Dryden X-Press August 21, 1998

Hands-on education

Co-op students get a first hand look at world of flight research

Co-operative education gives students a chance to apply what they have learned and obtain work experience in their field of study. Dryden participants, from left, included Equal Employment Specialist Jo Ann Braden, Sydney Haley, Kirsten Carpenter, Scott Griffin, Tom Jones, Marco Hartado, Ethan Baumann, Shane Peterson, Mike Allen, Alisa Marshall, Kevin Ly, Michelle Greslik, Alan Wallace, Equal Employment Student Aide Andrea Harold and Coordinator of Student Programs Norma Navarro.

 

By Jay Levine
X-Press Editor

Starr Potter worked to certify an F-5 fuel tank to fly on an F-18 Systems Research Aircraft at Dryden for an experiment.

At a flight qualification and airworthiness flight safety review board, she answered questions on why it was safe to fly. The board is composed of directors of all the major technical disciplines at Dryden.

For many researchers this not uncommon, but for Potter it was a first. She is a California State University at Northridge, Calif., mechanical engineering student, who is a cooperative education student this summer with the Operations Engineering Branch. It is the sixth year she has come to Dryden - her first experience was as a Summer High School Apprenticeship Research Program student.

Potter is one of thirteen college students gaining perspective on the relevance of what they are learning and practical experience they hope will give them the inside track on getting a job when they graduate.

Dryden's Cooperative Education Program provides work experience to college students pursuing degrees in fields related to Dryden's research. Most of the program participants are aeronautics, electrical and mechanical engineering majors, but the program also includes students working with technicians and administrative personnel.

Co-op opportunities are structured for students to demonstrate the basic principles and theories of their field of study and provide opportunities to determine the type of work for which the student is best suited.

Although it is a good opportunity, it also is challenging, said Kirsten Carpenter, a University of Washington, Seattle, Wash., aeronautics and astronautics student.

"It-s sink or swim here," said Carpenter, who worked as an operations engineer with the Operations Engineering Branch on the F-15B test fixture. A panel from the Space Shuttle external tank will be affixed to the flight test fixture.

Michelle Greslik, a Boston University, Boston, Mass., aerospace engineering junior, worked in the Research, Control and Dynamics area designing a tracking and control system.

"It taught me a lot. This exposure to research and the processes are an inspiration for my studies. I can use and apply the concepts I learned in school and see the relevance of those lessons," she said.

Shane Peterson, a northern Illinois University, Dekald, Ill., electrical engineering senior, said his experiences with Dryden"s Flight Instrumentation Branch was invaluable. He worked on wiring the F-15B test flight fixture.

"This shows me what to expect after graduation. I worked for a Chicago aerospace firm last summer. Fellow workers here are willing to teach a concept. The pressures here are different. I look forward to coming back here next summer," he said.

Here is a list of the other participants and their projects.

• Michael Allen, a Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Ariz., senior studying aerospace engineering, worked with the Aerodynamics Branch on a computer simulator for the X-33.
• Ethan Baumann, a Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., aeronautical and astronautics engineering student, said he worked with the Aerodynamics Branch on global position system receivers, software programs and worked on aeronautical designs.
• Scott Griffin, a University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Okla. engineering student, worked in the Controls and Dynamics Branch supporting the Apex program. Sydney Haley, a University of Texas at Austin, Texas, aerospace engineering student, worked with the Aerostructures Branch on structural aerodynamics of the F-18 Aerolastic Wing simulator. He worked on developing new techniques for putting a simulation together to make it more accurately reflect what will happen in flight.
• Marco Hurtado, a California State University, Los Angeles mechanical engineering junior, said he worked with the Flight Systems Branch on Apex. Apex is a high altitude, remotely piloted, commercial sailplane that will collect flight information at 100,000 feet after it is towed into the sky by a high altitude balloon.
• Tom Jones, a Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y., aerospace engineering student, worked on the Advanced Control Technology for Integrated Vehicles (ACTIVE) with the Propulsion and Performance Branch on sensitivity analysis of gross thrust measurement of the engine.
• Kevin Ly, a University of Southern California electrical engineering student, worked with the Flight Systems Branch on design of a new uplink that will allow aircraft control from the ground.
• Alisa Marshall, a Texas A & M, College Station, Texas, aerospace engineering senior, worked with the Aerrostructures Branch on the reduction of data on Apex and tests on the Apex wing.
• Alan Wallace, an Antelope Valley College, Lancaster, Calif., student, worked with the Avionics Branch on Hyper-X receivers that sample data and collect it from the aircraft. He will become an electrical engineering student at California University Northridge, Calif., this fall.

Education programs provide access

By Jay Levine
X-Press Editor

Gene Balsz wants to major in computer information at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Ariz., but before he starts there, he picked up practical work experience this summer "I learned technical lessons like how to build web pages and what's going on behind the scenes at Dryden," said Balsz, who participated in the NASA Education Program Achieving Competency in Careers in Engineering and Space Science (ACCESS). ACCESS aims to provide summer work experience to college students with disabilities who are majoring in technical disciplines. Balsz earned a computer information associate degree at Eastern Arizona Colleg in Thatcher, Ariz., in the spring and said he is looking forward to earning his degree at the University of Arizona

One of his projects this summer is to construct Web pages for facilities, maintenance and logistics. He created an outline form for a Web site where Dryden employees will eventually be able to access the XNet and submit work orders.

Balsz said the program was interesting and gave him some of the work experiences he was looking to obtain during his 10-week stay.

People and Places Continued

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Responsible NASA Official: John Childress For questions, contact: Dryden Web Group Page Curator: Monroe Conner Modified: September 3, 1998