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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2005
Contact: Linn LeBlanc
321-455-7011
Astronauts Award $170,000 in College Scholarships through Scholarship Foundation
Titusville, FL — The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation recently announced the award of its scholarships for the 2005–2006 academic year to 16 dynamic undergraduates and graduate college students who exhibit motivation, imagination, and exceptional performance in the fields of science and engineering.
"The Foundation is a way for me and my fellow astronauts to give back to a country who afforded us an extraordinary opportunity," said Apollo 15 Command Module Pilot and Foundation Chairman Col. Al Worden. "It is vital that America remains a technological leader in the world and that responsibility rests upon these future generations."
Each scholar will receive $10,000 for a total of $170,000. That will increase the total amount of scholarship money awarded to more than $2 million to a total of 196 students.
Candidates are nominated by faculty members at 18 different colleges and universities and reviewed by a scholarship board. Two nominees from each school are submitted to the Foundation's Scholarship Committee for review. Selections by the committee are presented to the Foundation's Board of Directors for final approval.
Established by the original Mercury astronauts in 1984, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping the United States retain its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships to students pursuing these fields. More than 50 astronauts from the Gemini, Apollo, and Shuttle programs have since joined the cause and raise money through personal appearances, special events, corporate/individual donations, and membership fees. The Foundation headquarters are located in the Astronaut Hall of Fame at Kennedy Space Center, FL.
The 2005–2006 recipients (Georgia Tech and Penn State were awarded scholarships for both nominees):
Georgia Tech — Jarret Marshall Lafleur from Mapleville, RI is a senior in Aerospace Engineering with a 4.0 GPA. He presented a wing morphing design for use on Mars to NASA that apparently represents the first instance of a published full design of such a vehicle for a planet other than earth. He plans to earn a Ph.D. and work in a multidisciplinary group dedicated to space design problems.
Georgia Tech — Isaac David Penny from Lawrence, KS is a senior in Mechanical Engineering with a 3.87 GPA. He is a fourth generation engineer and plans to develop an air transportation system for third world countries beginning by using his knowledge and skills as a pilot and leader in "ambitious technical projects."
Harvey Mudd College — Robert Martin Panish from Woodland Hills, CA is a senior in Engineering with a GPA of 3.823. At age 13 he established Robert's Books, which now sell around the world on the internet. He is currently working on analytical techniques to inform firefighters of changes in structural integrity in a burning building. He expects to be involved in designing and flight-testing spacecraft.
Miami University — Ethan Silva Karp from Clarion, PA is a senior in Biochemistry with a 4.0 GPA. He entered Miami University as a full time student at age 15. He is pursuing physics and math minors and is interested mainly in biochemistry and biophysics of brain activity. He wants to help create an international brain research institute to learn more of brain functions and be a professor at a major research institution.
North Carolina A&T — Christopher Jessamy from Westbury, NY is a senior in Physics with a 3.48 GPA. He is involved in nanoscience research and worked as an intern at Brookhaven National Laboratory. He recently joined the National Society of Black Physicists consistent with his goals to obtain a Ph.D. and teach.
North Carolina State — Patrick Garrett Keistler from Concord, NC is a master's degree candidate in Aerospace Engineering, with a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering (summa cum laude). He continues his work in computational fluid dynamics and has decided to continue for a Ph.D. He notes in his report how the scholarship helped inspire him to continue.
North Dakota State — Jonathan Michael Pikalek from Fargo, ND is completing his M.S. in Computer Science and proposes to continue his studies in computer science through a Ph.D. He has worked in control design of unmanned air vehicles and satellites. He plans to continue to teach, do research, and write — eventually writing a textbook.
Penn State — Andrew Scott Bielen from Danville, PA is a senior in Nuclear Engineering and Mathematics with a 3.98 GPA. He plans to earn the Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering and become associated with a national laboratory. His interests embrace government and science and his potential role as a scientist.
Penn State — Adam Nolan Morgan from Dallas, PA is a senior in Astronomy and Physics with a 3.98 GPA. He plans to earn a Ph.D. in Astrophysics, concentrating in cosmology, and become a professor in Astrophysics at a major university. As a freshman, he was involved in the Swift project to detect gamma ray bursts from outer space. He is active in mentoring for science in public schools and volunteers for environmental projects.
Syracuse University — Brien R. Flewelling from Unity, ME is a senior in Aerospace Engineering with a 3.81 GPA. He is minoring in Engineering management studying the ethical and legal aspects of engineering. He is a high jumper on the Syracuse Varsity Track and Field Team and tutors other athletes in math, physics, and engineering. His long-term goal is to get a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering and work in conjunction with NASA.
Texas A&M — Justin Howard Wilson from Livingston, TX is a junior in a double degree program in both Math and Physics with a 4.0 GPA. His research area involves the mathematical concepts in information theory as well as modeling the electromagnetic field of a magnet. He is planning to attend graduate school in cosmology and earn a Ph.D.
Tufts University — Russell E. Sargent from Wayland, MA is a senior in Physics with a 3.92 GPA. In a study of thin coatings made in an ultra-high vacuum chamber, he discovered that his use of the computer gave him random results until he learned how the computer was manipulating the data. It led to the discovery that the analytical machine was degrading with each use. Presently, he is developing ways to interpret oxygen data gathered by the oxygen sensor on board the 2007 Phoenix Mars probe.
University of Colorado — Erin L. Reed from Longmont, CO is a senior in Aerospace Engineering with a 3.934 GPA. She has been working with GPS technology and at NASA Johnson Space Center she worked on Attitude Determination and Control for the International Space Station. She plans to continue for the Ph.D., do research, and teach aerospace engineering.
University of Oklahoma — Nathan Snook from Norman, OK is completeing his Ph.D. in Meteorology. He made significant contributions to a NSF Research Engineering Center program by developing sophisticated computer programs for radar system emulation. He consistently ranks at the top of his class.
University of Minnesota — Craig Michael Lewandowski from Port Washington, WI is a senior in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering with a 3.84 GPA. He has been working with silica nanoparticle solutions to study their rates of degradation at differing concentrations and their fluid properties. He has not yet decided which way will lead to space related technology—working in the field or further education in graduate school.
University of Washington — Angela Marie Stickle from Suquamish, WA is a first year senior in a 5-year program in Earth and Space Sciences and Aeronautical Engineering with a 3.34 GPA. Her goal is to earn a Ph.D. in Planetary Geology and to be involved in the Mars planetary studies. As an engineer, she has been working on MagBeam propulsion systems, and is active in her sorority, Habitat for Humanity, and a church sponsored Russian orphanage.
Washington University — Aaron Frank Mertz from Palatine, IL is a senior in Physics and American Culture Studies, with a 3.93 GPA. He intends to apply to a Ph.D. program in Astrophysics. He will use his knowledge of German during a research internship at the Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik in Garching, Germany, seeking stellar sources of iron-60. He is also a cellist in the university orchestra and an editor of a campus journal, which he helped found.