The Advanced Space Academy is a partnership between NASA, the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee Space Grant and the Discovery Channel. University of Washington Senior Christine Palermo knew she would learn from her undergraduate research experiences, but she never expected her project to become the main work of a four-person laboratory team. This fall, Palermo shared her research experiences with an audience of 200 people at the 1999 Space Grant Awards Reception and Poster Session. Palermo was one of 61 students who took part in the Space Grant Undergraduate Research Program. The program matches UW faculty or research scientists with undergraduate students.
Summer projects range from work in applied physics to zoology.
The students receive their funding as an hourly wage. Students who participated in the program exhibited scientific posters at the reception. This year, all projects were co-sponsored by the Mary Gates Endowment for Students through the Office of Undergraduate Education. Dr. Robert Winglee has employed undergraduate researchers on his groundbreaking work to create an electro magnetic bubble around a spacecraft and let the solar wind carry it into deep space. He believes undergraduates have made a significant contribution to his research.