In an attempt to further MnSGC's contribution to systemic education reform in Minnesota, Dr. Vivian Johnson attended the January 8 -12 Workshop on Systemic Reform of Elementary Science Education . The workshop was headed by Dr. Ramon Lopez, Director of the Education and Outreach Program of the American Physical Society. The purpose of the workshop was to familiarize participants with the National Science Education Standards and to pro-vide examples of how professional scientists can work with elementary schools in the reform of science education. The next phase involves Vivian Johnson meeting with teachers from the Seward Elementary School in Minneapolis this fall to determine how the Augsburg NASA Space Grant Program can best assist them in professional development related to the improvement of their science education program, and Dr. Johnson will continue to work with others at the state level to influence science education in Minnesota.

It has been an exciting year for the Advisory Board members of the Washburn Aviation and Aerospace Magnet at Washburn High School. The Magnet hosted the National Aviation/Aerospace Magnet School Conference, which was held at the Radisson Hotel, November 16-20, 1994. The conference was made possible because many of the board members were willing to chair the many conference-related committees. For example, Dr. Vivian Johnson donated time during the summer and fall of 1994 to chair the Programs/Speaker Committee for the conference. The conference was a huge success with attendance up from last year, enabling the Washburn Aviation and Aerospace Magnet to earn approximately $6,500 to supplement their current funding. Without these funds, district-wide cost containment measures would have severely limited magnet extra curricular activities.

Dr. Johnson also attended a briefing at NASA Ames in late December to help prepare Magnet staff for developing a proposal. The briefing provided an explanation of the Cooperative Agreement Notice on Educational Training in Life Long Learning in Aeronautics to better prepare applicants for developing proposals. Dr. Johnson worked on the team that submitted the proposal "An Electronic One Room Schoolhouse" to NASA. Dr. Carol Johnson, Associate Superintendent for the Minneapolis school, is the Principal Investigator with, Vivian Johnson acting as Co-Principal Investigator. Dr. William Garrard, the MnSGC Director, was also asked to be a Co-Principal Investigator on the grant, but was unable to do so since he has been on sabbatical leave during spring 1995.

Bill Garrard and Vivian Johnson have both served on the Magnet Advisory Board for the past several years, creating a relationship between higher education and specialized secondary education. Many valuable contributions have come out of this relationship. For example, this summer, Kimberly Marsh, a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, with the assistance of the MnSGC at the UM-TC, is working with Ed Kimble at Washburn to create an aviation-based workbook that will be used in the classroom next year. Dissemination of these materials statewide is anticipated in the near future as well.

by Chris Moore

This summer, two Minnesota undergraduates received MnSGC scholarships to attend each of NASA's Academies, an eight-week educational program designed as a summer research internship for exceptional upper-division and first-year graduate students who are majoring in science, math or engineering. The intent of the NASA Academy, which is held at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) each summer, is to infuse in the participants a working knowledge of NASA's programs, to show them how NASA Field Centers operate in consort with aerospace industry and to experience research as part of the NASA team. The participants spend most of their time working with principal investigators doing hands-on laboratory research, while also spending time in discussions, tours and demonstrations hosted by the heads of projects within MSFC and GSFC and by private industry and major organizations.

Two students submitted applications for this year's Academies and the MnSGC Budgetary Committee overwhelmingly approved the use of funds from the Consortium-wide Scholarship/Fellowship Fund to provide $3,000 research stipends and travel expenses to send both students to the Academy. Laura Sachi, who graduated in June 1995 with her Bachelor's of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, is presently at GSFC working with her P.I. to create an artificial blackbody to be used as a calibration target for radiometers that measure cosmic background radiation. Laura is having a terrific time at GSFC and is very excited about the technical and research knowledge she is obtaining. Laura is one of 23 Research Associates chosen from a pool of 108 applicants from 39 states.

Jonathan Fields, a UMD senior majoring in computer science and physics, is presently at MSFC. Jon is working on a research project entitled "Imaging the Sun and the Sky in Gamma Rays and in Hard X-Rays" under the direction of Dr. John Campbell. Jon is one of 14 Research Associates chosen from a pool of approximately 60 applicants.

Last year, Daniel Lideen, an undergraduate at Augsburg College, worked with Mark Whorton at MSFC's Academy on the damping mechanisms for microgravity vibration isolation. Dan received a $3,200 stipend from Augsburg College's Space Grant Program. According to Dan, the experience he received while at the NASA Academy has had a positive, long-lasting impact on his educational career.