• About Space Grant

• Opportunities

• Research & Design

• Education & Training

• Public Outreach

• Applications

Select Fellowship Year 1995 Fellows 1996 Fellows 1997 Fellows 1998 Fellows 1999 Fellows 2000 Fellows 2001 Fellows 2002 Fellows 2003 Fellows 2004 Fellows 2005 Fellows 2006 Fellows 2007 Fellows 2008 Fellows 2009 Fellows

---

2009-2010 Fellows:

Returning Graduate Fellows (2nd Year):

• Michael Borden: College of Optical Sciences
• Theresa Foley: Atmospheric Sciences
• Chris Pagliarulo: Molecular & Cellular Biology
New Graduate Fellows:

• Lesley Leary: Atmospheric Sciences
• Deanna Lewis: Eller Executive MDA Program/Physics
• Kristin Wisneski: Arid Lands Research

Fellow Profiles

• Mike Borden, co-sponsored by the College Of Optical Sciences

  

  As a student with a background in space science and engineering, I have quickly learned how profound and inspiring practical experience can be. Whether the experience is through a class project, a summer internship, or Senior Design, a direct and hands on relationship with technology is a fantastic way to develop new personal and professional interests. This is my main objective through my involvement with the ASCEND! Student Satellite Program during the 2009/2010 school year. As a sponsor and mentor for a team of undergraduate students at UA, my aim is to provide a balloon technology experience that is both practical as well as inspiring.

  The ASCEND! program is ongoing and is both funded and supported by the Arizona Space Grant Consortium. The main objective of this program is for student teams to design, build, and fly their own weather balloon payloads. The resulting experience is one that simulates a full cycle space mission. As part of the program, the student team will be given the opportunity to launch a payload that they design and build. In the fall semester, a proof of concept payload will be launched which will pave the way for the main payload, which will be launched during the spring semester. Through these two launches, the student team will be given valuable feedback and experience that not only promotes balloon technology understanding, but also aids in a student's ability to effectively handle a major design problem.

  With a full year of ASCEND! program experience under my belt, there have been a few significant changes to the project model here at UA. The most significant change is that the course is now being offered as a Directed Research project through the Optical Science Department. This has changed from last year's model, which offered the project through the UA Engineering Senior Capstone Course. This year's team, which consists of 3 Optical Science students and 1 Astronomy student, will be pursuing similar payload objectives for this year's project. The objective of the first payload, which will launch in mid-November, is to acquire a panoramic image of the Earth from an altitude of 100,000 ft. This objective will likely be realized using 4 digital cameras appropriately spaced within the payload. The resulting images will then be processed and a panoramic image will be assembled.

  The science payload for the Spring semester is the next major challenge to be addressed. The payload objective is to design and build a balloon payload capable of solar spectroscopy. With the experience of one balloon launch under our belt, the team will have high expectations for success for the coming semester.



• Theresa Foley, co-sponsored by the Department of Atmospheric Science

  Partners: Sonoran Environmental Research Institute, Inc. (SERI), Pima County Department of Environmental Quality (PDEQ) Air Division, United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the University of Arizona's U.S.-Mexico Binational Center for Environmental Sciences and Toxicology (Binational Center)

  SERI and the PDEQ Air Division, with funding from the USEPA and a private company, are conducting a study to monitor the levels of airborne metals in the heavily industrial Southside of metropolitan Tucson. The study is measuring the metal concentrations of particulate matter with a diameter of less than 10 microns (PM10). Monitoring sites are located on the roofs of six Sunnyside Unified School District (SUSD) properties: the SUSD Transportation Facility, Los Ninos Elementary School, Los Amigos Elementary School, Ocotillo Elementary Schools, Sunnyside High School and Chaparral Middle School. The PM10 samplers pump ambient air through quartz filters which are then analyzed by a laboratory.

  I now have sufficient data to begin analysis. I will be presenting the results of my analysis in a format that is culturally sensitive to the largely Hispanic community living in the south side of metropolitan Tucson. I will be making presentations to parent-teacher groups and neighborhood associations, with the assistance of translators from the UA Binational Center. All of the written materials I generate will be translated into Spanish and be available to community members, students and teachers.

  SERI has promotoras or lay health workers who go out into the community to educate the public on pollution prevention, asthma and the dangers of lead poisoning. The promotoras are leaders in their community. Last year training the promotoras was an important part of my Space Grant project. I conducted training workshops on PM10 monitoring, solid waste and recycling. The promotoras toured the PDEQ's air filter weighing laboratory and the filter analysis laboratory. Future training sessions will include a landfill tour and basic meteorology.

  I participate in weekly team meetings with the promotoras and I present quarterly updates on my Space Grant project to the Community Assist of Southern Arizona (CASA) advisory board, which has many civic and community leaders. CASA is a SERI program which was initiated by the USEPA Child Health Champion Campaign. The goal of CASA is to empower local citizens and communities to take steps toward protecting their children from environmental health threats.



• Deanna Lewis, co-sponsored by the College of Physics

  Somewhere in between my current occupation as a physician assistant and status as an executive MBA student at the Eller College of Management was an invitation to work as a temporary research assistant in the department of physics: I took it. I soon found myself immersed in the world of Photovoltaics (PV). The immersion was swift, intriguing and a new world full of potential. The local enthusiasm and passion that abounds in the field of Photovoltaics produces at least one gigawatt of energy! To date I have had the privilege of working with Dr. Alex Cronin in the Department of Physics, and have been introduced to the research and innovations that are taking place at: the AZ Research Institute for Solar Energy (AzRISE), the Biosphere 2 Institute (B2I), the College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (CALA) and the Tucson Electric Power Company (TEP). Within these collaborative partnerships I have found a niche in PV outreach and education. The program I've designed is called Science for Society.

  Science for Society is a photovoltaic outreach and education field project designed to promote universal access to PV technology:

  • Promoting PV research and education through intergenerational learning
  • Increasing the PV workforce through professional development
  • Enhancing the visibility/profile of the TEP solar test yard
  • Distributing PV data acquired at the TEP Solar Test Yard

  An interdisciplinary team composed of individuals from educational institutions, community organizations and industry businesses will facilitate an increase in public awareness for PV technologies, teach people how to best utilize PV technology and stimulate interest in the sciences through educational enrichment programs, fieldtrips, and experiential learning presentations/workshops. By leveraging the expertise of our strategic partnerships, the PV outreach and education field project will promote longevity and utility by creating a sustainable and replicable program through curriculum implementation, docent program development as well as establishing the TEP Solar Test yard as user-friendly site for students, homeowners, researchers, businesses and special interest groups.

  The educational outreach component of this project is off to a running start. Over the summer I have been working with TUSD and the Inner Connection/Green Schools to implement a pilot PV curriculum for high school students. On August 19th, 2009, 14 students were enrolled in our Solar Technology class. The 9-week program is now offered at TUSD's Project M.O.R.E. located at 44o S. Park. The students are offered science credit for this introductory course and the district is currently in the process of assigning an official course code which will allow any of the TUSD high schools to offer the course. Our projections for year one is to offer the course in one school (done), year two-two schools, year three-four schools and year five-ten schools. We are also working on a phase-two which is a more advanced PV course geared towards installation. The goals of the curriculum implementation are to engage and educate high school aged students in the sciences utilizing a PV curriculum that prepares them to either enter the PV field directly and/or to pursue higher education in the sciences, facilitating a sustainable economy and viable workforce through renewable energy training and education. In October 2009 we will be meeting with a local solar energy company interested in underwriting the program for a three year period.

  A collaborative field project with the U of A College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (CALA), the Drachman Institute, and Imago Dei Middle School will enhance the TEP solar test yard in becoming a premier educational and solar test site. Improvement of the solar test yard site through regular maintenance, modifications and physical upgrades will allow the site to become more user friendly and facilitate an environment conducive to world-class research and learning thus increasing the utilization of the TEP Solar Test Yard via tours, workshops, demonstrations and hands-on activities. This integrative approach is designed to support the work of the U of A Department of Physics, AzRISE, B2I, and TEP. The students from CALA/Drachman Institute and the Imago Dei Middle School will embark on a joint venture to enhance the current layout and design of the TEP Solar Test yard. A "face-lift" of the TEP Solar Test yard with additional features will provide the public with an additional community solar resource center and increase the utility of the site. September 9th, 2009 was our official tour start date for solar test yard. The tours are offered weekly on Tuesdays from 9am -10am, RSVP is required.

  This intergenerational field project will provide applied design concepts to enhance and increase the utility of the TEP Solar Test yard for students, researchers, homeowners and businesses. Further more it will support the initiatives of AzRISE, the U of A, TEP and B2I by increasing the status and visibility of the TEP solar test yard, elevating it to a more visible community solar resource test site with exceptional lab facilities for research and field projects, add a hands-on training facility for AzRISE's super courses, serve as regional and national training site for PV installation instruction as well as become the designated site for a PV Outreach and Education Docent Program through the U of A Department of Physics.

  As coordinator for the PV Outreach and Education program my role is that of a facilitator: professional relationships between researchers, teachers, business owners and students are being developed to create and expand opportunities for professional development and intergenerational learning as well as promoting the utility and longevity of a solar technology infrastructure.



• Chris Pagliarulo, co-sponsored by Molecular & Cellular Biology.

  The 2008-2009 Sunny Side NASA Mission produced several successful projects including the construction of three plant growth chambers, a bioreactor water treatment system and numerous student designed and presented science instructional modules. More importantly, all 115 students involved in the project engaged in difficult problem solving and presentation challenges related to biological and engineering science. Significant improvement in understanding and skill was reported by most students.

  This year, the focus will be to encourage and support the use of these skills outside of the classroom, through competition in state and national FFA and science and engineering fairs. I will support several student team investigations related to sustainable technologies and natural resources (newly emphasized NASA priorities). Each student team will document the investigation process through both written data and note collection and video documentary production. The hope is to encourage greater participation in science competitions by all schools in the area. Currently in the Sunny Side School District, there are few resources available for students and teachers that directly support participation in science competitions. By documenting several "How-to" case studies illustrating the process and thinking behind successful student led science or engineering investigations, we hope to lower the barrier for the many other schools and teachers interested in getting involved, but that lack the time or resources necessary to start from scratch.



• Kristin Wisneski, co-sponsored by Arid Lands Research.

  In 2007 I began working at the Office of Arid Lands Studies with the NASA Arizona Geospatial Extension program. Addressing the needs of nonformal education youth programs through Youth-Driven Community Asset Mapping has been the primary focus of our efforts in engaging youth with their communities and the environment. This experience has brought me into 4 different youth programs over the course of the past two years, all with different agendas and interests, to use geospatial tools for data collection, problem solving, decision-making and science-based knowledge and skills learning. For the NASA Space Grant Fellowship I am developing informal education materials to implement these skills and tools. Informal implies that the learning experience is not expert-led, but rather is voluntary and self-directed, and as it turns out over 70% of learning falls in this category. The materials will be developed and tested using participatory methods that engage the youth groups we currently work with through the Geospatial Extension program. Starting in January, the testing and refinement of the materials will continue through their use in the multi-disciplinary project called Stealth Health, led by five departments across the University of Arizona. Stealth Health aims to develop and test a novel approach integrating communication and location-based technologies with informal education for promotion of healthy behaviors aimed at decreasing the incidence of adolescent obesity. The intervention will take place in on-going after-school and weekend programs that use Youth-Driven Community Asset Mapping to empower and engage the youth. Lastly these informal education materials will be disseminated through an online portal called Map@Syst on the eXtension.org website in hopes to impact a broader audience.