unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (10/02/89)
NASA: NATIONAL STUDENT WINNERS NAMED IN SPACE SCIENCE COMPETITION
Posting Date: 09/30/89
UNITEX Network, USA ISSN: 1043-7932
NASA and the National Science Teachers Association held the 9th
annual Space Science Student Involvement Program (SSIP)
competition in Washington, D.C., the week of Sept. 14-16.
National SSIP winners were selected in three competition
categories: Space Station Freedom experiment proposal, school
newspaper promotion, and Destination Mars team competition.
In the Space Station Freedom experiment proposal competition,
eight national winners presented proposals to the selection
panel on Sept. 14. Selected from over 1,600 proposals, the
following are the three national scholarship recipients, their
proposals and awards:
First Place: Diane M. Fogel, Landsdale, Pa. Topic: "The
Effects of Calcitonin in Establishing Calcium Homeostasis in
Microgravity." The proposal examines the effects of the hormone
calcitonin and Vitamin D in reducing bone loss in microgravity.
Fogel was awarded a $3,000 scholarship and a Tandy computer.
Second Place: Bianca Santomasso, New York City. Topic:
"Determing the Effect of Microgravity on Circulation to the Hands
and Feet in Humans through the Measurement of Nail Growth." Her
proposal states that because circulation to the hands and feet
has been shown to have an effect on nail growth, measuring this
growth in microgravity would help determine whether
weightlessness has some effect on circulation to these areas.
She was awarded a $2,000 scholarship and a Tandy computer.
Third Place: Mark G. Baxter, Durham, N.C. Topic: "Effect of
Microgravity on the Membrane Transport System of Chorella." This
research, on the ion absorption rate in the active transport
system of algae, could shed light on the ability to grow
hydroponic plants in space as a potential food source and as a
water purification system. Baxter won a $1,000 scholarship and a
Tandy computer.
The other five national winners each received an eight- volume
set of the World Book Encyclopedia of Science. Those winners
are: Rebecca Glasser, West Allis, Wisc.; Antonio Algaze- Beato,
San Juan, P.R.; Ronnie E. Raney, Lenexa, Kan.; Sabry G.
Mansour, Los Angeles, Calif.; and Amy E. Ksir, Laramie, Wyo.
The selection panelists for the Space Station proposals were Dr.
John-David Bartoe, Chief Scientist, Office of Space Station,
NASA Headquarters; Dr. Ruth Ann Lewis, Satellite Servicing Tool
Development Manager, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,
Md.; Dr. David Almgren, President, Q-metrics, Inc., Cambridge,
Mass.; and Ms. Elizabeth Waring, Director, Mathematics and
Science Center, Richmond, Va.
In addition to the Space Station Freedom experiment proposal
winners, two national student newspaper competition winner were
honored during the symposium.
The national student newspaper award winners are Allen Chen,
Columbus, Ind., for a news feature and Paul Michael Schumacher,
Yuma, Ariz., for an advertisement. They were each awarded a $250
scholarship from Gannett Co., Inc.
A team of three Mechanicsburg, Pa., students was acknowl- edged
for winning a SSIP pilot project involving a statewide
competition to design and plan the first permanent manned colony
on Mars. This is the fourth year of the pilot competition in the
states of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Texas. The "Destination
Mars" team proposal consisted of three parts: societal elements
(international cooperation, financing, crew composition),
engineering plan (habitat structure, human support systems, power
sources, waste and water management) and scientific purpose and
results (human effects and environmental research). The students
from Mechanicsburg Area High School are Eric Bauer, Andrew Thoma
and Roger Baker and the teacher/advisor is William Murray.
Since NASA resumed Space Shuttle flights in September 1988, four
student experiments have flown on the Shuttle. To date, 19 SSIP
experiments have flown aboard the Shuttle. An SSIP experi- ment
proposed by Tracy Peters, Walnut Creek, Calif., is slated for
Shuttle mission 34, planned for launch on Oct. 12, 1989.
The objective of the SSIP competition is to stimulate interest
in science and technology by directly involving students in a
space or aeronautics research program. Since 1980,
approximately 2.5 million students have used the space science
program materials in classrooms and over 15,000 students have
submitted proposals. The Space Science Student Foundation and
private donors provide the awards annually.
Entry materials for the 1989-90 SSIP program may be obtained by
writing to the National Science Teachers Association, 5112
Berwyn Road, Third Floor, College Park, Md. 20740.
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