Announcements

Proposals are now being accepted from undergraduate students at Iowa State University, University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa and Drake University for hands-on student experiential opportunities in areas relevant to the mission of NASA. This student-centered opportunity includes research projects and participation in national or regional NASA-sponsored competitions. Teams or individual students may apply.

The Iowa Space Grant Consortium encourages proposals involving females, members of underrepresented minorities, U.S. military veterans, and persons with disabilities. Students must be enrolled at Iowa State, Iowa, Northern Iowa or Drake with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. A faculty or staff mentor is required. The awards will be awarded on a first come, first awarded basis, until funds are consumed. Submissions will be accepted on an ongoing basis through March 29, 2019, on a first come, first awarded basis, until funds are consumed.

For detailed information and a link to the program’s full proposal form, click here.

Tomas Gonzalez-Torres, a lecturer in the Iowa State University Department of Aerospace Engineering, has been named director of the Iowa Space Grant Consortium (ISGC), effective July 1. He replaces Interim Department Chair and Dennis & Rebecca Muilenburg Professor of Aerospace Engineering Dr. Christina Bloebaum as director. She is departing Iowa State for an administrative post at Kent State University.

Gonzales-Torres – an Iowa State aerospace engineering alumnus, who returned to his alma mater as a faculty member in 2017 after a distinguished career with the NASA space program – is no stranger to the ISGC, having made many special appearances on behalf of the agency at events such as informational sessions for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) educators in Iowa and at recognition ceremonies for students and educators.

He graduated from Iowa State with a B.S. in aerospace engineering in 1998, and was named the 82^nd Flight Director of NASA in 2011. He served as Flight Director for four years, earning the prestigious NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal for his exceptional performance as head of an International Space Station Expedition.owa

A veteran spacewalk flight controller, Gonzalez-Torres was the group lead for the Extravehicular Activities (EVA) Systems Group from 2008-2011, as well as acting chief of the EVA Operations Branch. Upon joining NASA he worked as a spacewalk task and systems instructor. He became an EVA officer in 2005, working 17 shuttle flights including lead for the STS-121 assembly mission, which included tests of shuttle heat shield inspection and repair techniques. He served as the lead spacewalk officer for the final Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, STS-125, and four space station expedition spacewalks. View an Iowa State University feature story about Gonzalez-Torres and his NASA experience.

“I am humbled and excited about my new position as the Director of the Iowa Space Grant Consortium. After having worked at the NASA Johnson Space Center for over 20 years, I am excited to once again work with so many people throughout the state of Iowa and throughout all of NASA who are excited about NASA, STEM outreach, space-related sciences, and space exploration. The ISGC currently impacts so many people in a positive way, and is being handed over from the prior Director, Dr. Bloebaum, in a very strong position.  I will work to be a good influence, to expand that reach, and to help many more people in the years to come,” Gonzalez-Torres said.

The ISGC supports STEM research, education, and outreach activities for students and researchers throughout Iowa. ISGC also strives to inspire Iowa’s future scientists and engineers using NASA resources by funding internships, fellowships, and scholarships, as well as student and faculty research projects and travel to NASA Centers.

Iowa Space Grant Consortium affiliates: Now’s the time to submit proposals for information education projects that advance the NASA and ISGC mission.

The intent of informal education is to increase learning for students, educators and the general public on specific STEM content areas, and to expand the nation’s future STEM workforce.

An RFP is now available on the Iowa Space Grant consortium web site. The deadline is August 24, 2018.

Through its pre-college programs, the Iowa Space Grant Consortium is funding a first-of-its-kind immersive theater production for youth at the University of Northern Iowa. “To Touch The Moon” will salute the upcoming 50th anniversary of the lunar landing. The planning included students and officials from UNI spending time at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL.

Read more about the plans and preparations for the play.

The Iowa Space Grant Consortium joins with other individuals and organizations worldwide to note the retirement, and accomplishments, of record-setting Iowa astronaut Peggy Whitson.

Iowa State University Department of Aerospace Engineering faculty members Tomas Gonzales-Torres (who worked with Whitson as a flight director for NASA) and Clayton Anderson (who worked with Whitson in space on an International Space Station Expedition) share memories of their professional relationships with her in a department news story, here.

A Request for Proposals for curriculum development program for the Iowa Space Grant Consortium is now in effect. All faculties of ISGC core institutions and academic affiliates are eligible to apply: Drake, ISU, Iowa, UNI, Loras College and Des Moines Area Community College.

The ISGC encourages proposals from females, members of underrepresented minorities,veterans, and persons with disabilities.

For details, click here.