MnSGC update

The Minnesota Space Grant Consortium (MnSGC) is a NASA-funded group of affiliated organizations with the mission of promoting teaching, research, educational outreach, and public service in Minnesota in the fields of engineering, science, and mathematics that support NASA’s Mission. The University of Minnesota is the lead institution for the MnSGC. Professor William Garrard remains the Director and Professor James Flaten is now the Associate Director, having replaced long-time Associate Director Dr. Randi Quanbeck-Lundell who stepped down in the fall of 2005.
In addition to the thirteen higher education affiliates around the state, the MnSGC is affiliated with the Minnesota Department of Transportation Office of Aeronautics, as well as five informal industrial affiliate members: Goodrich Aerospace Inc., Boeing, Honeywell Inc., Lockheed-Martin, and AllianTech Systems. The Science Museum of Minnesota is also an affiliate for informal education programming.
During the 2005-2006 grant cycle, the MnSGC provided $140,000 in 79 scholarships and fellowships to support students attending MnSGC higher education affiliate institutions who are interested in pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The following is a sampling of some of the funded programs at the higher education affiliates of the MnSGC.
Concordia College - Dr. Heidi Manning operates a hypervelocity dust particle accelerator on campus at Concordia to study impacts similar to those experienced by spacecraft.
Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College - Dr. John Gustafson and Ms. Connie Wappes are developing courses in Native American Mathematics and Native American Science, Technology, and Engineering Heritage for use at FDLTCC and for dissemination to other tribal colleges.
University of St. Thomas - Seven faculty members at UST in the Physics and Geology departments have used MnSGC funds to support summer undergraduate research assistants, whose research projects include developing simulations of the Martian atmosphere, searching for dust in galaxy clusters, and analyzing the effect of climatic change on Minnesota lakes.
Southwest Minnesota State University
Dr. Ken Murphy continues his planetarium outreach to schools and the general public in southwestern Minnesota.
University of Minnesota –Twin Cities
As the lead institution of the MnSGC, the UMTC coordinates statewide scholarship and internship opportunities and prepares annual Space Grant proposals and budget reports. Students in the AEM department are familiarized with the challenges of spaceflight especially through the two-semester Senior Design course and through individual faculty research programs. Students and faculty at the UMTC are also participating in the Nanosat-4 design competition with an entry called “Minnesat” to demonstrate shortband GPS attitude determination and control of nanosatellites.
Bethel University - The physics department at Bethel uses MnSGC funds for scholarships and to hire undergraduates to participate in research, such as stroboscopic holographic imaging.
College of St. Catherine - Dr. Terry Flower is developing an aerospace class to serve as the capstone course for the new STEM minor for Elementary Education majors at the College of St. Catherine.
University of Minnesota – Duluth - Funds are used by Dr. Alec Habig at UMD to support students to work with him on high-energy particle physics research at the underground laboratory deep in the Soudan mine in northern Minnesota.
Bemidji State University - Professor Jason Dahl coordinates the course sequence for the successful interdisciplinary Earth Science and Space Science minor and is involved with recruitment of students for the program and faculty to staff it.
Augsburg College - Dr. Jeanine Gregoire delivers professional development workshops to in-service public school teachers on robotics, mathematics, and physics.
Macalester College - Dr. Ray Rogers of Macalester’s Geology Department coordinates the use of MnSGC funds to support student summer internships helping faculty study numerous geology topics.

More information on the MnSGC and its programs, can be found on their web site at: http://www.aem.umn.edu/msgc