NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium

This Veteran’s Day, we salute all who served our country.

Thank you.

Are you a STEM education subject matter expert? The i-STEM Strand Instructor application is live! Your expertise could impact hundreds of students across the state of Idaho and help teachers bring cutting edge STEM education into their classrooms.
Apply today here: https://stem.idaho.gov/istem/istem-instructors/

🔬 Internship Highlight: Luca Manning’s Hands-On Chemistry Research 💡

Luca Manning, a Chemistry major with an ACS emphasis and a Material Science Engineering minor at Boise State University , had an incredible summer internship filled with hands-on experience and professional growth. 🌟

"During my internship, I had hours and hours of laser time, which helped me get plenty of hands-on experience," Luca shared. "I learned to grow single-crystalline ice for my samples, practiced programming in Python and MATLAB, and presented a poster at the Idaho Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR)." Luca credits a supportive mentor who worked closely with her and other undergraduates to teach research methods and data.

To learn more about NASA ISGC funded internship opportunities visit www.idahospacegrant.org/student-resources

🔧 Internship Highlight: Karlee Macaw’s Path to Biomedical Engineering 🦾

Karlee Macaw, a Mechanical Engineering student at Boise State University, spent her summer researching tendon and ligament health in her project, "Protecting Tendons and Ligaments from Overuse Injuries with Periodic Rest and Recovery." This project inspired her to pursue a master's in engineering and a career in Biomedical Engineering. 🧠

"I dissected bovine knee joints for the MCL and LCL ligaments, punched them into dog bone shapes using the Print-A-Punch device, and ran cyclic fatigue tests," Karlee shared. "After rest periods, I measured the creep and displacement using a custom Matlab code. With longer rest periods, better recovery was reached, but not complete recovery." 💡💻

To learn more about NASA ISGC funded internship opportunities visit www.idahospacegrant.org/student-resources

✨This is why we do what we do!✨

"Seeing the rocket lift off into space felt like witnessing a pinnacle of human achievement, a reminder of the limitless potential of engineering to push the boundaries of what’s possible," said Gupta. "It wasn’t just about sending a spacecraft to Europa — it was about the teamwork, precision, and advanced technology that made it happen, elements that I’m drawn to in both aerospace and robotics."

🔬 Internship Highlight: Skyler Kichak’s Journey in Biomedical Engineering 🌍

Skyler Kichak, an Engineering major at Boise State University, spent his summer at the BSU Biomaterial and Musculoskeletal Engineering Lab studying the fascinating role of circadian rhythms in astronaut tendon strength. 🚀

"Overall, this study could help provide a basis for a change in training regimen or supplementation for astronauts in spaceflight," says Skyler. Looking ahead, he’s excited to pursue a career in Biomedical Engineering and envisions research and development (R&D) being central to his work and personal interests. 🧠🔧

Learn more about NASA ISGC funded internship opportunities at https://www.idahospacegrant.org/student-resources

🚀 Internship Highlight: Ainsley at NASA's Johnson Space Center 👩‍🚀

Ainsley Iwersen, a senior Mechanical Engineering student at Boise State University , spent her summer working on the Portable Life Support Engineer project at NASA Johnson Space Center! 🌌

"I essentially had a 'crash course' on the Orion Crew Survival Systems (OCSS) suit to learn about the components I would be testing," Ainsley shared. She loved her experience so much that she decided to stay on with the OCSS team remotely this fall, where she’s currently working on the test reports for these critical systems. 💼💻

Boise State College of Engineering

💻 Internship Highlight: Aaron’s Journey in Computer Science 🎓

Aaron, currently studying at , spent the summer working on cutting-edge projects during his internship with the University of Idaho Computer Science Department. 🚀

"I worked on integrating a new weather sensor into Scarecro, a precision agriculture system developed by the University of Idaho," says Aaron. His experience didn’t stop there—he also participated in bootcamps where experts covered topics like Programmable Logic Controllers, Robotics, Machine Vision, Precision Agriculture Systems, and Genetic Algorithms. 🌱🤖

He’s not stopping there! Aaron plans to continue his undergraduate research, diving deeper into the world of computer science and innovation.

Learn more about ISGC Funded internships at https://www.idahospacegrant.org/industryinternships

Do you know a high school Junior in Idaho that's interested in STEM? This is a huge opportunity they will not want to miss!

Apply NOW for our Science and Aerospace Scholars (ISAS) program.

✅ Science
✅ Creativity
✅ Collaboration
✅ Engineering
✅ Public Speaking
✅ Problem Solving
✅ Fun

👉 Must be an Idaho high school junior.
⏰ Apply before October 20, 2024.

🚀 https://www.sde.idaho.gov/academic/isas/

Made possible in partnership with NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration HP NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium Idaho Digital Learning Alliance Micron Technology Idaho STEM Action Center Boise State University Idaho State University University of Idaho

🌍🚀 World Space Week is an international celebration of science, technology, and their impact on improving life on Earth. Since 1999, the United Nations General Assembly has designated October 4-10 as World Space Week each year.
These dates hold significant meaning:
🌚October 4, 1957: The launch of Sputnik 1, the first human-made Earth satellite, marking the beginning of space exploration.
🌝October 10, 1967: The signing of the Outer Space Treaty, which governs the peaceful exploration and use of space.
Join the global celebration and learn how space advances benefit humanity!

🚀🌍 Get ready for World Space Week 2024! 🌟

From space agencies to museums, schools, and astronomy clubs, people around the world are coming together for a week of incredible events focused on space education and outreach. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of , and it's bigger than ever! 🎉

🔭 Explore panels like "Tackling Climate Change with Space Data" 🌿 or show off your knowledge in some fun Space Trivia. 🧠✨

Sign up for events or register your own to be part of this global celebration! 🌌

How are you celebrating World Space Week ?

👉 worldspaceweek.org

🚀 Internship Highlight: James at NASA Ames 🛠️

James, a Mechanical Engineering grad student at the University of Idaho, had an unforgettable summer interning at NASA Ames Research Center! 🌌

One of the top highlights? Hands-on experience with real space hardware! From designing to testing, James got a true taste of the engineering that helps power space exploration. 🚀

Keep an eye on this rising star as he begins his master’s journey and pursues employment in the space industry! 🌟! 🌟

Learn more about ISGC funded summer internships at https://www.idahospacegrant.org/industryinternships

University of Idaho College of Engineering

🚀 Internship Highlight: Ashley Cantin 🌊

Ashley Cantin, a second-year Biochemistry Honors student at , made waves during her internship!
🌟 She explored the fascinating world of the blue-banded goby, a marine fish that can change s*x bidirectionally, studying its social behaviors and hormone levels using Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS).

As part of her research at the USC Wrigley Institute on Catalina Island, Ashley not only dived into the science but also learned to drive a boat 🚤.

📚🔬Reflecting on her experience, she said:
"I was able to devote a lot of time to reading scientific literature. Through this I gained knowledge and increased my understanding of how a scientific paper is written and I was able to learn about the scientific topics discussed in these papers." This will benefit her own research and honors thesis.

Learn more about ISGC funded summer internships at https://www.idahospacegrant.org/industryinternships

🎒Educators! Looking for a FREE STEM student challenge?

NASA is calling on middle and high school students to join the fourth NASA TechRise Student Challenge, which invites student teams to submit science and technology experiment ideas to fly
on a high-altitude balloon.

Teams should submit their experiment ideas by the challenge deadline on November 1, 2024

NASA TechRise Student Challenge 2024-25 NASA is calling on middle and high school students to join the fourth NASA TechRise Student Challenge, which invites student teams to submit science and tech...

🌕International Observe the Moon Night🌕
Yep, it's a real thing and you're invited. On Saturday, September 14th spend the evening with others around the world as we gaze upon the glowing orb in the sky.

🔭Curious about hosting an event? Check out moon.nasa.gov/observe-the-moon-night/ for tips and other resources. (Like virtual field trips and sonification... 👂Listen to the moon!)

This is one of the best opportunities in Idaho for High School students to get involved in STEM skills development. With duel enrollment credits available and a hands on summer academy, any 11th grader interested in STEM should consider applying.

Congrats to the Vandal Robotics Team! We're proud supporters and enjoy seeing hard work pay off 🤖

Assistant Professor Johnny Li served as advisor for the Vandal Robotics Team that recently placed second in the beginner team category at the 2024 Agriculture Robotics Student Competition as part of the Annual International Meeting of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE).

Team members Shariar Talukder, a sophomore in mechanical engineering and Md. Abir Islam Mishad, a freshman in computer engineering, along with Li, represented U of I at the competition in July. The team was tasked with developing an autonomous robot to tend to strawberry plants on a 16’x4’ playing field with a 4” tall border. Robots score points by navigating the field, distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy leaf clusters and trimming unhealthy clusters and undesired flowers.

The team’s participation was supported by the NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium, CALS, Department of Soil and Water Systems, University of Idaho College of Engineering and Jeff Solbrack, precision ag specialist and general manager in the Walla Walla region at PAPE Machinery.