New discoveries are made each day at NASA, and the agency is looking to the next generation of STEM students to continue advancing mission success. NASA provides opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math to communities by awarding select universities the chance to provide research labs, technology centers and education to minority students.
The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), a Hispanic-serving institution, has been an awardee since 2009 and through a NASA cooperative agreement developed the Center for Space Exploration and Technology Research (cSETR). The center provides opportunities for students to work on research programs aligned with NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate, including the development of cryogenic propulsion systems, small satellite development and green propellant research. Since cSETR was developed it has supported the work of more than 600 students and coordinated 160 student internships with NASA and other aerospace organizations.
Student Success
Alejandra Castellanos is a former student of the program and is currently an assistant professor in the mechanical engineering department at UTEP. Castellanos joined cSETR her senior year in hopes of finding resources to become an educator and researcher. In the program, she focused on NASA-related efforts such as researching damage mitigation, failure mechanisms and life of composites in extreme environments. She was inspired to pursue a career in research and teaching.
In 2017 she was awarded the Amelia Earhart Fellowship, an award given annually to 35 women worldwide who are pursuing doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering and space sciences. Castellanos now mentors UTEP students who plan to pursue research in areas of composite materials, additive manufacturing and materials under extreme conditions.
UTEP’s efforts were funded through NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project’s Institutional Research Opportunity, or MIRO. MIRO is managed through the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center’s Office of STEM Engagement in California, which awards cooperative agreements to universities around the nation to perform research and education.
All MIRO awards are provided to minority-serving institutions to promote research capacity, expand aerospace research, increase workforce diversity, and strengthen STEM skills. These awards directly support NASA’s four mission directorates: Aeronautics Research, Human Exploration and Operations, Science and Space Technology. There are currently 20 active MIRO awardees across 14 different U.S. states and territories.
Learn more about MIRO at:
https://www.nasa.gov/stem/murep/miro