A Dream Come True
by Lisa Beeson, Scholarship CommitteeDr. Al Miller, our Scholarship Committee Chairman, has had a dream for many years that the Mercury Scholars would become an informal network of scientists and engineers who know each other and can call upon each other for career networking opportunities and technical consulting, as well as simply enjoying each others' company at social events. As soon as I became involved with the Scholarship Committee, I began to share his dream.
I am very excited to report that the dream is coming true. Each year, in May, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation coordinates a meeting of astronauts and Mercury Scholars in Orlando, Florida. The second annual meeting is planned for May 3, 1997. The event is an excellent opportunity for scholars to meet their heroes, the astronauts, and say, "Thank You", for the financial support and tremendous confidence boost that results from being a recipient of the Mercury Seven Scholarship.
Twenty-one current and past Mercury Scholars plan to attend this year's event. In addition to the Astronaut - Scholar luncheon meeting at the beautiful Peabody Hotel in Orlando, the weekend event includes a VIP tour of the Kennedy Space Center on May 2, dinner, and a night on the town.
The Mercury Seven Scholarship has become one of the most substantial and prestigious scholarships available to engineering and science students. It is certainly the most exciting award, because of the opportunity to meet the astronauts.
The next time you visit the Astronaut Hall of Fame at the Kennedy Space Center, stop by the Mercury Scholars "Wall of Fame" to view photos and quotes from our current and past scholarship winners. This feature will be part of the new expansion of the Hall of Fame.
A Summary of Mercury Scholars Accomplishments
The most notable thing about the research for this latest edition of Mercury Scholars is that we are starting to have a lot of alumni who have completed their education and are moving along well in their careers. We only started awarding scholarships 11 years ago. So, we're just now beginning to see the evidence of our support, and it is becoming obvious what a great group of people we have in the ranks of our alumni. If you consider our goal to be launching the careers of people who will contribute to their chosen areas of science and engineering and find happiness pursuing their dreams, then our success rate is 100%.
We have among our alumni, three people who want to become astronauts; we have current or past researchers at Sandia National Labs, the National Institute for Standards and Technology, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, the Weis Center for Research, NASA Ames Research Center, the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, the International Space University, the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, the U. S. Air Force Academy, and several universities.
We have an employee at Johnson Space Center, three professors at major universities, a leader in the development of the most recent generation of cellular telephones, engineers practicing in nearly every discipline, a zoologist, an engineer who designs weather balloons, and students who are still pursuing their educational dreams.
We have people who are currently studying or have studied under other fellowships, including a Fulbright Scholar and National Science Foundation Fellow, a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, and a NASA Space Grant College Fellow. We have 27 people who are working toward Ph.D. degrees. That's in addition to the ones who have already completed their doctorates.
Mercury Scholars have published so many technical papers, it is difficult to count them all. We have tens of patent disclosures and patents to our credit. Our alumni have traveled to Australia, England, France, and Russia to conduct research. It is incredible what Mercury Scholars have accomplished already.
We also have volunteers who help combat pollution, provide water to areas that need it, promote adult literacy, refurbish homes of needy people, coordinate high school educational programs, participate in their church activities, develop helpful devices for blind and disabled people, serve food at local homeless relief agencies, and serve as peer advisors in their colleges.
Mercury Scholars are truly exceptional people!
Improving the Hubble Space Telescope
University of Central Florida, 1993-94
Larry Bradley received a Mercury Seven Scholarship while he worked on a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, which he earned with honors, at the University of Central Florida. Larry has since moved on to the Johns Hopkins University where he is a Research Assistant in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He is working toward a Ph.D. in Astrophysics.
Larry's current research involves the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). STIS is a second-generation spectrograph for the Hubble Space Telescope and operates in the visible and ultraviolet wavelengths. The astronauts on a recent shuttle mission (Discovery, STS-82) installed STIS into the Hubble telescope. After its installation, Larry assisted with its calibration and plans to use the instrument later for astronomical observations. He dreams of becoming an astronaut someday.
Larry's favorite class is one in which he is currently enrolled: Cosmology. He is fascinated with the history and origin of the Universe.
As an undergraduate, Larry performed research for two years in which he primarily studied protein dynamics. This research ultimately led to a honor's thesis and publication in Applied Spectroscopy and the Biophysical Journal. The acknowledgments of his thesis and the Biophysical Journal paper include a sincere thank you to the Mercury Seven Foundation (now Astronaut Scholarship Foundation). He says, "I wouldn't be where I am today - studying the mysteries of the Universe - without the generous support of all the astronauts."
Outside of school, Larry enjoys playing basketball and racquetball. He also enjoys amateur astronomy when time and weather permit.
Affirmation from One of the First Scholars
Georgia Institute of Technology, 1986-87
Excerpts from a letter written by Preston Bates, a Mercury Scholar at Georgia Tech in 1986-87, are printed below because he describes perfectly the feelings that Mercury Scholars have about being involved with this organization. Thank you, Preston, for sharing these thoughts! Following the letter is an update on his accomplishments.
"Let me begin by saying how much I appreciate all the effort [that has been] put into the Mercury Scholars newsletter. As one of the "original 7" recipients of the Mercury 7 Scholarship, you can call me an old timer amongst our group. Until I received your first newsletter, I felt disconnected from the rest of the scholars and the astronauts, despite our association through the scholarship program. When I first received the award back in 1986, I was thrilled at the prospect of actually meeting some of America's space heroes and their families. Unfortunately, that never materialized (everyone leads such busy lives), and I had always hoped that someday I would get to shake their hands and thank them personally.
"Now that you are organizing the Astronaut - Scholar Meeting again this year, I would like to say that nothing short of a natural disaster would keep me from coming. . .
"Receiving the Mercury 7 Scholarship was one of my greatest personal honors. To be associated with the names of America's space heroes gave me great pride and encouraged me to set career goals as high as their exceptional pursuits in the pioneering field of astronautics. Their establishment of the scholarship program demonstrates the commitment each has in furthering the sciences and engineering by assisting others who have potential for success. The tremendous growth of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation over the years has shown that with such dedication and perseverance, success is inevitable and dreams will become reality. The exemplary lives of the scholarship founders have taught me this: what counts is not what you have in life, but what you do with it."
Last year, Preston began a new full-time position with Lockheed-Martin after working for seven years in the Georgia Tech Research Institute. He is thoroughly enjoying the challenge and learning experience of being involved in the engineering development phase of the F-22 program. Preston is an engineering specialist in the structures group. His expertise is in fatigue and fracture mechanics of metallic aircraft structure. He performs analysis of the forward fuselage, vertical stabilizers, and rudders, and also handles any manufacturing problems associated with these areas.
Preston's biggest responsibility is serving as the structures engineering coordinator of the full scale fatigue test program. Representing the prime contractor, he interfaces with engineering coordinators from the other corporate team members building the F-22: Lockheed Tactical Aircraft Systems (formerly General Dynamics) and Boeing Military Airplanes.
Preston's wife Andrea is a full-time mom to their two children and part-time fitness instructor with Jazzercise, Inc. Preston participates in her aerobics classes 2-3 times per week (they think of it as a date), and he says that, as tired as he is afterwards, he has a much higher respect for her spending all day with the little ones and doing so many workouts as well. A former math teacher, she also tutors students in algebra, trig, and calculus. The couple has been married for 10 years.
Wedding Bells
North Carolina State University, 1994-95
DeLynn Atkinson realized she had a scheduling conflict when she heard that the 1997 Astronaut - Scholar Meeting would occur on the same day that she is getting married. Congratulations to DeLynn and her soon-to-be husband, Richard Louth!
DeLynn and Rich were among the scholars and guests who participated in the 1996 Astronaut - Scholar Meeting. Based upon their experience, DeLynn encourages all scholars to attend future meetings.
DeLynn graduated from North Carolina State University in May 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering. She is now a Process Engineer with Procter & Gamble in Albany, Georgia. Her husband, Rich, has a Bachelor's degree in Materials Science and Engineering from North Carolina State and is now a Technical Engineer for CED in Albany.
Best of luck, DeLynn and Rich. We hope to see you in Orlando for the 3rd annual Astronaut - Scholar Meeting on your 1st wedding anniversary!
Hard Work Leads to a Ph.D. and Further Research
Miami University, 1990-91
Congratulations, Chuck Mueller! Chuck completed a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan one year ago. He had previously completed Bachelor of Science degrees in Aeronautics and Engineering Physics at Miami University and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan.
Chuck's doctoral thesis was entitled Measurements of Flame-Vortex Interaction Dynamics and Chemistry. He has also published several other articles on flame dynamics and flame chemistry. In 1996, he was named the University of Michigan Outstanding Graduate Student in Aerospace Engineering: an honor given to one graduate student each year for exceptional service within the department and the community.
He recently accepted a permanent position as a Post-Doctoral Fellow (a Senior Member of the Technical Staff) in the Combustion Research Facility at Sandia National Laboratories in California. His research will focus on the identification and analysis of alternative, clean-burning renewable fuels and very high efficiency compression - ignition engines for automotive applications. His studies will help determine why and how pollutants are formed in engines and may indicate ways to produce more efficient, cleaner power plants for the future.
Outside of work, Chuck enjoys mountain biking, hiking, skiing (snow and water), and rock climbing. He has volunteered on projects with the San Francisco Bay area parks to get a permanent source of potable water installed in dry, remote areas and to restore habitats damaged by pollution and invasive, non-native plant species.
Mercury Scholar is Now Fully Funded for Graduate School
North Carolina A&T State University, 1995-96
Congratulations to Marcelle Buford for completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Physics at the North Carolina A&T State University in May 1996. He is now studying for a Ph.D. in Physics at Georgia Tech, where he is fully funded for five years!
The support of the Mercury Seven Scholarship allowed Marcelle to conduct research in Condensed Matter Physics as an undergraduate and created a foundation for his future graduate research. He feels that listing the scholarship among his achievements made him a much stronger candidate for graduate school.
An Invitation to Mercury Seven Alumni
Georgia Institute of Technology, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1989-90
"It was 10 years ago that I [Lisa Beeson] learned that I would receive the Mercury Seven Scholarship for the first time. It was an incredible boost to my self-confidence and also a huge financial help to me.
"I would not have believed it then, but the thrill of receiving the scholarship has been exceeded by the rewards that I have received during the past seven years of volunteering with the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. When the Scholarship Committee meets each year to select the new scholarship winners, we all notice how the caliber of students remains extremely high every year. It is very rewarding to be involved in the selection process.
"I have had lots of fun meeting the astronauts and spending some time with them each year. They are an incredible group of people who have achieved great accomplishments but have never been satisfied with talking about the past. They are driven to continue doing important things by working hard to sponsor and support the Mercury Seven Scholarships.
"The achievements made by the astronauts during their tenures in the space program impacted the lives of every American and have changed our world. Yet, every year, they continue to impact America's leadership and capabilities in science and technology by funding the education of some of our nation's most promising students.
"I am in full support of this Foundation and intend to help ensure that it's mission is fulfilled for years to come. I encourage other alumni to become involved in any possible way."
Outside of volunteering with the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation, Lisa accepted a position in 1996 as a Lead Engineer in the Westinghouse Power Generation Business Unit. She is responsible to coordinate all of the engineering and design of auxiliary systems for the company's 251B12 and 401 combustion turbines. These engines produce 50 megawatts and 80 megawatts of electrical power, respectively. Lisa ensures that all systems interface properly together, including the fuel systems, emissions control, electrical systems, controls and instrumentation, inlet air and exhaust systems, enclosures, starting system, and the generator. In addition to coordinating the design effort, Lisa also designs the plant layouts and equipment arrangements to optimize site space and minimize environmental and aesthetic impacts.
In her previous position at Westinghouse, Lisa was recognized for developing technical solutions to save over $2,500,000 in warranty claims for the company during 1996.
Lisa likes to spend her free time on the beaches near Titusville. She also does a lot of home improvement projects, landscaping, flower gardening, and collects wildlife art. Lisa has helped organize volleyball and wallyball teams at Westinghouse and plays each sport once per week. Note: Wallyball is volleyball played in a racquetball court!
Most of Lisa's free time is spent coordinating the annual Astronaut- Scholar Meeting and publishing the twice-per-year Mercury Scholars newsletter. "It has become one of the true passions of my life."
Working for a Clean Environment
Georgia Institute of Technology, 1986-87
Kenneth Still graduated in March 1986 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and in September 1987 with a Master's in Civil Engineering, both from Georgia Tech.
During his undergraduate studies, Kenneth won the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) student chapter 1986 Southeast Regional Conference competition in the Balsawood Bridge Contest. The winning bridge was unique in that design software, then under development for the United States Air Force, was used to predict the failure load. In addition, then state-of-the-art CAD/CAM graphics were used to produce color-coded stress analyses which were used to refine the bridge design.
Immediately after graduation, Kenneth went to work as a project engineer for Westinghouse Groundwater Recovery (WGR) which was a startup subsidiary of Westinghouse Electric Corporation. WGR designed, manufactured, and installed pneumatically powered pumping equipment for use in the cleanup of petroleum contaminated groundwater. Kenneth assisted in the filing of three patents for pumping equipment in addition to the development and performance testing of the company's entire product line. Kenneth spent five years with WGR and left as engineering department manager.
Kenneth achieved his professional engineering registration in the State of Georgia in 1992. He now works as the southeast regional manager for a California-based company, Clean Environment Engineers, which also designs and manufactures groundwater cleanup equipment for use internationally.
Kenneth has been married to Carolyn Chilton since 1987 and is the very proud and thankful father of 7 year old Mary Helen, 4 year old David Bentley, 2 year old Noah Crawford, and soon-to-be-delivered number four. Carolyn received her joint undergraduate degree in education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Georgia State University. She is currently a housewife and home schooling mother.
Practicing Law before the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office
Pennsylvania State University, 1987-88 and 1988-89
John Shaw recently passed the registration examination to practice law before the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office. There is a pass rate of only 35.5% for both portions of the exam. Congratulations, John!
John also noted that he would like to attend a future Astronaut - Scholar meeting, when his schedule and kids let him come. Before John started practicing law, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science at Penn State. He received the Mercury Seven Scholarship while studying for that degree.
A New Career in Manufacturing
Tufts University, 1995-96
Sarah Krikorian completed her bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University in May 1996. She is now employed as a Manufacturing Engineer at Teradyne in Boston. Teradyne designs and builds automated test equipment. Her division is focused, specifically, on functional board testers.
While at Tufts, Sarah won the American Society of Mechanical Engineers student design contest for Region I (schools from New York to Maine). The contest dealt with hazardous liquid transport devices.
In addition to her work, Sarah is now helping Tufts University by interviewing candidates for undergraduate admissions. She is also involved in the Membership Committee of the Society of Women Engineers.
Optical Imaging and Semiconductor Lasers
Pennsylvania State University, 1993-94
Brian Mathason received the Mercury Seven Scholarship while studying at Penn State. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees and is now studying for a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Central Florida.
Brian works as a research assistant at the Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers (CREOL). He was partially supported by a Litton Foundation Scholarship for two years of his doctoral work. Brian's doctoral degree specialization is in electro-optics. He works with semiconductor lasers and their use in high speed photonic networks. Brian's favorite class is Digital Image Processing. He finds it exciting learning how to do interesting "tricks" to restore noisy or corrupted images and to teach computers to recognize patterns and objects in an image.
Brian started a student chapter of the Optical Society of America at Penn State and has held many offices in the organization at the University of Central Florida (UCF), including President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
Outside of the academic world, Brian tutors adults to read with the Adult Literacy League. He also plays volleyball and, in fact, first met one of our Scholarship Committee members (Lisa Beeson) on the volleyball court at UCF. It truly is a small world.
Mercury Scholar is Now a Fulbright Scholar
North Carolina State University, 1995-96
Congratulations to John O'Quinn, from North Carolina State University, for completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Multidisciplinary Studies: Technology and Environmental Policy (both degrees Summa Cum Laude) during 1996. He had minors in Political Science and Science, Technology, and Society, was valedictorian, and student body president.
John is currently studying for a Master of Science degree in Environmental Change and Management at Oxford University. He has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and National Science Foundation Fellowship for this work. Following are some thoughts from John regarding his experience, so far, at Oxford:
"The 'dreaming spires' of Oxford provide an idyllic thousand year old setting for academic pursuits. Names harkening back to the middle ages still adorn Colleges and Halls such as Christ Church, Corpus Christi, St. John's, and St. Edmund. The 'New College', for example, was founded in 1379 A.D. For hundreds of years, students from all over the United Kingdom and from abroad have been drawn to Oxford to study classics, law, literature, sciences, philosophy, and the like. 'Here', it is said, 'you can sup with history'.
"Although Oxford is firmly rooted in the past, it also is very much a living institution with a forward looking focus. Three years ago, the Environmental Change Unit of Oxford University created a Master of Science program in Environmental Management. This program, or 'course', as the British prefer, seeks to provide a broad exposure to environmental issues in order to help future decision makers consider the environmental aspects of questions we will face.
"The Master of Science degree consists of three year long lecture courses: 1) Issues and Driving Forces, 2) Managing the Environment, and 3) Methods and Techniques. These expose students to the political and scientific context of environmental questions, policy, and economic tools, as well as technologies and systems . . . that are critical to the environmental aspects of planning, development, and decision making today. These lecture courses are taught in short modules by experts in their respective fields. While the lecture courses provide breadth, Oxford's tutorial system, in which students meet one-on-one with professors, is invoked to provide depth.
"Last term, I took an option on Climate Change, while this term I am taking tutorials in Environmental Law, and Business and the Environment. There are 28 students in our program, from 14 different countries an education in and of itself. This cosmopolitan environment is recreated all over the University.
"Oxford provides the opportunity for unlimited extracurricular involvement. The famous Oxford Union Society brings speakers from around the world and is the forum for weekly student debates. A strange creature that resembles U. S. academic colleges and the fraternity system rolled into one, Oxford colleges are the central focus for social life. Inter-collegiate sports, like university Intramurals in the United States, are widely enjoyed. Even novices such as myself have the opportunity to row for their college. And the river Isis (the Thames) provides the setting for some of the best collegiate rowing.
"My time in Oxford has given me a chance to take a step into the past while equipping me to help meet future challenges that our nation and world must face."
Interests in Chemistry, Biology, and Computer Science
Miami University, 1996-97
Jeremy Monat is studying for a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry at Miami University and is a Mercury scholar this year. He expects to complete his degree on May 11, 1997. Jeremy is a Computer Lab Consultant at the Miami University College of Arts and Sciences where he is working in the National Science Foundation Summer Undergraduate Research Program. He is performing research on the effect of physical aging on mechanical and thermal properties of polymers.
He has co-authored a paper entitled Electron-Correlated Calculations of Electric Properties of Nucleic Acid Bases which was published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry.
Jeremy's favorite class at Miami has been Island Biology, in which the origin and distribution of species is discussed. He has been accepted to several graduate schools, including Cal Tech, U. C. Berkeley, Stanford, Illinois, and Michigan. At the time this newsletter was published, Jeremy's plans were not finalized.
Outside of class, Jeremy has served as an officer in the Alpha Phi Omega community service organization. He logged over 50 hours of community service last semester. He is also involved in the Mortar Board Senior Honorary Society and helped to refurbish a home for persons with AIDS. He also created a web page for the group.
The Future of Wireless Communications
Harvey Mudd College, 1987-88, 1988-89
Ken Easton received his first of two Mercury Seven Scholarships ten years ago. He has since graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College (1989) and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 1990. He now resides in San Diego, where he is a Principal Engineer in the Integrated Circuit Design group at Qualcomm, Incorporated. He is the lead design engineer on the CDMA chips that Qualcomm manufactures and sells.
In December 1996, Ken's team of 35 engineers taped out their next generation of modem chip, containing 1.5 million transistors. These chips are the heart of the new PCS telephones which are now being brought to market nationwide. He has 6 patents pending for his work and published a technical paper regarding the CDMA modem chip in the 1992 CICC proceedings.
Ken is a member of The Planetary Society, and his favorite book read recently is The Case for Mars by Robert Zubrin. He enjoys astronomy, soccer, and rock hounding. Ken's favorite classes during college were Russian History, Archaeology, and the Bates Aeronautics Program at Harvey Mudd College.
The First Architectural Engineering Major to Receive a Mercury Seven Scholarship
Pennsylvania State University, 1996-97
Matt Tripi is a Research Assistant in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State. He is also this year's Mercury Scholar at the school while he works toward a Bachelor's degree in Architectural Engineering. After completing his degree (expected May 1998), Matt plans to continue studying in graduate school.
During his undergraduate years, Matt has done research in the area of fiber-reinforced polymers, analysis of strain fields using optical interferometry, and research into the practical issues involved with using fiber-reinforced polymers in the concrete repair industry. He hopes to have a research paper published this spring.
Of the classes he is currently taking, Matt finds Architectural Design the most challenging and, therefore, the most exciting. Work in the class is done in groups and is arranged into multiple design projects. Honesty and trust among group members are absolutely essential to a successful project. The class builds a foundation for the development of teamwork skills.
Outside of his technical interests, Matt is studying the Italian language with the intent of studying in Italy sometime in the near future. He also does volunteer work with Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society. His hobbies include computer programming, weight training, and more recently, "Surfing the Net."
Programmer Works to Improve Laser Eye Surgery
University of Central Florida, 1995-96
After completing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at the University of Central Florida, Travis Terry has continued his education and expects to complete a Master of Science in Computer Science in August of 1997.
While working toward his Master's degree, Travis is also employed as a Software Engineer at LaserSight Technologies, Incorporated. LaserSight is the designer and manufacturer of one of the world's leading systems for laser corrective eye surgery. Travis is one of three software engineers assigned to the development of the software which controls the laser during surgery.
Travis has completed all of the classes required for his master's degree. This semester, he has started working on his thesis. He will be studying portable parallel computation models and will implement one model on a new parallel machine which UCF is receiving for research purposes.
UCF is well known for their outstanding team placement in the Southeast Regional Programming Contest for computer students. Travis has competed on these teams in the past and is now a coach. His team is consistently one of the top performers in the contest. This year, all four of UCF's teams placed in the top 10. Travis has also become the coordinator for UCF's High School Programming Tournament.
Physics and Electronics at Georgia Tech and Raytheon
Georgia Institute of Technology, 1996-97
Joel Odom, this year's Mercury Scholar at Georgia Tech, recently wrote to express his appreciation to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation for providing so much help and recognition as he works toward his career goals. He expects to complete a Bachelor of Science in Physics in June 1997. Following are excerpts from Joel's letter which provide an update on his recent activities.
"I spent the summer before the beginning of the fall quarter working in Greenville, Texas with a company called Raytheon E-Systems. The E-Systems division of Raytheon is a major government contractor which specializes in 'special aircraft modification'. My job was to apply recent advancement in the field of nonlinear dynamics to signal processing algorithms. Most of the work deals with special airborne platforms. My experience with E-Systems was very positive. I have been invited back to work for the company, and I am definitely considering that as a career option.
"I had one major class during the fall quarter, a comprehensive electronics class with a lab. I also worked as a teaching assistant for the math department's differential equations class. . . I am currently enrolled in a thermal physics class and an advanced laboratory.
"I also continued my research in the Georgia Tech Applied Chaos Lab. Most of my recent research work deals with building electrical circuits to simulate dynamical systems. The formal title of my project is 'Demonstrating Stochastic Resonance in a Monostable System'. I plan to complete that work by my graduation in June and possibly submit the results to a technical journal.
"After graduation, I plan to enter graduate school as an electrical engineering doctoral candidate at Georgia Tech. I may take time off before school to establish Georgia residency during which time I would work with four other engineers in a company that we are starting. Our first project is a four-wheel automotive disc brake system, and we do have hopes of expanding into the aerospace industry after we've built up some capital."
Joel is the Vice-President of the Society of Physics Students at Georgia Tech and is also very involved in his church and Christian organizations on campus. He plays the violin in his church's orchestra and is helping to organize a chamber orchestra at Georgia Tech. He lives in the German house to increase his German proficiency.
Mercury Scholar Employed at Johnson Space Center
Purdue University, 1990-91 and 1991-92
Scott Tamblyn recently contacted us. He is employed at the NASA Johnson Space Center and resides in Pearland, Texas.
Engineering a Better Life for Others
Tufts University, 1996-97
Heidi Kenerson is studying at Tufts University. She expects to complete a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering this month, with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. While studying she is employed at the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in the Neurophysiological Prostheses Lab (a biomedical laboratory). Heidi is also a Teaching Assistant in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at Tufts.
At Draper Labs, Heidi is working with engineers on two projects: One involves developing a cochlear implant; the other is a project which is attempting to devise a system which will allow non-invasive testing for allergic reactions.
Heidi lists the Design of Medical Instrumentation as her favorite class. The course is a biomedical engineering course which included a great deal of laboratory work and design. It was her favorite because she was part of a two-person team who built a navigational device for blind people. It was a challenging task, and she enjoyed the experience because she found satisfaction in developing tools to help people. She is working with a fellow student to publish a technical paper about the device.
Heidi also enjoyed building a microprocessor in Digital Logic Systems and learning to understand the human genome in her Genetics class. She has been inducted into Tau Beta Pi, Eta Kappa Nu, and the Golden Key National Honor Societies and has made the Dean's List every semester.
Outside of the academic world, Heidi volunteers at a local soup kitchen and is involved in the Society of Women Engineers, Student Outreach, IEEE, and the Tufts Biomedical Engineering Club (as Vice President). Her hobbies include ceramics, drawing, hiking, canoeing, skiing, and running.
A Scientific Approach to Music
Harvey Mudd College, 1989-90
Doug Dunston has created an educational and professional experience which is an interesting mix of science and music. When he was a Mercury Scholar at Harvey Mudd College, he achieved a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics. Later, he completed a Master of Arts in Physics at the University of California at Berkeley. After that, Doug went on to the Claremont Graduate School (Note: Harvey Mudd is part of the Claremont Colleges) where he completed a Master of Arts in Music (Conducting) and expects to complete a D. M. A. in Music (Conducting) in May 1997.
At this time, Doug is employed as a Visiting Lecturer in Physics at Pomona College and is also the Assistant Conductor of the Claremont Concert Orchestra at the Claremont Graduate School. Next semester will be his third semester teaching a section of the General Physics laboratory at Pomona.
After graduating from Harvey Mudd College in 1990, Doug spent a Wanderjahr in Europe on a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship. He apprenticed to a trumpetmaker in Basel, Switzerland. When he returned to the U. S., he started graduate school at Berkeley. After two years, he decided to take his scientific Master's degree and study another great love of his, music.
In May, Doug should finish his doctorate degree in Conducting. He is currently applying for college / university conducting positions. His thesis (in progress) is concerned with differences between scientific and musical modes of thinking.
It will be interesting to watch where Doug's life takes him next . . .
Research in Russia with the Cosmos Program
Pennsylvania State University, 1990-91, 1991-92, 1992-93
Kathy Shellenberger was a three-time Mercury Scholar at Penn State. She will complete a Ph.D. in Biochemistry in May 1997 and is currently employed as a post-doctoral fellow at the Weis Center for Research at the Geisinger Clinic (Geisinger Medical Center) in Danville, PA. Kathy's post-doctoral research relates to the intracellular processing of a precursor protein associated with the brain lesions which occur in Alzheimer's Disease. She recently co-authored a paper on Pituitary Cells in Space which was published in Advances in Space Research. Her dissertation and associated technical paper are forthcoming.
Kathy lists Physical Chemistry as her favorite class. She says that, being the most math-oriented class that she took in graduate school, it was something of a novelty and provided a diversion and a challenge.
In addition to the Mercury Seven Scholarship, Kathy was also honored during graduate school by the Braddock Scholarship and a NASA Space Grant College Fellowship.
In 1989, Kathy had the opportunity to travel to Moscow, Russia in the then-U.S.S.R. to perform research on rats which had orbited the earth in a Russian biosatellite for 14 days. She reports, "This was part of the Cosmos missions (2044) which were joint ventures between NASA and the Russian space agency. The work required a stay in Moscow of 3 weeks. The entire experience was absolutely invaluable and has forever changed my life. This experience afforded me several opportunities to visit NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA to perform pre-flight research as well as to present the results of the study to an international community of research scientists.
"The research was exciting and rewarding. The opportunity to live and work among the Russian people in still-communist Russia has changed my perspective on life in general. Since then, I have also had the opportunity to participate in a follow-up Cosmos experiment. This one involved live rats subjected to increased gravitational force for 14 days aboard the animal centrifuge at NASA Ames Research Center in an otherwise exact replica of the former Cosmos experiment."
Outside of her educational and research pursuits, Kathy has been married for 8 years to Bruce Shellenberger, a certified (Secondary) Earth and Space Science teacher. They have a 4 year old daughter, Heidi, and a Dalmatian named Spot who considers himself to be an entirely human member of the family. She enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, bicycling, and camping.
Sensors and Automation
University of Central Florida, 1988-89
Tim Henderson is living in San Diego and is employed at the Laboratory Sensors and Automation Division of the SAIC. After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Central Florida, Tim went on to study for a master's degree at the University of California at San Diego. He plans to attend the 1997 Astronaut - Scholar Meeting.
Mercury Scholar Pursues Physics Ph.D.
University of Central Florida, 1989-90, 1990-91
Tony DeLia was one of the 8 Mercury Scholars who attended the 1st annual Astronaut - Scholar Meeting in Orlando last year. He also attended a dinner in honor of 35 Years of Americans in Space in Cocoa Beach, at which Alan Shepard was master of ceremonies.
Tony is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Physics at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He completed dual undergraduate degrees in Physics and Mathematics in 1993 from the University of Central Florida and a Master's degree in Physics at Florida State in 1994.
Tony works with the Condensed Matter / Theory Group at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory. He has recently completed technical papers on Dynamical Studies of Models for Cuprate Materials which happens to be his Ph.D. prospectus, Dynamical Phonon Effects in CuGeO3, Spin Dynamics of Generalized Spin = 1/2, 1 Clusters, and Improved Exact Diagonalization Calculations for SrCu2O3 via Truncated Bases. He has also written Many-Body Basis-Set Reductions Applied to the Two-Dimensional t-J Model with Holes and Spin Dynamics of alpha-NaV2O5.
Tony attended a couple of technical conferences during the past year, including the American Physics Society annual meeting. There, he took part in a discussion group on the future of electronic publishing on the web, and had meetings with someone proposing a web-based business.
At the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Tony gives tours of the labs to VIP's (Very Important Physicists) and sometimes legislators (both foreign and domestic).
Project Engineering and Management at Amoco
Georgia Institute of Technology, 1990-91, 1991-92
Brad Moore, a two-time Mercury Scholar at Georgia Tech, has provided the following update on his activities during the past year:
"I am still employed at Amoco Chemical Company in Decatur, Alabama. I've been at this plant about three and a half years now. I recently made a position change within the plant to another unit. . .
"We make purified terephthalic acid (PTA). It is a very fine white powder (similar to powdered sugar). The powder is shipped out of Decatur on railcars to other companies who use it as a raw material for plastics. Some of the products that are made with PTA are 2-liter Coca-Cola bottles, VCR tape, carpet, and other polyester fibers.
"I am still a mechanical engineer, but the majority of my time is spent as a project engineer. Getting the new ideas from paper to the ground. I work several contractors - engineering as well as construction. The job is going well and Amoco is doing great as a corporation.
"Personally speaking, no significant changes have occurred in the past year. I am still single with no children. I've got a house in Huntsville which is close to several good restaurants as well as night activities in town. My home-based business is still going well.
"I went snow skiing in Utah last spring (March 1996) near Salt Lake at Alta, Snowbird, Deer Valley, Brighton, and Solitude. It's just half an hour outside of Salt Lake City. The weather was fantastic, and the slopes were unbelievable. It was probably the best ski trip I've ever been on. I went skiing again three weekends ago in North Carolina (Sugar Mountain at Banner Elk). . . I love snow skiing and would be interested if anyone else [other Mercury Scholars] would like to go."
Designing HitchHiker Payloads for Space Shuttle Missions
University of Colorado, 1996-97
Ryan Shepperd is the current Mercury Scholar at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is originally from Fort Collins, Colorado, has completed a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, and is currently working on a Masters in Aerospace Engineering Sciences.
He is a Graduate Research Assistant at the Colorado Space Grant Consortium. Currently, he works as the Mission Operations lead on DATA-CHASER, a small Space Shuttle payload that will fly in two HitchHiker canisters next July. Of those classes in which he is currently enrolled, he enjoys a class on orbital mechanics and one on spacecraft design. The latter, offered through the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, concerns designing a spacecraft that he plans to eventually build and launch, making the class far more interesting than one simply covering theory.
Ryan has co-authored a technical paper, entitled The DATA-CHASER HitchHiker Project as a Demonstration of Distributed Operations for Small Satellites. It was presented in the student competition of the 10th Annual AIAA Utah State University Conference on Small Satellites in Logan, Utah last summer. The paper placed in the top 7. He also co-authored a second paper on The DATA-CHASER HitchHiker Project as a Demonstration of Distributed Operations for Small Payloads at the 1996 AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting in Austin, Texas.
Ryan enjoys hiking and backpacking in the Colorado wilderness whenever time permits.
Scholar Nears Completion of a Master's Degree
Texas A&M University, 1995-96 and 1996-97
Kristopher Lee is the current scholar at Texas A&M. He will complete a master's degree in Electrical Engineering later this year. Although he had hoped to attend the 1997 Astronaut - Scholar Meeting, he will be in the middle of final exams and will be unable to make the trip. Hope to see you next year, Kris!
Graduate Studies at Purdue
Purdue University, 1993-94
Doug Adams is currently a graduate student at Purdue. He received the Mercury Seven Scholarship as an undergraduate student in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at Purdue. Doug reports an unpredictable and busy schedule.
A Promising Start in Her New Profession
University of Washington, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96
Angela Bielefeldt completed a Ph.D. in Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington last year and is now living in Boulder, Colorado where she is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Angela began teaching in August 1996. During the first semester, she taught a graduate level course on "Bioremediation" to 11 students. Next, she taught a senior-level undergraduate course on "Hazardous and Industrial Waste Management" to 41 students. Teaching takes up most of her time, but she also is trying to write journal papers for publication from her Doctoral Dissertation, as well as proposals for research funding.
This semester, Angela is advising a special project for a non-thesis Master's student, and co-advising a Master's student research project. The work will be presented in a poster at a Hazardous Waste conference in Kansas City in May 1997. In addition, she will present her own Ph.D. work in a platform presentation at the Fourth International In Situ and On Site Bioremediation Symposium in New Orleans in April 1997. Her dissertation was entitled Biotreatment of Contaminated Gases in a Sparged Suspended-Growth Reactor: Mass Transfer and Biodegradation Model.
When not teaching and conducting research, Angela enjoys volleyball. Her intramural team of graduate students, a post-doctoral fellow, and herself won the championship in their division. She tried skiing for the first time in Colorado but tore the ACL ligament in her knee and has been in rehabilitation with a physical therapist since November. Angela bicycles to work every day.
Angela recently wrote that, "Teaching is a much greater challenge than I had ever imagined! Based on the difficulty, I find it surprising that college professors are not required to have formal 'teaching' instruction. Learning teaching methods and figuring out how to get through to students 'on the fly' has been stressful. However, in spite of the frustrations there are moments when it is very rewarding. I look forward to the summer to have some time to devote to learning how to teach. Given more time, I feel that teaching will become one of the highlights of being a professor and an area of continual challenge, growth, and improvement."
Continuing Education
Purdue University, 1994-95, 1995-96
Anthony Roach graduated from Purdue with a Bachelor of Science in Physics in May of last year. He now resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he has started graduate school in Physics at the University of Michigan. He is working, under a first year graduate fellowship, on research in non-linear spectroscopy of semiconductors with Dr. Duncan Steel.
Anthony was married on January 4, 1997 to Deborah A. Josupait. She recently graduated from Drake University with a Bachelor's degree in Pharmacy and is now employed as a pharmacist.
Aspirations to Contribute to the Future of Space Exploration
University of Washington, 1996-97
Derek Lang received a Mercury Seven Scholarship for the first time this year. He is studying for a Ph.D. at the University of Washington. He already has the following credits to his name: Bachelor of Science from California Polytechnic State University, Certificate of Completion from the International Space University at MIT, Master of Science from Stanford University, and a Diploma from the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics.
Derek is employed as a Research Assistant in the Aerospace and Energetics Program at U of W, where he is currently conducting research on the aerodynamics of airframe-propulsion integration for supersonic vehicles. As part of this research, he is involved in wind tunnel experiments and computational fluid dynamics.
During the Summer of 1996, Derek worked at the U. S. Air Force Academy developing heat transfer measurement capability for their supersonic wind tunnel to analyze high speed aircraft and missiles. Last fall, he worked for the Boeing Company on the Sea Launch program - a joint venture between Boeing, Ukraine, Russia, and Norway to launch commercial rockets. Derek has a very strong interest in the space program.
Derek lists Global Trade, Transportation, and Logistics as his favorite class. The course covered transportation and economic issues from a multidisciplinary perspective. It provided an opportunity to learn about all transportation modes (e.g.: aviation, rail, motor carriers, maritime, etc.) as they relate to global, national, and local socio-economics. "It was a reminder that if space is to become more a part of our daily lives, we must look beyond space as being a unique and special environment. Rather space must be woven into our commerce and infrastructure."
During the past year, Derek has published USAFA Trisonic Wind Tunnel Analysis for Heat Transfer Measurements for the U. S. Air Force Academy / Aeronautics Laboratory and Sea Launch: Commercial Launch Competitiveness in the Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Space '96.
Derek recently visited Hong Kong. He collects vintage high speed fluid dynamics books, enjoys reading about aerospace industrialists, plays tennis, and enjoys the arts. Derek offered this thought in a recent E-mail letter:
"I am hoping to graduate in about 1 1/2 years from now, so I have been wondering about the space industry and 'what next?' There are many who believe that our conquest of space will not happen for the many decades - and at the rate we've been going, they might be well justified. But I'm the impatient type. When I look at the early pioneering days of the aviation industry, I wonder where in the space industry are the equivalents of the small entrepreneurial aircraft companies? The companies maybe 10-50 persons in size where everything was done in a warehouse or backyard - where innovation and adventure flourished.
"I ran across a brief list of few and far between. One might suggest that space technology has reached the point where only the large industrial organizations can accomplish anything. I recently read a book entitled "Halfway to Anywhere" by G. Harry Stine about the Single-Stage-to-Orbit program. The book is full of commentary on how politics and public perception favor the large established organizations to develop a special place called space. But I guess I am still hopeful that the underdog will be able to make a mark in the world. I still think that space is special.
"But when we finally accept it as an ordinary part of our lives, maybe that is when it will become part of our daily lives."
Improving Manufacturing Processes
Syracuse University, 1996-97
Wendy Crothers expects to complete a bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering this month. She is a Syracuse University Chancellor's Scholar and an honors student. Wendy has been involved in research within her academic department in the Supercritical Extraction and Reaction Laboratory. She has also worked at Dow Corning Corporation where she conducted manufacturing trials in a lab scale pilot plant.
Wendy is a founding member of the Syracuse University Chapter of Alpha Omega Epsilon Engineering Sorority and is a peer advisor for undergraduate students. She is engaged to be married to Phillip Morlang.
John Hofferberth
Miami University, 1995-96
John attended the 1996 Astronaut-Scholar Meetiing and mentioned that he expected to complete his bachelor's degrees in the fall of 1996. He planned to work toward a Ph.D. for a career in chemical or pharmaceutical industry.
