Did you know there is a program in Nevada that takes children to Mars, makes National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) educational materials available to teachers and students, helps groups of university students build vehicles that can reach speeds of 62 miles per hour and get 3,480 miles per gallon, creates new undergraduate and graduate courses and programs, and aids students in their pursuit of science and math degrees?
the National Conference of Space Grant Directors in Williamsburg, Virginia. |
Created in 1991, the Nevada Space Grant Consortium is a cooperative program of the University and Community College System of Nevada (UCCSN) and one of 52 affiliates of the national network of NASA Space Grant programs. The purpose of the NSGC is to manage funds received from NASA and use them to support students in their educational efforts from kindergarten through graduate work and, in that way, ensure the pipeline of scientists for the future. The NSGC also contributes to the development of new scientific projects and programs. The NSGC is directed by Dr. James Taranik, former DRI President and current Arthur Brant Chair in Geophysics at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). The Desert Research Institute's John Gardner serves as the assistant director. In addition, each campus of the UCCSN has a faculty coordinator who serves as part of the consortium management team.
Program Support
During the past eight years, the NSGC has made a significant impact on
science and math education throughout the state. At the University of
Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), the Space Grant program has supported the
creation of several new undergraduate and graduate courses, as well as a
new degree program in astrophysics and an aerospace option in mechanical
engineering.
prize-winning human-powered vehicle. |
At the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), the Mackay School of Mines has created a course in geology of the terrestrial planets that supports NASA's Space Science Enterprise and used Space Grant funds to develop the course curriculum. In addition, NSGC funds have supported several other courses in the School of Mines that fall under the Space Science Enterprise. UNR doctoral student Steven Metzger has used a Space Grant fellowship to help underwrite his project to help identify dust devils on Mars in NASA's Mars Pathfinder images. Metzger's discovery was listed as one of four significant findings at a NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory conference in August 1998.
The UCCSN's community colleges have also benefited from the Space Grant Consortium through the expansion of their science and math programs and clubs as well as the creation of opportunities for collaboration. Mr. Robert Collier, professor of physics at Western Nevada Community College, used NSGC funds to collaborate with DRI's Dr. Robert Wharton on a project that took both scientists to the Antarctic in 1995-1996 to study the penetrability of ultraviolet light in lake ice. This partnership led to a publication of their study and extended their investigation through the austral summer of 1997.
Creating Opportunities for University
Students
Another major goal of the NSGC is to help students, particularly those
representing Nevada's cultural diversity, receive degrees in science and
math. Since 1991, the NSGC has awarded a total of 162 scholarships and
fellowships to students, with 64 of those being awarded to women. The
NSGC has targeted its efforts toward minority women because statistics
show that from the fourth grade on, girls consistently score lower in
science than boys; and by the time they reach college, fewer than one in
five degrees in chemistry, physics, math, and engineering are awarded to
women.
Awards to university students have ranged from $500-$1,000 per year for undergraduate students and $2,500-$15,000 per year for masters and doctoral students. Gardner states that "The NSGC's scholarships and fellowships play very important roles in the education of these young people and give them opportunities that can impact not only their educational, but also their career, choices."
Improving Instruction of Science and
Mathematics at the K-12 Level
The Space Grant Consortium has been highly involved in getting students
interested in science and math early in their education and has
coordinated several efforts to encourage them to participate in
mathematics and science programs.
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According to Gardner, "A recent addition to the NSGC K-12 outreach effort is the Moonlink Program, a live space exploration mission that allows students to conduct research from a NASA spacecraft. Eight Nevada schools are currently participating in this exciting program, and we hope to add more schools as the interest grows."
The NSGC is also a sponsor of DRI's Science Boxes program which uses K-12 teachers to create science-themed boxes and lesson plans based on the Nevada Science Standards. Since the program's inception, approximately 10,000 Nevada students have been exposed to science through their teachers' use of the boxes. Many of the state's K-12 teachers also use the Nevada Regional Teacher Resource Center (NRTRC), located at the Community College of Southern Nevada, to get NASA educational science and math materials. The NSGC supported the creation of the NRTRC in 1994 and works closely with it to keep teachers apprised of the educational materials available to them.
The NSGC also helps introduce K-12 students to careers in science and math by providing experiences such as career days, school partnerships, and school-to-work programs. Several thousand students have participated in these events, and many have been inspired to continue studies in math and science because of them.
The Nevada Space Grant Consortium has proven to be an effective program for Nevada's university system, teachers, and students. More information about the Nevada Space Grant Consortium can be found on the internet at www.dri.edu/Spacegrant. John Gardner, the NSGC assistant director, can be reached at (702) 895-0408 or johng@dri.edu, and Dr. James Taranik, program director, can be reached at (775)784-4258 or jtaranik@mines.unr.edu.
The Nevada Space Grant Consortium consists of representatives from each of the divisions of the University and Community College System of Nevada. The following individuals serve as the representatives to the NSGC:
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UCCSN Dr. Richard Jarvis, Chancellor Dr. Jane Nichols, Vice Chancellor
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
FISCAL MANAGERS
ASSOCIATE DIRECTORS
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR |
FACULTY COORDINATORS Dr. James R. Carr, University of Nevada, Reno Dr. Eun-Woo Chang, Truckee Meadows Community College Dr. John Clevenger, Truckee Meadows Community College Mr. Robert Collier, Western Nevada Community College Dr. Gayle Dana, Desert Research Institute Dr. Dale Etheridge, Community College of Southern Nevada Dr. J. Michael Johnson, University of Nevada, Reno Dr. Michael McFarlane, Great Basin College Dr. Darrell W. Pepper, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Dr. Donna E. Weistrop, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Dr. Brendan O'Toole, University of Nevada, Las Vegas |
Tonya Drake
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