NASA and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne signed a Space Act Agreement Sept. 7, 2021, that will expand opportunities for education, workforce development, and research.
The objective of the agreement is to enable a sustained pipeline of diverse talent for science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. In addition, the agreement seeks to advance the understanding of suborbital and aeronautical science as well as research and development projects involving the research range at Wallops, to further advance NASA’s mission.
“NASA Wallops and UMES have a 40-year partnership in providing educational opportunities for students,” said Wallops Director David Pierce. “We see the signing of this agreement as renewal of this long-standing partnership to develop the next generation of aerospace professionals that are going to carry our country forward in the next 20 years.”
This new partnership will benefit UMES students through opportunities leveraging academic studies with hands on experience through internships, on-site project engagement activities and opportunities to support mission work alongside Wallops professionals.
In addition to Pierce, participants included U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen, Director of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Dennis Andrucyk, UMES President Dr. Heidi Andersen, Dean Derrick Dunn, Chairperson of the Department of Technology at UMES and UMES student Vicleese Sloan.
Keith Koehler,
NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility