Morgan State University Summer Institute of Robotics
[Students Grades 9-12]
[Available: MD, PA, and NY]
The NASA/Morgan State University Summer Institute of Robotics, or SIR, was developed in 2006 as a collaborative project between the NASA Robotics Academy at Goddard Space Flight Center, or GSFC, Morgan State University and the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology project, or FIRST. The project consists of two, two-week sessions (15 students per session) that offer students the opportunity to learn and discover the science and technology of robot design and operation.
In SIR, high school students study:
--Introduction to Robotics.
--Mechanical Platforms: Design and Physical Properties.
--Microcontroller Systems.
--Computer Science.
--Presentation and Public Speaking Etiquette.
The MSU School of Engineering developed and coordinates the project. More specifically, the project is jointly operated by the Departments of Electrical & Computer Engineering and the Department of Industrial Engineering at Morgan State. Each department provides laboratory space and student assistants to help with the project under the direction of engineering faculty.
The mission of the Summer Institute of Robotics is to increase the knowledge and understanding of the concepts and principles of robotics for urban high school students with an interest in careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM.
The objectives of SIR include:
--To inspire and develop future robotics specialists.
--To cultivate and sustain interest in STEM fields among students and address the gap in the pipeline at the college freshman and sophomore level.
Expected outcomes include:
--To increase the number of minorities and women who enroll in STEM majors or disciplines in colleges and universities, specifically MSU.
--To expand the FIRST Competition through urban high school areas.
--To increase the number of applicants to the NASA Goddard internship projects.
Throughout the two weeks of each session, students learn concepts of aerospace science from NASA and visit different corporations that specialize in robotics and other related engineering organizations or agencies, such as National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, and NASA GSFC.
Who to Contact at NASA
David Rosage
Goddard Space Flight Center
Phone: (301) 286-0904
E-mail:
david.j.rosage@nasa.gov
Additional Contact Information
> View Pre-college contact information →
