ITEA Member to Blast Off in Mid-March!

ITEA member, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenberger, will be a crew member on NASA flight STS-131, which is scheduled to launch in mid-March. The education focus is on robotics and women in STEM careers. Teaching From Space has developed two new websites, www.nasa.gov/education/robotics and www.nasa.gov/education/careers related to the mission. A Teaching From Space staff member, Matt Keil, will be at the ITEA conference in Charlotte where he will give a presentation on the mission and other TFS activities.

Reminder to TECC Members...

Current TECC members receive a $20 discount in registration fees when they use the TECC Special Registration form to attend the Virginia Children’s Engineering Convention February 25-26, 2010 at the Holiday Inn Select – Koger Center in Midlothian VA.

Contact Ginger Whiting at gwhiting@infionline.net to request the special registration form.

Presentation Opportunities

ITEA Minneapolis Conference Presenter Application
Now Online

ITEA’s 73rd Annual Conference, Preparing the STEM Workforce: The Next Generation, will be held March 24-26, 2011 in Minneapolis, MN. Presentations should address one of the following strands:

• The 21st Century Workforce – Describe the major characteristics of our future workplace. What STEM teaching and learning concepts are key in such a workforce? What will an effective program feature for students in terms of knowledge learned and expected outcomes? What will the global workforce look like in the future?
• New Basics – What new content and concepts will be important in technology and engineering courses of the future? What will be the new technical skills and how will they be tied to all STEM subjects? What current basics will fade? Describe the new courses of the future. How will STEM teaching and learning change as a result of the new basics?
• Sustainable Workforce and Environment – How will the sustainable workforce and environment blend together in the future? What new technologies and concepts will join such areas of interest as energy, resource utilization, manufacturing, and more as a major focus of STEM education? What educational policies need to be adjusted to create strong STEM sustainable educators for all?

Visit www.iteea.org/Conference/apptopresent.htm for additional information and the online application. The presenter application deadline for ITEA’s Minneapolis conference is June 15, 2010.

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TEAM Seeks Technology Education/Engineering Presentations
The Technology Education Association of Massachusetts (TEAM) is looking for presenters, companies, etc. for its March 12, 2010 conference at Fitchburg State College on Invention & Innovation Using Green Technology. Green Technology encompasses an evolving group of materials and processes, from generating energy to construction to nontoxic chemical products.

If anyone has information, ideas, presenters, and/or companies that involve green technology, please contact Sue Sanford, sanfordsusan2006@yahoo. Additional information about the conference is available at www.awrsd.org/team/Annual%20Conference.htm.

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New York State STEM Education Collaborative Call for Presenters
The New York State STEM Education Collaborative will present its 2010 Summer Institute, STEM: LINKS TO THE FUTURE, August 8-11, 2010 at State University of New York at Oswego in Oswego, NY. The event is coordinated by STANYS, NYSTEA, ASEE, NYSSPE, AMTNYS—professional organizations representing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in New York State—and will be hosted by SUNY/Oswego’s Department of Technology and School of Education.

Join these professional organizations in presenting professional development for educators and professionals in the STEM disciplines that link the future of education in New York and the United States. Presentations should contain two or more elements of STEM. Presentation forms are available at: www.nysstemeducation.org/2010Institute.html. For more information about the New York State STEM Education Collaborative,visit www.nysstemeducation.org. Deadline for submissions is February 27, 2010.

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First Announcement and Call for Papers – epiSTEME-4
Fourth international conference to review research on Science, TEchnology,
and Mathematics Education

Conference epiSTEME-4 will be held at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (TIFR), Mumbai, India, 5-9 January, 2011. Conference epiSTEME-4 is the fourth in a series of biennial conferences aimed at reviewing research worldwide in science, technology, and mathematics education. It is being organised by the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, a National Centre of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India.

Three broad strands of research that impact STME will form the core of epiSTEME-4. Themes have been identified under each strand to reflect active research topics and areas of interest. Papers are invited on the identified themes. Submissions must be made online in the form of full papers of 6-8 pages (maximum of 8 pages including references). Details and a template for submission may be downloaded from the conference webpage. Complete conference and submission information is available at http://episteme4.hbcse.tifr.res.in/announcements.

Professional Development Opportunity in California...

...for educators focused on bridging the gender gap in technology classrooms

February 18-19, 2010
Join Donna Milgram, Executive Director of the Institute for Women in Technology, Trades & Science (IWITTS), for a two-day National WomenTech Educators Train-the-Trainer Workshop in Emeryville, CA, just across the bay from San Francisco.  Learn best practices for how to recruit and retain women and girls in the technology classroom, and how to teach these strategies to others. The workshop is suited for technology instructors, school administrators, counselors, school-to-career, tech-prep, and equity coordinators. Learn more/register at www.iwitts.com/workshop.

Technology Teaching Opportunities in Maryland

As there continues to be a shortage of technology education teachers in Maryland, the state has created a document that it has shared with ITEA to assist in filling vacancies. This document outlines the list of open technology education positions in the state of Maryland. Any local school system leader wishing to post position announcements can contact Luke Rhine, Supervisor, Technology Education and Family and Consumer Sciences, Maryland State Department of Education, at Irhine@msde.state.md.us. Mr. Rhine would be pleased to assist you in posting positions. Any individual wishing to pursue a teaching position in technology education in the state of Maryland should contact Mr. Rhine for a copy of the document, which is updated periodically, so that he or she can then contact the local school system leaders in order to apply. Each local school system leader will be able to clarify the position description and confirm its availability.

Opportunity Knocks

Source: NJTEA Update #7
Sun, 13 Dec 2009

The New Jersey Technology Education Association has recently shared this list of great opportunities:

Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers 2010 Boat Design Competition
This competition exposes students to the excitement of the shipbuilding industry. Students will be challenged in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics by working through the entire shipbuilding design spiral. Students will learn skills like teamwork, leadership, project planning, engineering, design, drawing development, and design validation methods. All you have to do is form a team, register, and follow the competition schedule. The competition website at www.sname.org/SNAME/DesignCompetition/Home/Default.aspx will be your resource for all competition details. 

Partnership between TSA and Innovation First International
On November 19, 2009, The TSA, Inc. Board of Directors announced a partnership between TSA and Innovation First International (IFI). TSA has been in a discussion with IFI over the past year regarding the possibility of offering a signature VEX robotics competition within TSA. That competition is now a reality, and an official partnership was formed between IFI and TSA for this purpose. A press release was distributed nationwide on November 19th. TSA members will soon be receiving much more information on this great opportunity.

Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge
Over 2,000 students participated in the inaugural year of the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, which asked teams of two to three students in sixth through eighth grade, under the mentorship of a teacher or adult supervisor, to identify an environmental issue in their community, research the issue using scientific investigation, and create a replicable green solution using web-based curriculum tools powered by Discovery Education. The initiative now includes elementary schools and will expand to high schools in 2010. For more information on the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, check out: www.wecanchange.com.

MIT InvenTeams
The InvenTeam initiative, created by the Lemelson-MIT Program, offers an unparalleled opportunity for high school students to cultivate their creativity and experience invention. InvenTeams are teams of high school students, teachers, and mentors that receive grants up to $10,000 each to invent technological solutions to real-world problems. Each InvenTeam chooses its own problem to solve. Check it out at http://web.mit.edu/inventeams/.

Winston Solar Car Team
The Winston Solar Car Team, founded in 1990, is one of the oldest high school solar car programs. The Winston Team has built and raced eight solar cars, participated in three Australian World Solar Car Challenges, and was the first U.S. High School to ever complete this grueling 2000 mile race across the Outback. In 1993, the Winston Solar Car Team established the Winston Solar Education Program designed to help motivate students in science and engineering. Through this program, more than 1200 schools in twenty countries have launched similar solar programs. Visit www.winstonsolar.org/team/2009/index.html for more information.

TOYchallenge – A Design Challenge for 5th – 8th Grade Students
TOYchallenge is: (1) A national toy design challenge for 5th-8th graders and (2) A chance for teams of imaginative kids to create a new toy or game. Toys are a great way to learn about science, engineering, and the design process! As girls and boys create a toy or game, they experience engineering as a fun, creative, collaborative process, relevant to everyday life. Kids grow through engaging in TOYchallenge in many other ways, too, from developing a sense of teamwork to becoming familiar with the engineering design process and building self-confidence. Sally Ride Science™ is operated by Imaginary Lines, Inc. (www.SallyRideScience.com), a company founded by astronaut Sally Ride to support the large numbers of girls and young women who are, or might become, interested in science, math, engineering, and technology. Programs include the Sally Ride Science Festivals, Sally Ride Science Camps, and TOYchallenge™. Check out www.sallyridescience.com/toychallenge/ for more information.

The Real World Design Challenge
The Real World Design Challenge is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science, in partnership with Parametric Technology Corporation, Cessna Aircraft Company, and the Federal Aviation Administration. The Real World Design Challenge (RWDC) is an annual event that provides high school students in Grades 9–12 the opportunity to work on real-world engineering challenges in a collaborative environment. Who are your most important customers, clients, or prospects, and why? Know what is important to them and address their needs in your newsletter each month. Include a photo to make your newsletter even more appealing. Visit www.realworlddesignchallenge.org/ for more information.

MATE Student ROV Competition
The Marine Advanced Technology Education Center's (MATE) 2009 International Student ROV Competition challenged students to design and build ROVs that function as submarine rescue systems. Organized by the MATE Center and the Marine Technology Society's ROV Committee, the ROV competition is designed to present middle school, high school, community college, and university students with the same types of challenges that scientists and engineers face when working underwater. This year’s theme is ROVs in Treacherous Terrain: Science Erupts on Loihi, Hawaii’s Undersea Volcano, and the competition will take place June 24-26, 2010 at the University of Hawaii-Hilo on Hawaii’s Big Island. Registration is open now at www.marinetech.org/rov_competition/index.php. 

National Academy of Engineering Sponsors an Engineering Essay Contest
Every year, the EngineerGirl website sponsors a contest dealing with engineering and its impact on our world. The contest for this year, entitled “Survival Design Challenge,” has been posted. Students in Grades 3–12 can compete for cash prizes by writing an essay that addresses the requirements in the contest description. The deadline for this year is March 1, 2010. Visit www.engineergirl.org/CMS/Contest.aspx for complete contest description and rules.

Need Help Funding a Project?
www.donorschoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit website, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.

Newsletter from ASEE

The American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) is offering a newsletter of interest to the STEM community. Check out eGFI: Dream Up the Future News For Teachers Newsletter at the eGFI (Engineering: Go For It) website: http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/newsletters/.

From the Jason Project

Power Up with Energy City!
Play JASON's newest online game and learn what it takes to use energy wisely.

In Energy City, you'll join Host Researcher Martin Keller of Oak Ridge National Lab to manage technologies and conservation strategies in six different challenge cities. Can you deliver electricity to a city while keeping costs low, protecting the environment, and satisfying your customers? Learn more about Energy City at www.jason.org/digital_library/8239.aspx.

Apply to Join the JASON National Argonaut Team to Explore Space, Climate,
and Forces & Motion!
The JASON Project is seeking a diverse, creative, and adventurous group of students and teachers to venture into the field with JASON Host Researchers and Video Production Crew to perform cutting-edge science explorations. The Argonauts will embark on a two-year journey starting in July 2010, during which they will: 

• Attend an Argonaut Boot Camp in mid July, 2010 in Washington D.C. to prepare them for their field work.
• Work side by side with JASON Host Researchers in the field, completing a JASON Mission Research Field Assignment around our next curriculum topics: Space, Climate, and Forces & Motion.
• After the Mission, help review and refine JASON videos, print curriculum, and website materials, which will feature the Argonauts and their JASON experiences.  
• Serve as a mentor and role model for the JASON Community.
• Regularly interact with the entire JASON community through speaking engagements, message board postings, web casts, pod casts, chats. and more!

Over the two-year period, Student Argonauts will spend up to 15 days in the field and up to 20 hours engaged in non-field work. Teacher Argonauts will spend up to 15 days in the field and up to 50 hours in non-field work. JASON will pay for all travel, lodging, food (meals and snacks), and programming/equipment costs related to JASON Argonaut activities over this time.

Applications are being accepted now, with a deadline of Friday, February 5, 2010. Student and teacher selection will be finalized by late April, 2010, with the Argonaut experience beginning in mid July. Students should be 14 or 15 years old by June 1, 2010 to apply. Teachers need five years of classroom experience and continuation as an educator in 2010-2011.

For more information or to apply, visit the Argonaut Application page in the JASON Mission Center to download complete application guidelines, instructions, and forms. If you haven't been to the JASON Mission Center before, you can register now for free. Additional questions regarding the JASON National Argonaut program can be sent to argo@jason.org.

Global Search is on for Future Sustainability Leaders

The Centre for Sustainability Leadership is looking for people with the passion and potential to create the change the world so desperately needs. The Fellowship Program equips emerging leaders with an unparalleled network of like-minded people, skills such as creative thinking and problem solving, effective influencing, relationship building, and media advocacy as well as in-depth knowledge of behavioural and social change. Participants graduate with the ability to make a real difference.

The course comprises weekly evening workshops, one-to-one coaching, intensive retreats, a mentoring program, and project work. The Centre is currently looking for participants to apply for the 2010 Fellowship Program run in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. Only 25 places are available in each city. Applicants from all over the world are welcome. The program runs from April to November, and scholarship places are available.

Further information can be found at www.csl.org.au. International applications close February 3, 2010, and Australian applications  February 28, 2010.

NJIT Architectural Student Wins "Best Project" Award...

...for Habitat Newark Townhouse Design
Sustainable and Affordable Design to be Built as Homes for Low Income Families

Students in Darius Sollohub’s New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) architectural studio had completed and submitted their townhouse designs. While all of them contained excellent learning experiences and many of them included elements that may be used in future Habitat for Humanity homes, only one of them could ultimately be used to build real homes for low income families in Newark—the townhouse designed by Alex Merlucci.

The team of fourth-year design students began working on their designs in September. They were tasked with designing practical, affordable, energy-efficient townhouses for Habitat Newark. Once the plans are finished and all needed approvals have been obtained, the building will be completed in the traditional Habitat for Humanity method, using crews that consist primarily of volunteers, including the families who will eventually become the homeowners. All Habitat homeowners contribute 400 hours of “sweat equity” on their homes and make payments on zero interest loans.

For more information about Habitat Newark, call 973-624-3330 or visit them online at www.habitatnewark.org. For more information about NJIT, call 973-596-3000 or visit them online at www.njit.edu.

NCATE Blue Ribbon Panel Initiates a Mainstream Move to More Clinically Based Preparation of Teachers

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) has announced the formation of an expert panel on clinical preparation and partnerships, signaling the beginning of a sea change in the preparation of the nation’s teachers. The work of the Panel, called the NCATE Blue Ribbon Panel on Clinical Preparation, Partnerships and Improved Student Learning, will culminate in recommendations for restructuring the preparation of teachers to reflect teaching as a practice-based profession akin to medicine, nursing, or clinical psychology. Practice-based professions require not only a solid academic base, but strong clinical components, a supported induction experience, and ongoing opportunities for learning. This redesign is intended to bring educator preparation into better alignment with the urgent needs of P-12 schools. Such changes in the way teachers and other P-12 educators are prepared potentially have far-ranging effects on the structure of schools of education.

The panel will establish a set of guiding principles for the clinical preparation of teachers so that preparation focuses more on building the expertise necessary for effective practice as professionals. This includes the development of candidates’ ability to understand and relate to their students and their needs, development of practical and evidence-based pedagogical skills, and the use of research evidence and judgment in practice.

Teaching has become a vastly different job requiring a different set of skills than it did 50 years ago. Greater diversity among students and the tailored instruction that many of them need make the clinical aspects of teacher preparation ever more important. Teachers are faced with more challenges than ever before in the history of the United States, and they are now being held accountable in ways that their predecessors were not.

The Panel will examine characteristics and elements of clinical preparation in exemplary programs, will review the research, and will make recommendations as to how those characteristics and elements can be supported in policy and through funding formulas at every level—school, district, state, and federal. The aim is to move from islands of innovation that are driving student achievement in certain schools or districts to a culture in which excellence is the norm.

In a follow-up phase, the Blue Ribbon Panel will form a working group to guide changes in NCATE standards and accreditation processes to support more clinically-based educator preparation and working partnerships between preparation programs and P-12 schools. NCATE will pilot proposed changes at sites currently supported by teacher quality grants located in Race to the Top states. A second phase of the work will be guiding the process through NCATE policy boards to implement changes in NCATE accreditation standards to help support the Panel’s recommendations and vision.

STEM News

White House Announces $250M Effort for Science and Math Teachers
President Obama recently announced a $250 million public-private effort to improve science and mathematics instruction, aiming to help the nation compete in key fields with global economic rivals. The initiative effectively doubles, to more than $500 million, a philanthropic campaign for so-called STEM education that Obama launched in November.

VCSU to Receive $750,000 Federal Funding for STEM Education
In December President Barack Obama signed into law an omnibus spending bill that includes $750,000 in funding for Valley City State University (VCSU) to extend its role in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. The funding will allow VCSU to increase STEM education and training for K-12 teachers. The complete article is available at www.vcsu.edu/news/news.htm?id=6498.

President Obama Honors Outstanding Teachers and Mentors at White House
On January 6, President Obama honored educators from across the country with awards for excellence in mathematics and science teaching and mentoring. Information, pictures, and video of the event are available at  www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=116188&org=NSF&from=news.

MIT and FIRST Ally To Encourage STEM Education Careers
In an effort to inspire K-12 students to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, as well as careers in the field, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has formed a strategic alliance with FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology), a nonprofit dedicated to building interest in STEM-related education via innovative means… The cornerstone of the alliance is a pilot program to teach robotics to K-12 students after school. Read the story by Scott Aronowitz at: http://campustechnology.com/articles/2010/01/05/mit-and-first-ally-to-encourage-stem-education-careers.aspx.

Business-Higher Education Forum to Expand Use of STEM Education Model
The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) has received a $417,517 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to help BHEF expand a unique simulation modeling tool for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education policy making, as well as for enhancing college access, readiness, and success efforts.

BHEF is a national organization of Fortune 500 CEOs, prominent college and university presidents, and foundation leaders who work to advance innovative solutions to U.S. education challenges that affect competitiveness and the economy.

The grant will allow BHEF to adapt its U.S. STEM Education Model to examine STEM education policies at the state level and also to explore ways to expand the model’s use by federal and state education policymakers in STEM and other areas. The current model enables policy makers to simulate the effect of factors—such as changes in teacher quality and participation in undergraduate cohort programs—on increasing the number of STEM graduates. As such, it offers a powerful new tool for education policy makers that can help them understand the effect of various policies on the education system over time and simulate outcomes.

In addition to releasing the model into open source in July, BHEF—with partners Raytheon and The Ohio State University—has advanced the STEM Research and Modeling Network (SRMN) to support the modeling effort. The SRMN brings together researchers, policy makers, practitioners, corporations, and funders, all of whom share the goal of using simulation modeling and similar tools to identify ways that student interest, participation, and achievement in the STEM fields can be strengthened. 

Current forecasts of student degree attainment in the United States suggest that the U.S. will not produce enough STEM graduates at the two- or four-year college level to meet employer demand. The development of this model and the accompanying SRMN represent the mobilization of a community committed to aggressively addressing this challenge through innovative tools.

Stefan Brings Learning to Life at Lake Middle School

The following story by Lindsay Fahey appeared in The Suburbanite on January 04, 2010.

“Lake Middle school teacher Victor Stefan is a member of the INTERNATIONAL TECHNOLOGY AND ENGINEERING EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION (ITEA), and he couldn’t be more excited.

Stefan teaches the integrated technology classes at the middle school, which combines math and science technology together for one memorable experience. The class is project-based and Stefan said it ‘Brings learning to life. It helps teachers help kids do better.’

Stefan is currently in his 33rd year teaching, although his fascination with technology started in 1985 during a Teachers in Space program. He brought what he learned back to Lake local schools, and the rest is history. The program also helps raise students' test scores in math and science.

The class is so impressive, that Lake Middle School is the state of Ohio’s research site for engineering by design…”

Read the full story at www.thesuburbanite.com/communities/x370506379/Stefan-brings-learning-to-life-at-Lake-Middle-School.

Intel Schools of Distinction

Application Process
The application process for this awards program consists of a one-time online entry submission that will undergo several rounds of judging. Entry is limited to one entry per school. Eighteen finalists will be selected, three in each category (Math and Science) and at each grade level: elementary (K-5), middle (6-8) and high school (9-12). Six winners will then be selected—three winners in each category (math and science) representing elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Your school may apply for the Intel School of Distinction in either the mathematics or science category. Complete information and a link to the online application form is available at www.intel.com/education/schoolsofdistinction/application.htm?iid=CAG4000.

Pulling the Plug on EV Myths

Thinking about driving a more eco-friendly car in 2010? Want to go electric but afraid of not having enough range or worried about when and where to charge? If so, you need to look at what New York Times contributor Jim Motavalli says about some of the top electric car myths. Take this myth: EVs don't have enough range. As Motavalli points out: "FACT: Americans drive an average of 40 miles per day, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Most new battery electrics have a range of at least double that and can be charged at any ordinary electrical outlet (120V) or publicly accessible station with a faster charger." Even if you aren't ready to go electric, it's worth considering some additional resolutions he suggests to reduce your carbon footprint, like driving smart to improve fuel economy, ride sharing, and buying food locally to drop mileage from what you eat.

Source: Hybrid Owners of America, January 8, 2010

2010 NASA Education Resource Showcase Series

NASA's Digital Learning Network presents a series of videoconferences to assist educators in staying current on NASA education resources and related products. During each event, product producers, authors, and experts will demonstrate their materials designed to optimize awareness and understanding of science concepts. Instructional objectives, accessing the materials, and primary contacts for the materials will also be discussed. During the videoconferences, participants will be able to submit questions to the presenter that will be addressed during the presentation. In the coming months, the following topics will be covered:

• STS-131 Robotics: January 27, 2010, 4-5 p.m. EST
• NASA Fit Explorers February 24, 2010, 4-5 p.m. EST
• NASA eProfessional Development Network—Robotics Course: March 31, 2010, 4-5 p.m. EDT
• MoonWorld: April 28, 2010, 4-5 p.m. EDT
• On the Moon: May 26, 2010, 4-5 p.m. EDT

For more information about these videoconferences and to sign up online, visit http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/webcast/ . Questions about these events should be directed to Caryn Long at caryn.long@nasa.gov .

Opportunities From NASA

Deadline Extended
Top Stars: Educators Invited to Submit Examples of Inspiring Uses of Hubble in Education
 
2010 is the 20th anniversary of the launching of the Hubble Space Telescope, and to celebrate, the NASA Top Stars contest has extended its next deadline to February 28, 2010.
U.S. formal (K-12, college) and informal educators are invited to submit their best examples of using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope for science, technology, engineering, or mathematics education. Those selected as "Top Stars" will receive national recognition and awards. For more information, visit http://topstars.strategies.org. Questions about this opportunity should be directed to topstars@strategies.org.

16th Annual Space Exploration Educators Conference, February 4-6, 2010
Register today for the 16th Annual Space Exploration Educators Conference, to be held February 4-6, 2010, at Space Center Houston. This conference is for all K-12 educators. Activities presented use space-related themes to teach across the curriculum and can be used for science, language arts, mathematics, history, and more.

Attend sessions hosted by scientists and engineers working on the International Space Station, Mars exploration, and the planets beyond. Hear from astronauts who will be leading the charge in exploration. Learn about the bold vision to send humans back to the moon and off to Mars. Attend sessions presented by educators and receive ready-to-implement classroom ideas. Attendees can earn up to 24 hours of continuing professional education credit.

For more information and to register for the conference, visit http://spacecenter.org/TeachersSEEC.html. If you have any questions about the conference, please call 281-283-7773 or email seec@spacecenter.org.

Deadline Approaching for NASA’s ESMD Research Paper Competition
Join NASA’s mission to send humans to the moon, Mars, and beyond by submitting a research paper on one of four areas related to NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. The research paper should relate to one of the following areas:

• Ground Operations: Spacecraft Landing and Recovery Architecture: Historical Approaches and Ideas for the Future
• Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems: Synergistic degradation effects of materials exposed to radiation, micrometeors, thermal sinks, and lunar dust
• Propulsion: Loading of Cryogenic Propellant in Space Launch Vehicle
• Spacecraft: Determination of the Optimum Internal Cockpit Layout

The ESMD Research Paper Competition is open to students who are U.S. citizens in an undergraduate or graduate studies program. Students must be in good standing and enrolled full- or part-time at a college or university in the United States. Papers may be submitted by an individual or team. Papers that have been previously submitted in other competitions are permitted. First-place winners will be selected for each of the four areas. Each winner will receive a $3500 cash scholarship and VIP seating to an upcoming launch. The deadline for submitting the research paper is Jan. 25, 2010.

For more information about this competition, visit http://education.ksc.nasa.gov/esmdspacegrant/ResearchPaper.htm. Questions about the ESMD Research Paper Competition should be directed to Diane Ingraham at zola.d.ingraham@nasa.gov.

Deadlines Approaching for Summer 2010 NASA Opportunities for Graduate and Undergraduate Students

NASA Ames Summer 2010 Graduate Student Internship Programs
The Systems Teaching Institute is offering a 10- to 12-week summer research program for graduate students in fields relevant to the research done at NASA's Ames Research Center in California. Selected students will gain hands-on experience working with cutting-edge research and development teams, an increased understanding of the NASA mission, and mentoring in research management skills. Besides working closely with Ames scientists and engineers, students will have the opportunity to attend seminars tailored to their level of expertise, career development workshops, and an end-of-summer symposium where they can share their results with other student interns. Awards (in the form of travel support to a national conference) will be given for the best symposium poster presentations. To be eligible, students must be enrolled in (or accepted into) a master’s or doctoral program. Students must demonstrate their potential to contribute to Ames research via enrollment in a highly relevant degree program (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) and/or articulation of:

• Acquired skills that might be of special interest.
• Prior educational background that shows interdisciplinary knowledge.
• Specialized career goals directly related to NASA’s mission.

All application materials should be postmarked on or before January 31, 2010. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted for the January 31 deadline. However, official transcripts must be received by March 31, 2010. The Systems Teaching Institute will make selections and send out notification letters to all applicants on or before April 30, 2010.

For further information about this opportunity, visit http://uarc.ucsc.edu/sti/grad_10.shtml. Questions regarding this opportunity may be submitted by email to Dr. Natalie Batalha at nbatalha@science.sjsu.edu or Amy Gilbert at amy.gilbert@adm.ucsc.edu.

2010 NASA Planetary Biology Internship
The NASA Planetary Biology Internship Program provides opportunities each year for 10 interns to undertake research at NASA research centers, NASA-sponsored laboratories, and academic institutions. The pursuit of such studies is expected to broaden the base of this new science by encouraging people in many different fields to take part. Applicants must be enrolled in graduate school.

Students accepted in the PBI program will be expected to carry out research with a NASA-sponsored investigator for eight weeks, usually during the summer months. Typical programs in which interns may become involved include: global ecology and remote sensing; microbial ecology and bio-mineralization; advanced life support; and origin and early evolution of life.

Applications are due February 15, 2010. For more information, visit www.mbl.edu/education/courses/other_programs/pbi.html. Please email questions about this opportunity to Michael Dolan at pbi@geo.umass.edu.

2010 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships
Caltech's Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships—or SURF—project introduces undergraduate students to research under the guidance of seasoned mentors at Caltech or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Students experience the process of research as a creative intellectual activity and gain a more realistic view of the opportunities and demands of a professional research career.

SURF is modeled on the grant-seeking process. Students collaborate with potential mentors to define and develop a project and to write research proposals. Caltech faculty or JPL staff review the proposals and recommend awards. Students work over a 10-week period in the summer, mid-June to late August. At the conclusion of the project, they submit a technical paper and give a SURF Seminar Day oral presentation.

All application materials must be received no later than February 22, 2010. For more information, visit www.surf.caltech.edu/. Please email any questions about this opportunity to the Caltech Student-Faculty Programs office at sfp@caltech.edu.

2010 NASA Postdoctoral Program Accepting Applications
The NASA Postdoctoral Program offers qualified postdoctoral scientists and engineers the opportunity to engage in ongoing NASA research and serves as a source of talent to ensure the continued quality of the NASA research workforce. These competitive one- to three-year fellowship appointments advance NASA's missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology. Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate degree in hand before beginning the fellowship, but may apply while completing the dissertation.

Applications for the NASA Postdoctoral Program are due on March 1, 2010. For further information about this opportunity and to apply online, visit http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc/description/index.htm. Questions regarding this opportunity may be submitted by email to nasapostdoc@orau.org.

Hitch a Ride on the Glory Satellite

Do you want to hitch a ride on NASA's next climate-monitoring satellite? Join the Glory mission, which will launch no earlier than October 1, 2010, by surfing over to the Send Your Name Around the Earth Web page. Names will be recorded on a microchip built into the satellite, and you will get a printable certificate from NASA acknowledging your participation. There are already 226,323 names on the chip, but there's still plenty of room. You may not submit your name more than once.
To add your name to the microchip, visit http://polls.nasa.gov/utilities/sendtospace/jsp/sendName.jsp.

Glory carries two scientific sensors dedicated to understanding the effects of aerosols and the sun's variability on Earth's climate. The Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor will collect information about tiny liquid and solid particles suspended in the atmosphere that absorb or reflect sunlight. The Total Irradiance Monitor will measure the intensity of incoming sunlight that can vary over time.

To learn more about the Glory mission, visit http://glory.gsfc.nasa.gov/. Become a Friend to the Glory Mission on Facebook: www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1368706679&ref=profile.