The Space Center recently announced its 2007-2008 research awards for UArk faculty members interested in dev-eloping their research interests in space and planetary science.  The competed research awards program is designed to stimulate interdisciplinary research in space and planetary sciences at the university through collaborations and undergraduate and graduate student involvement.  Nine awards were made, totaling $221,518.  The faculty members and awards are listed below:

Vincent Chevrier (Space Center); Stability and evolution of clay deposits on Mars; $7,775

John Dixon (Geosciences); Martian gully formation genesis using remote sensing and laboratory experimental techniques; $28,960

Mack Ivey (Biological Sciences); Microbial iron reducers: Model organisms for subsurface planetary biospheres; $40,905

Dan Kennefick (Physics); Producing accurate wave forms for gravitational waves from highly eccentric orbits in EMRIs; $11,686

Julia Kennefick (Physics); Improving selection efficiencies in quasar surveys using 2MASS catalogs; $50,000

Tim Kral (Biological Sciences); Methanogens as a model for life on Mars; $19,940

Claud Lacy (Physics); Mineralogy and classification of NEOs; $23,411

Larry Roe (Mechanical Engineering); Continued development of a sampler for the robotic return of asteroid samples; $7,982

Rick Ulrich (Chemical Engineering); Seismic imaging of local subsurface layering and icy regoliths from planetary landers and rovers; $30,859

Travis Altheide, a Space Center graduate student, will begin an eight week internship in June through the Planetary Biology Internship program at NASA Ames research facility in California.  He will be working with Dr. Chris McKay.  While details of the research are still forth coming, it will most likely involve astrobiological work concerning Enceladus.  Travis will receive a $4,000 grant from the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium to cover his expenses during the entire 8-week program.

Photo caption:  Travis Altheide with Sue Hawkins of the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium

The Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) program is an interdisciplinary summer program that is funded by NASA.  This ten week program brings students from a variety of science and engineering back-grounds to the U of A campus to research topics in space and planetary sciences. 

The students are assigned mentors in their respective research areas, and the students get a chance to experience life as a graduate student.  REU student research interests vary from quasar astronomy to water on Mars.  The students also create midterm posters, participate in end of term orals, and attend a follow-up conference.

The students go on several field trips throughout the summer that reflect the major disciplines in the Space Center (planetary astronomy, planetary atmospheres, planetary geology, orbital mechanics and astronautics, or origin and evolution of life).  At the Oklahoma Aquarium, students get a behind the scenes look at what life in extreme environments might be like.  On their trip to western Oklahoma, the students observe land formations that are comparable to those on Mars.  At the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, students get a chance to visit the lunar and meteorite processing labs and will take a public tour of the JSC.  The students will also visit a local industrial partner to see what the space business is like.  The final trip that the students have is to the observation deck on Kimpel Hall at the U of A where they will peer through a telescope at the night sky.  The viewing is hosted by Claud Lacy, a member of the Space Center and a faculty member in the Physics department. 

The students attend weekly seminars covering a variety of topics in space and planetary sciences.  The seminars are given by Space Center faculty, researchers, graduate students, and external speakers.  Students also receive “how-to” seminars on making poster and oral presentations.  The students, their mentor for the summer, their area of research, and their home institution are listed below:

	Shiblee Barua; Dr. Dan Kennefick - Physics of gravitational waves Berea College
	Kelly Howe; Dr. John Dixon - Physical geography of Arctic regions SUNY Geneseo
	Obadiah Kegege; Dr. Larry Roe - Microthrusters, sample collectors Univ. of Texas Pan American
	David Kennington; Dr. Vincent Chevrier - Water on Mars Virginia Commonwealth University
	Maxwell Mikel-Stites; Dr. Rick Ulrich - Planetary atmospheres, planetary instruments University of Rochester
	Kene Obi; Dr. Julia Kennefick - Quasar astronomy Grinnell College
	Santosh Pudasaini; Dr. Mack Ivey - Microorganisms in extreme environments Saint Peter's College
	Quintin Schiller; Dr. Claud Lacy - Extrasolar planets, near-Earth asteroids Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison
	Ashley Stewart; Dr. Julia Kennefick - Quasar astronomy Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville
	Krista White; Dr. Derek Sears - Space materials, planetary simulations Ball State University

SPAC undergraduate student James Cope was selected as the Outstanding Senior for the College of Engineering for 2007, and gave the Undergraduate Greeting at the College’s graduation ceremonies in May. 

James worked as a High School Intern for the Center while he was a senior at Fayetteville High School.  His undergraduate research was conducted under the direction of Dr. Larry Roe, a member of the Space Center and a faculty member in the department of Mechanical Engineering.