April 22, 2019 Melissa Lamar

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Tunxis Community College student Giselle Koo of Farmington, has been selected to travel to NASA’s Langley Research Center this spring to participate in the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars (NCAS) onsite experience.

Koo, an engineering science major who will graduate this spring, has been selected as one of 403 community college students from across the U.S. to be part of the NCAS onsite experience.

The five-week online activity culminates with a four-day on-site event at a NASA Center and offers students the opportunity to interact with NASA engineers and others as they learn more about careers in science and engineering. While at NASA, students form teams and establish fictional companies interested in Mars exploration. Each team is responsible for developing and testing a prototype rover, forming a company infrastructure, managing a budget, and developing communications and outreach.

The onsite experience at NASA includes briefings by NASA subject matter experts, information on how to apply for internships and a tour of NASA’s facilities.

NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars is an activity funded in part by the Minority University Research and Education Program (MUREP), which is committed to engaging underrepresented and underserved students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in authentic learning experiences to sustain a diverse workforce. 

NCAS, which aims to inspire community college students to advance in STEM fields, also opens doors for future careers at NASA, with a history of moving alumni from NASA internships to NASA’s workforce. For additional information on NCAS, please contact National Community College Aerospace Scholars by email at [email protected] or by phone at 281-483-0493.

Tunxis Community College in Farmington offers more than 70 associate degrees and certificates, including 20 with science, engineering, technology and advanced manufacturing emphases. Tunxis is also a recipient of a $2.8 million National Science Foundation grant that established the College of Technology’s Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, an NSF Center of Excellence. For more information on programs at Tunxis, call 860.773.1490, or visit tunxis.edu.