Two New York Students Participate in a Student Internship Program at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Two New York students have joined the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center workforce in Greenbelt, Md. to participate in the Strategic Preparedness Advancing Careers in Engineering/Sciences (SPACE) program.

Joseph Cousins, from Hempstead, N.Y., and Clifford Simmons, from New York City, are working with NASA scientists and engineers for the summer.

SPACE strives to inspire young adults, particularly African-American males, to pursue careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics through experience in the many scientific research opportunities available through NASA.

Each SPACE student is assigned a NASA scientist or engineer as a mentor and assists the mentor with his or her current project. The SPACE participants help their mentors conduct research and use data for the projects, and in turn, the mentors guide the students and help them learn as much as possible from their experience at NASA Goddard.

For example, in the summer of 2005, a SPACE student converted Earth science software from a Linux system to a Mac OS X system.

By the end of the summer, each student should also deliver an oral presentation accompanied by a technical paper where they will share the results of their research with NASA personnel and fellow interns.

“This is a wonderful experience for a student,” said Dr. Vigdor Teplitz, chief of Higher Education for NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. “NASA’s space program is just about the greatest show on Earth if you are a technical person and having these young eager people with fresh points-of-view and questions is good for NASA. It makes for a productive summer for all.”

SPACE, which began May 30, continues through early August.

This year, SPACE has 35 participants with 2 of those students at NASA Goddard. Both students are pursuing degrees in fields of science or mathematics from Morehouse College.

The program is a result of a collaborative effort between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Morehouse College, which also offers scholarship support to students from Morehouse College who have achieved academic success in the physical sciences, mathematics and engineering.

With the SPACE program, NASA continues the Agency’s tradition of investing in the Nation’s education programs. It is directly tied to the Agency’s major educational goal of strengthening NASA’s and the Nation’s future workforce. Through this and the Agency’s other college and university programs, NASA will identify and develop the critical skills and capabilities needed to achieve the Vision for Space Exploration.