Aug 26, 2024 NASA grant will enable CSUCI students to shadow Jet Propulsion Lab planetary scientists

Aug. 26, 2024 - CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) students majoring in a STEM (science, technology, engineering or mathematics) field have a chance to shadow NASA planetary scientists, thanks to a $375,000 grant procured by Assistant Professor of Physics Kevin Hayakawa.

All CSUCI undergraduates are eligible to apply, but should submit their application by Aug. 30 at tinyurl.com/H2O-App. Students can be STEM majors or planning to pursue a STEM major.

"The grant is specifically for a minority-serving institution, which we are," Hayakawa said. "It's meant to increase the visibility and opportunities for minorities - to increase the number of STEM majors in historically marginalized groups. They'll get a chance to see what a day in the life of a planetary scientist is like."

Hayakawa can accept 10 to 12 students, who will enjoy nine monthly visits to NASA Near-Earth Object Surveyor space telescope sites, alternating between the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena and UCLA. There will also be an all-expenses paid astronomy trip to the Santa Rosa Island Research Station (SRIRS) from Nov. 1-3.

Students chosen for the project will also attend (all expenses paid) the 245^th Meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) from Jan. 12-17, 2025, in National Harbor, Maryland.

"It's called an H2O grant, or "Here to Observe" grant," Hayakawa said. "We especially want freshmen and sophomores to apply because they have the most attrition during those first couple of years with calculus and freshman writing composition courses. By having them go to visit NASA centers and shadow planetary scientists, we hope it will motivate them to get through those tough first couple of years."

Shadowing NASA scientists will also give STEM students a chance to network and explore the possibility of summer internships, Hayakawa said, adding he also hopes to get some of the students into PhD programs later, and maybe identify some possible thesis advisors. The November visit to Santa Rosa Island, he said, should be a rich experience.

"At night, light pollution goes to zero and we'll be able to see so many stars," Hayakawa said. "During the daytime, we'll have wellness hikes and study halls and meditation. We'll cook together in the kitchen of the ranch house and develop a deep sense of community."

The grant will allow Hayakawa to offer this opportunity for the next five years, during which time Hayakawa hopes his students come to see the universe and nature differently than they did before.

"I hope they learn that, even if there are no humans around, the world still operates in a predictable and mechanical way. And we can use mathematics to get powerful predictions. Most of all, I hope students come to learn how beautiful and vast the universe is."