2013 San Diego MESA Research Academy Students

In Summer and Fall of 2013 the California Space Grant and the San Diego MESA Alliance sponsored a research academy for 25 community college and university students attending minority serving institutions. Students from San Diego City College, Southwestern College, and San Diego State University attended a one-week research academy in the summer where they were introduced to laboratory research and placed in one of five projects where they were mentored by graduate students at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego:

• Near Space Balloon Project
• Synthetic Jet Flow Control
• Sensorimotor Neural Engineering
• Dynamics of Flame Spread in Microgravity
• Arduino Computer Fabrication and Programming

This was the first time these students had conducted university lab research. Student surveys and reflections show that as a result of this program, the students are now interested in pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM) subjects in their academic careers. In Fall of 2013 the student teams presented their work to a wider audience of students at their respective campuses to share the excitement of their projects and encourage their peers to pursue research experiences. Please see below for photos taken during the Research Academy.