Goal 2

Creating and enhancing research opportunities in astrobiology for minority students and for faculty members at minority institutions

Research opportunities are increasing in NASA centers for MIAC students
JPL is funding 12 MIAC students per summer to be involved in NASA research (2003 & 2004)
NASA Ames Research Center is funding two MIAC students (summer 2004)
NAFEO Ames Research Academy funded four MIAC students (2003-04)
Four MIAC students were selected by NASA Johnson Space Center to conduct an experiment on the KC-135 aircraft (2003)

NAI General Meeting
Todd Gary presented an overview of his NAI Minority Institution Research Sabbatical at the NAI General Meeting (2003). Faculty from the following MIAC colleges and universities attended: Bennett, Benedict, Hampton, South Carolina State University, and Tennessee State University.

NAI Minority Institution Research Sabbatical
Three MIAC faculty members were provided opportunities to work with NAI Team researchers.

Todd Gary
UCLA (Summer 2002)
Mentor: James Lake
Project - Bioinformatics: the phylogenic relationships of cryptochromes

Lewis Myles
NASA Ames Research Center (Summer 2003)
Mentor: Beverly Girten
Project--Gene Expression during space travel

Benita Bell
NASA Ames Research Center (summer 2003)            
Mentor: George Cooper
Project--Astrochemistry:   Examining Organic Molecules found in comets

A SCSU faculty member has applied to the NASA Faculty Fellowship Program for the summer of 2004 to work with the NASA Goddard Astrobiology group. The application is pending at this time.