NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
John C. Stennis Space Center
(228) 688-3341 Feb. 20, 2004 Paul Foerman FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000
STS-04-014
NASA News Chief
(228) 688-3341
NASA FUNDS LOUISIANA CONSORTIUM WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT HANCOCK COUNTY, Miss. – NASA has selected Louisiana’s Space Grant Consortium to be one of 43 consortia in the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (Space Grant) to receive funding in 2004 for aerospace work force development.
The consortium received $99,438 (the highest possible award is $100,000), according to its director, John P. Wefel, a professor in Louisiana State University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy.
The award will fund the work of student teams at four different state universities to conceive, propose, design, budget, review, calibrate, test and launch an experiment. Under the direction of a researcher or faculty member serving as project manager, the students will role play a real-world scenario using the life-cycle of a standard NASA project. Wefel hopes to involve volunteer scientists or engineers from NASA Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis.
“Our project focuses on students and hands-on activities,” Wefel said. “We try to make them aware of the possibilities of a career at NASA or at one of its contractor organizations. Stennis is a resource for the students to see firsthand what scientists and engineers actually do, and to provide materials for their experiments.
“So often, we hear from companies that our students look good on paper, but don’t have the hands-on skills employers need,” he said. “We think our project will give them what corporations will really value when they head into the work force.”
NASA is awarding $3.75 million in response to proposals submitted by state organizations to NASA’s Office of Education in Washington. Awards are in two categories: single-state proposals (42) and multi-state proposals (four awards for 16 states).
The consortia were selected based on a competitive evaluation of their plans to enlarge and enhance the “pipeline,” or resource pool, of higher education graduates and faculty involved with NASA as employees, contractors or principal investigators. In support of the agency’s vision and mission, this program will increase the number and diversity of qualified individuals knowledgeable of NASA’s research mission.
“These awards will allow Space Grant to continue its work of attracting talented individuals who are qualified and trained to make significant contributions to NASA’s mission,” said Dr. Adena Loston, NASA’s Associate Administrator for Education. “These efforts advance our commitment, in President Bush’s words, to inspire a ‘new generation of innovators and pioneers.’” For a list of the Space Grant recipients for 2004, visit: http://calspace.ucsd.edu/spacegrant/workforce For information about other NASA education programs, visit: http://education.nasa.gov For more information about NASA and agency programs, visit: https://www.nasa.gov
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News releases provided by NASA’s Stennis Space Center are available at https://www.nasa.gov/centers/ssc/news/newsreleases/2004 For more information, call the NASA Public Affairs Office at Stennis at 1-800-237-1821 in Mississippi and Louisiana only, or (228) 688-3341.
2004 News Releases