption: "Idaho's NASA Regional Educator Resource Center Website:
http://www.uidaho.edu/ed/nasa_rerc"
Recursos de NASA en Español (Parientes e Hijos)
Autor: Dra. Teresa Kennedy
Red de Ciencias Espaciales del Noroeste (Space
Science Network Northwest / S2N2)
NASA atiende las necesidades de los estudiantes
hispanos, el grupo minoritario más numeroso en
las aulas, traduciendo al español cantidades
cada vez mayores de textos educativos de calidad
superior. De kindergarten a 12avo. grado, un
número creciente de estudiantes hablan en sus
hogares español o un idioma que no es el inglés.
Los materiales de NASA en español proporcionan a
los educadores materiales científicos
actualizados que involucran y amplían los logros
académicos de todo el estudiantado, combinan los
conocimientos de lectura y escritura con la
información científica y, específicamente,
proporcionan a los estudiantes que estudian
inglés (pertenecientes al programa ELL, por sus
siglas en inglés) la oportunidad de aprender
programas de estudio a nivel de grado. Además,
los familiares que no hablan inglés o lo hablan
sólo un poco, podrán utilizar los materiales de
NASA en español para involucrarse más en la
educación de sus hijos.
La demanda de recursos matemáticos y científicos
en español está aumentando. Las estadísticas
publicadas por el Buró del Censo en 2003 revelan
que el número de hispanos en los Estados Unidos
es en la actualidad de unos 37 millones, lo que
representa un aumento del 37% con respecto al
Censo de 2000. Según el Censo de 2000, casi la
mitad de los 27 millones de personas que hablaban
español como idioma primario ese año reportaron
que no consideraban que hablaban inglés muy bien.
La NASA está trabajando activamente para llegar a
ese público. "La NASA produce una gran cantidad
de información importante para un público amplio
y diverso" dijo el Administrador de la NASA, Sean
O'Keefe, en un comunicado de prensa de fecha 22
de mayo de 2002. "Organizar y ofrecer acceso,
desde nuestro sitio principal en el Internet, a
nuestro material en español refleja el interés de
la agencia por nuestra creciente audiencia
hispana , y nuestro compromiso con el mismo".
En noviembre de 2001, la NASA anunció la creación
de varias versiones en español de sus actuales
sitios en el Internet. El Dr. Jeffrey Rosendhal,
director de educación y divulgación de la Oficina
de Ciencias Espaciales de NASA, comentó sobre
este anuncio: "NASA tiene el compromiso de
explicar los resultados de sus programas a la
totalidad del público estadounidense teniendo en
cuenta toda su diversidad".
En el Internet, ya existe un documento
comprensivo que provee una lista de más de 50
recursos en línea de centros de NASA en todo el
país. Este valioso recurso se puede encontrar en
el Internet del Centro Regional de Recursos para
Educadores de NASA en Idaho en
(http://www.uidaho.edu/ed/nasa_rerc) haciendo
clic en el enlace titulado "Materials in Other
Languages" ("Recursos en otros idiomas"). El
documento se actualiza constantemente a medida
que se van traduciendo nuevos recursos y está
disponible en línea en formato PDF fácil de
imprimir y se puede ver a través de un
visualizador ("browser") de sitios en el Internet
en formato HTML.
Entre los recursos incluidos en la lista se
cuentan sumarios educativos, guías para
educadores, folletos, hojas para pegar en la
pared, litografías, juegos de diapositivas,
vídeos con guías para maestros, colecciones de
CDROM y sitios en el Internet interactivos. La
lista contiene también información sobre los
programas internacionales de NASA, incluyendo el
Programa GLOBE Internacional.
---------
Crossword: Keck Telescopes
For the English and Spanish crossword puzzles,
see the Adobe PDF version of this document page
18-19.
ACROSS
4. Our sun is a _________.
5. The force that keeps us from flying off into space.
8. Group of stars that looks like a soup ladle.
9. Scientist who studies the heavens.
10. An instrument used to see far away things, like stars and planets.
14. Big Island home of Keck Telescopes.
15. The rounded roof built to protect a telescope.
18. Our knowledge of science helps us create new _________.
21. Our star and all the planets orbiting it makes up our _________ system.
22. The sun puts out large amounts of this form of energy.
23. Most planets in our solar system have one
or more of these going around them.
DOWN
1. Chunks of rock in orbit between Mars and Jupiter.
2. Less of this to look through if telescope is atop a mountain.
3. The largest planet in our solar system.
6. We call our galaxy the _________ _____.
7. Combining images from more than one
telescope to make a much better image.
11. Fluffy-looking things that float in the
sky and sometimes block our view of the stars.
12. Our nearest planetary neighbor, called "the red planet."
13. The huge "explosion" thought to be the beginning of the universe.
16. The sixth planet from the Sun, with beautiful rings.
17. The star Polaris is also called the North
Star because it appear almost directly over
the North _________ .
19. Ice ball with a tail, sometimes seen in our night sky.
20. Earth does this around the sun, the moon does this around Earth.
Crossword clues and answers courtesy of The Space
Place http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov
-------
Crucigrama: Keck Telescopios
HORIZONTALES
3. Hogar en la "Isla Grande" de los Telescopios Keck.
5. Nuestro vecino planetario más cercano, llamado "el planeta rojo".
9. La enorme "explosión" que se cree que produjo el comienzo
del Universo.
11. El techo redondeado construido para proteger un telescopio.
12. El sexto planeta desde el Sol, con hermosos anillos.
13. Un instrumento empleado para ver cosas
lejanas, como las estrellas y los planetas.
15. La Tierra lo hace alrededor del Sol; la
Luna lo hace alrededor de la Tierra.
17. El planeta que aparece como el tercer
objeto más brillante del cielo, después del Sol y
de la Luna.
19. Nuestros conocimientos científicos nos ayudan a crear nueva _________.
20. La mayoría de los planetas de nuestro
Sistema Solar tiene uno o más de estos elementos
que giran a su alrededor.
21. Período de tiempo del lado de la Tierra
que está en dirección contraria al Sol.
22. Nuestra estrella y todos los planetas en
órbita alrededor de ella forman parte de
nuestro sistema _________.
23. La fuerza que evita que salgamos volando por el espacio.
VERTICALES
1. Abreviatura para la agencia espacial de los EE.UU.
2. Científico que estudia los cielos.
4. Trozos de roca en órbita entre Marte y Júpiter.
6. Si el telescopio está en una montaña, hay
menos de esta sustancia a través de la cual
debemos mirar.
7. La Tierra rota alrededor de su eje una vez por _________.
8. Combinación de imágenes desde más de un
telescopio para producir una imagen mucho
mejor.
10. Nuestro Sol es una _________.
14. Bola de hielo con una cola, que a veces
se puede ver en nuestros cielos nocturnos.
16. Nuestra galaxia se llama la _________ _____.
18. Cosas de aspecto esponjoso que flotan en
el cielo y a veces bloquean nuestra visión de
las estrellas.
Crossword clues and answers courtesy of The Space
Place http://spaceplace.jpl.nasa.gov/espanol
|Events|
NASA Office of Education will participate in
various forms at these Hispanic mathematics and
science education events:
15th Annual HENAAC Conference:
The Challenge of a Legacy of Excellence
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
October 16-18, 2003
HACU'S 17th Annual Conference
Hyatt Regency Orange County
Garden Grove, California
October 18-21, 2003
MAES International Symposium and Career Fair:
A Journey of Discovery
Arizona State University
Phoenix, Arizona
October 28-November 2, 2003
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers:
Eastern Technical and Career Conference
Hyatt Regency Crystal City
Arlington, Virginia
November 13-16, 2003
-------
MAES International Symposium and Career Fair:
A Journey of Discovery
The conference will bring together hundreds of
college students and professionals
from throughout the nation who are seeking jobs
in the fields of science, engineering and
computer technology.
NASA will hold a Teachers Workshop on Saturday,
November 1, 2003. The event will draw 120
attendees. Registration to the event and
attendance to the workshop are open to the public.
Email: questions@maes-natl.org
Website: http://www.maes-natl.org/symposium2003
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers:
Eastern Technical and Career Conference
The Eastern Technical and Career Conference is
the second largest Hispanic Engineering
Conference in the Nation. Last year ETCC made
strides in expanding the conference to reach over
1,000 students in attendance as well as having 50
Corporate Sponsors.
Email: etcc@reg4.shpe.org
Website: http://reg4.shpe.org/etcc/
|