MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Contact: Gia Scafidi, (818) 354-0372
Carolina Martinez, (818) 354-9382
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2, 2000
MINORITY STUDENTS GET HIGH-TECH HEAD START
Each year NASA searches out the brightest stars -- minority
students with the potential to help put a person on Mars or
design an instrument to unlock the secrets of Earth's climate.
This summer, a distinguished group of undergraduate and
graduate students interested in careers in engineering, science
and math is gaining real-world, hands-on experience, as part of
the Minority Initiatives Intern program underway at NASA's Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif.
"It's great that I can apply what I have learned to actual
space flight and research projects," said Terrell Finch, a
graduate student studying mechanical engineering at Georgia
Institute of Technology in Atlanta. "I've always wanted to work
for NASA and this program has provided me with the opportunity to
follow my dream."
The interns, all recipients of NASA scholarships or JPL --
sponsored fellowships from historically black colleges and
universities and institutions that serve Hispanic and Tribal
communities, work full-time alongside supervisors on a variety of
projects consistent with their academic majors. This year's
interns will assist with projects involving atmospheric
chemistry, thermal properties of metals, online libraries and
space mission software systems.
"The program supports one of NASA's goals," said Lisa
Campbell, program coordinator of JPL's Office of Educational
Affairs Minority Initiatives, "to provide information,
experiences and research opportunities and to support the
enhancement of knowledge and skills in the areas of science,
mathematics and technology for underrepresented minority
students."
In addition to their full-time work schedule, the interns
attend weekly seminars and participate in recreational
activities. Near the end of the program they take part in a
career fair and are required to formally present their work and
research.
Established in 1989, the program has provided hundreds of
students with opportunities to network and experience the latest
advancements in science and technology. This year's 18 interns
come from Morehouse College, Georgia Institute of Technology and
Spelman College, all in Atlanta; Florida Agricultural and
Mechanical University, Tallahassee; Tuskegee University in
Alabama; University of South Florida, Tampa; North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State University, Greensboro and the
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena.
Pictures of the students can be viewed at
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/pictures/miistudents/
Managed for NASA by the California Institute of Technology,
JPL is the lead U.S. center for robotic exploration of the solar
system.
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