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NASA partnership advances STEM education


     As NASA continues to push the   These student awards were distributed   Calista Lum is an undergraduate   NASA’s Minority University Re-  aerospace research, increase work-
   boundaries of exploration further into   to minority students including numer-  physics student who participated in   search and Education Project’s In-  force diversity, and strengthen STEM
   space than ever before, the agency is   ous first-generation college students.  an internship at NASA’s Langley Re-  stitutional Research Opportunity,   skills. These awards directly sup-
   looking to the next generation to join                      search Center in Hampton, Virginia in   or MIRO, managed through NASA’s   port NASA’s four mission director-
   STEM fields, which are critical to mis-  Student Success    the summer of 2019. She was placed   Armstrong Flight Research Center Of-  ates: Aeronautics Research, Human
   sion success.                   As an undergraduate chemistry ma-  with a NASA mentor to work on a   fice of STEM Engagement in Califor-  Exploration  and  Operations,  Sci-
     Students interested in science, tech-  jor, Yaneth Hernandez has had the   project related to understanding suit-  nia, awards cooperative agreements to   ence and Space Technology. There
   nology, engineering and mathematics-  opportunity to work in a UC Merced   able nanomaterials that could shield   universities around the nation to per-  are currently 20 active MIRO award-
   focused careers can engage in educa-  chemistry lab with carbon nanotubes.   space suits, ships and habitats from   form research and education.  ees across 14 different U.S. states and
   tional opportunities at several univer-  These tubes are made of composite   solar radiation. Her dream is to one   All MIRO awards are provided   territories.
   sities around the country. Through an   materials that are potentially useful for   day work at NASA on the mission to   to minority-serving institutions to   Learn more about MIRO at https://
   award system, NASA provides minor-  space applications, due to their unique   Mars.       promote research capacity, expand   www.nasa.gov/stem/murep/miro
   ity awardees the unique opportunity   combination of electrical, thermal, and
   to contribute directly to the agency’s   mechanical properties. Through the
   missions by delivering research and   program, Hernandez has observed a
   technology concepts.          rising GPA, gained hands-on experi-
     One of these awardees is the Uni-  ence, and attained fuel for her drive
   versity of California, Merced, where   toward obtaining her doctorate in
   the Merced nAnomaterials Center for   chemistry in the near future.
   Energy and Sensing, also known as   Undergraduate student Jacqueline
   MACES, was established through a   Bustamante, a chemistry and materi-
   NASA cooperative agreement in 2015.   als science major, has partnered with
   Since then, MACES has provided re-  other students in STEM fields through
   search and university student support,   the mentor program. She has been in-
   aligned with NASA’s Space Technol-  volved in the development and im-
   ogy Mission Directorate. These efforts   provement of energy storage batteries
   have developed innovative technolo-  that could be used for long-duration
   gies, including sensing platforms that   and deep-space missions that depend
   enable lightweight, compact, high-  on efficient use of energy sources.
   performance energy conversion and   Bustamante says she wants to contrib-
   storage for future space missions.  ute to increasing the role of women
     MACES has provided support to   in science and give minority groups
   over 1,600 K-12 students through   further opportunities for growth. After
   outreach activities such as hands-on   completing the MACES undergradu-
   STEM training with local high school   ate program, Bustamante plans to at-
   students, and has funded 170 under-  tend graduate school, as well as work
   graduate students with fellowship   at a pharmaceutical company as a
   awards to pursue degrees in STEM.   chemist and researcher.  Yaneth Hernandez             Jacqueline Bustamante         Calista Lum





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