North Carolina Space Grant is launching efforts to strengthen current collaborations and to explore new horizons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With Susan White as the program\u2019s new director, strategic planning sessions are sparking opportunities for partnerships that include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, along with researchers, students, educators and industry partners across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are some very good themes that can make Space Grant stronger,\u201d Anthony Calamai of Appalachian State University, a member of the program\u2019s executive board, describes topics considered during recent discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Formerly dean of Appalachian\u2019s College of Arts and Sciences and now with a focus on science education, he notes that Space Grant\u2019s advisors also are eager to see the program build upon successful interdisciplinary and multicampus initiatives of North Carolina Sea Grant and the Water Resources Research Institute of the University of North Carolina system. White leads all three programs, all with headquarters at NC State University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere are great synergies across the programs,\u201d Calamai adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Industry partners agree: \u201cLord Corporation greatly values our partnership with N.C. Space Grant \u2014 and we look forward to continuing our strong relationship with Susan at the helm,\u201d notes Mark Jolly, who is the company\u2019s representative on a panel of industry advisors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alan Rebar, NC State\u2019s vice chancellor for research, innovation and economic development, echoes praise for White, who initially had been named interim director for Space Grant earlier this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDr. White brings a wealth of experience in leading federal\/state programs that are recognized as trusted partners in developing innovative research and outreach applications within North Carolina and across the nation,\u201d Rebar explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NASA is Space Grant\u2019s funding partner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration supports Sea Grant, while the U.S. Geological Survey has WRRI. Each program has a distinct mission, but all three offer targeted research, outreach and education projects to address critical issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sea Grant and WRRI also will learn from Space Grant\u2019s innovations, adds White, who previously served on the Space Grant advisory council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is an exciting time,\u201d she says. \u201cIn particular, I am eager to leverage Space Grant\u2019s vibrant programs \u2014 including strong partnerships with industry \u2014 to equip the current and future workforce.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two of N.C. Space Grant\u2019s student scholars \u2014 Christina H. Koch from NC State and Zena Cardman from UNC Chapel Hill \u2014 are now in the NASA astronaut corps, a point of tremendous pride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But N.C. Space Grant programs benefit many students eager for STEM \u2014 science, technology, engineering and math \u2014 careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFrom its inception, Space Grant has focused involving and supporting faculty and students in space-related research and outreach,\u201d notes executive board member Elva Jones from Winston-Salem State University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example, Calamai cites a student who moved from undergraduate studies at UNC Chapel Hill to a master\u2019s program in physics and engineering at Appalachian, and then to a doctoral program in engineering at Duke University, and now to a career in industry in the Washington, D.C., area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jobi Cook, N.C. Space Grant\u2019s associate director, recalls a motorcycle mechanic intent upon changing his focus. A Space Grant community college scholar, he went on to UNC Charlotte and eventually to a job at U.S. Marine Station Cherry Point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, the state\u2019s military bases are key partners. Space Grant helps students to learn about military careers related to aeronautics and flight sciences through a partnership with the Department of Defense, officials at Cherry Point and an engineering program at NC State.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2018, that will include another Aircraft Readiness Engineering Workshop, an intensive week that brings students from community colleges and universities to Cherry Point and New River air stations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe create an experience for college students to introduce them to the world of military aviation and the jobs associated,\u201d explains Bill Fortney, of the NC State program that is housed at Craven Community College\u2019s campus in Havelock, just across from Cherry Point. The base employs more than 700 civilian engineers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe students are out with Department of Defense engineers, getting the inside scoop that goes beyond their classroom experience,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The week includes mishap investigations, time on the flight lines with active-duty forces and in a military simulator, and even building remote-control aircraft. More information is available at ncspacegrant.org<\/i>, with applications due in March.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lord\u2019s 10-week summer internships offer students \u201creal-world STEM experiences in a cutting edge industrial environment,\u201d Jolly notes. \u201cSince 2008, over 60 students have participated in this program, with nine subsequently hired on full time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The company has worked with Space Grant to offer aerospace-related experiences to teachers during the summer breaks. \u201cEach extern then developed curriculum for modules and courses at their respective high schools based on their work experience,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
White and Cook are especially excited about plans to expand Space Grant\u2019s educational programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They will build upon a successful partnership with the Morehead Planetarium, along with museums, parks and other sites that hosted eclipse events. \u201cThose events drew a combined audience of 100,000 people of all ages,\u201d White says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also, Space Grant outreach to K-12 teachers in 2018 will include expanding a network of more than 50 educators in Eastern North Carolina who recently completed NASA training. New programs may include workshops focusing on hot topics that would keep students\u2019 attention while covering critical knowledge and skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn North Carolina, drones are used in agriculture,\u201d says Cook, citing just one example of how unmanned vehicles are in demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe also will be working with teachers-in-training,\u201d she adds. They will complete an online module, learn from mentor teachers via webinars, and then test lessons in their own classrooms. The topics will be interdisciplinary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will be infusing strategies to bring in the arts,\u201d Cook says, showing how STEM expands to STEAM. That training will culminate in the educator scholars traveling to NASA\u2019s Langley Research Center to present posters about their experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
White is eager to deepen such connections across the program and the state \u2014 so that lessons are using data from NASA, or discussing challenges identified by military and industry partners. \u201cWe are building a career pipeline, from classrooms to community colleges and universities, and on to professional lives in industry, military and government sectors,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All those categories of partners will be invited to a 2019 symposium to highlight the depth and breadth of Space Grant missions \u2014 and to identify future orbits. \u201cWe are learning from Sea Grant\u2019s Coastal Conference,\u201d Cook says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Overall, White sees a bright future for N.C. Space Grant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur mission is to develop the next generation of explorers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learn more about North Carolina Space Grant and Sea Grant programs\u2019 joint graduate fellows on pages 17 to 19. The interdisciplinary research projects focus on the state\u2019s nearshore areas and coastal watersheds, and use varied measurement instruments and data from NASA and NOAA. <\/i>Read about the research projects concerning ghost forests<\/a> and oyster reef restoration<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Formerly dean of Appalachian\u2019s College of Arts and Sciences and now with a focus on science education, he notes that Space Grant\u2019s advisors also are eager to see the program build upon successful interdisciplinary\u00a0and multicampus initiatives of North Carolina Sea Grant and the Water Resources Research Institute of the University of North Carolina system. White leads all three programs, all with headquarters at NC State University.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":9260,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"views\/single-immersive.blade.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ncst_custom_author":"Katie Mosher","ncst_show_custom_author":true,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-immersive-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"backgroundColor\":\"custombg_one\",\"caption\":\"Students from UNC Pembroke experienced weightlessness aboard a NASA KC-135 during a research mission. Photo Courtesy UNC Pembroke.\",\"displayCategoryID\":732,\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[668,732],"tags":[],"_ncst_magazine_issue":[1472,1471],"class_list":["post-9193","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-668","category-holiday-2017"],"displayCategory":{"term_id":732,"name":"Holiday 2017","slug":"holiday-2017","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":733,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":668,"count":9,"filter":"raw"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n