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Novel particle and radiation sources and advanced materials

The influence Norman Rostoker had on the lives of those who had the pleasure of knowing him is profound. The skills and knowledge I gained as a graduate student researching collective ion acceleration has fueled a career that has evolved from particle beam physics to include particle and radiation source development and advanced materials research, among many other exciting projects. The graduate research performed on collective ion acceleration was extended by others to form the backbone for laser driven plasma ion acceleration. Several years after graduate school I formed FM Technologies, Inc., (FMT), and later Electron Technologies, Inc. (ETI). Currently, as the founder and president of both FMT and ETI, the Rostoker influence can still be felt. One technology that we developed is a self-bunching RF fed electron gun, called the Micro-Pulse Gun (MPG). The MPG has important applications for RF accelerators and microwave tube technology, specifically clinically improved medical linacs and “green” klystrons. In addition to electron beam and RF source research, knowledge of materials and material interactions gained indirectly in graduate school has blossomed into breakthroughs in materials joining technologies. Most recently, silicon carbide joining technology has been developed that gives robust helium leak tight, high temperature and high strength joints between ceramic-to-ceramic and ceramic-to-metal. This joining technology has the potential to revolutionize the ethylene production, nuclear fuel and solar receiver industries by finally allowing for the practical use of silicon carbide as furnace coils, fuel rods and solar receptors, respectively, which are applications that have been needed for decades.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Comprehensive Study of the Model Mercury-Based Cuprate Superconductors

This is the Final Report on DE-SC0006858, which opened 15 August 2011 and closed 14 August 2017. The Principal Investigator is Martin Greven, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 555455 (email: greven@umn.edu). The Administrative Point of Contact is Patricia Jondahl, phone: 612-624-5599, email: awards@umn.edu. The DOE Program is the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Program manager is Dr. P. Thiyagarajan, Neutron Scattering SC-22.2/ Germantown Bldg. (email: Thiyagarajan@science.doe.gov). The chief activity was the crystal growth, characterization, neutron and X-ray scattering study of the mercury-based cuprates, arguably the most desirable high-Tc superconductors for experimental study due to their record values of Tc and their relatively simple crystal structures. It is thought that the unusual magnetic and charge degrees of freedom of the copper-oxygen sheets that form the fundamental building block of all cuprate superconductors give rise to the high Tc and to many other unusual properties exhibited by the class of quantum materials. Neutron scattering experiments were performed to reveal the nature of the magnetic degrees of freedom of the copper-oxygen sheets, whereas X-ray scattering experiments and complementary charge-transport experiments were performed to reveal the nature of the charge degrees of freedom. In addition, collaborations were initiated with experts in the use of complementary experimental techniques. The primary products are (i) scientific articles published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, (ii) scientific presentations at national and international conferences, and (iii) education of postdoctoral researchers, PhD graduate students and undergraduate researchers by providing a research experience in crystal growth, characterization and scattering. Twenty scientific papers were published in peer-reviewed journals, thirty-one invited talks were presented at national or international conferences, or as colloquia or seminars, and three postdoctoral researchers, six PhD graduate students and nine undergraduate researchers were supported wholly or in part in the pursuit of the scientific topics of this award. This report summarizes the activity and productivity, lists highlights, publications and conference presentations, postdocs, students and collaborators. A balance of zero remained at the close of the grant.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

A convergence research perspective on graduate education for sustainable urban systems science

Sustainable urban systems (SUS) science is a new science integrating work across established and emerging disciplines, using diverse methods, and addressing issues at local, regional, national, and global scales. Advancing SUS requires the next generation of scholars and practitioners to excel at synthesis across disciplines and possess the skills to innovate in the realms of research, policy, and stakeholder engagement. Here, we outline key tenets of graduate education in SUS, informed by historical and global perspectives. The sketch is an invitation to discuss how graduates in SUS should be trained to engage with the challenges and opportunities presented by continuing urbanization.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Conference Support, 32nd Western Photosynthesis Conference 2023

This DOE-BES award provided conference support for the 32nd Western Photosynthesis Conference (WPC2023), held January 5–8, 2023 at the Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory in Bodega Bay, California. The Western Photosynthesis Conference is one of three regional photosynthesis meetings held annually in the United States and serves as a primary venue for early-career scientists—graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and undergraduates—to present research and build professional networks alongside established investigators in the field. Photosynthesis research is central to the DOE Office of Science's Basic Energy Sciences mission, underpinning fundamental understanding of solar energy conversion, biofuels, and the biological transformation of light into chemical energy. DOE-BES funds were used, as proposed, to support registration and housing costs for 20 early-career participants (9 postdoctoral researchers, 9 graduate students, and 2 undergraduates) and to help defray travel costs for two junior invited speakers based outside California, for a total DOE-BES expenditure of $10,060. The meeting was executed as planned, with no significant deviations from the approved program, budget, or schedule. WPC2023 drew 76 registrants across six scientific topic areas, featured 8 of 9 invited/keynote speakers, and provided extensive opportunities for early-career scientists to present talks and posters, compete for recognition awards, and network with senior researchers in the field.

conference↗

Metallic Powder Core Tubular Wire Development for Additive Manufacturing

NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) in Hampton, VA, and the Center for Welding, Joining, and Coating Research (CWJCR) in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in Golden, CO, have collaborated for nearly fifteen years to develop metallic powder core tubular wire (PCTW) feedstock for additive manufacturing (AM) using electron beam deposition. The motivation for this development was to offset dealloying observed during deposition of titanium and aluminum alloy solid wire feedstock in the LaRC electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF3) system and to explore novel alloy compositions by tailoring the powder fill. EBF3 is a fusion-based AM process that is performed under vacuum and is consequently prone to vaporization loss of low vapor pressure alloying elements. Research spanning four graduate student research projects succeeded in developing the basic methodology to fabricate PCTW, the mass balance equations used to define the powder fill, microstructure control through particulate inoculation, and the feasibility of producing metal matrix composite materials.

powder core tubular wire (PCTW)↗

Metallic Powder Core Tubular Wire (PCTW) Development for Additive Manufacturing

NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) in Hampton, VA, and the Center for Welding, Joining, and Coating Research (CWJCR) in the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) in Golden, CO, have collaborated for nearly fifteen years to develop metallic powder core tubular wire (PCTW) feedstock for additive manufacturing (AM) using electron beam deposition. The motivation for this development was to offset dealloying observed during deposition of titanium and aluminum alloy solid wire feedstock in the LaRC electron beam freeform fabrication (EBF3) system and to explore novel alloy compositions by tailoring the powder fill. EBF3 is a fusion-based AM process that is performed under vacuum and is consequently prone to vaporization loss of low vapor pressure alloying elements. Research spanning four graduate student research projects succeeded in developing the basic methodology to fabricate PCTW, the mass balance equations used to define the powder fill, microstructure control through particulate inoculation, and the feasibility of producing metal matrix composite materials. Metallic PCTW is comprised of a thin foil sheath wrapped around a powder blend. Fabrication of PCTW at CSM was accomplished using a tubular wire mill system to first bend a flat strip into a u-shaped cross section, deposit a powder fill, create a lap joint to seal the wire, and draw to final diameter. Powder management systems were developed to ensure uniform mixing of powder constituents and identify feed rates for optimum fill ratios. Processing parameters were successfully developed for titanium and aluminum alloy sheaths to account for material work hardening during drawing. Mass balance equations were developed to account for compositional contributions of the sheath and powder fill. PCTW composition can be adjusted through selection of the sheath or powder materials. PCTWs were successfully developed to offset Al loss in deposits of Ti-6-4 and Mg loss in Al 6061, resulting in deposits that were within the composition limits for each material. Ti-6-4 deposits were fabricated using PCTW comprised of commercially pure (CP) titanium sheath and a fill of pre-alloyed Ti-6-4 powder with additions of elemental Al and V powders. Additions of both elements were required to account for the CP Ti from the sheath, and Al was further enhanced to offset documented losses in EBF3 deposits. For Al 6061 deposits, composition was modulated through the choice of sheath material. The PCTW was made using an Al 5052 sheath to supplement Mg content and a fill composition of pre-alloyed 6061 powder with additions of Si and Cu.The slower solidification rate of the EBF3 process compared with laser powder bed fusion processes can lead to coarse-grained microstructures and mechanical property anisotropy. EBF3deposits of Ti-6-4 exhibited large epitaxially grown β grains, which result in degraded mechanical properties in the deposition direction. Microstructure refinement was achieved through a combination of electron beam modulation and the use of a PCTW designed for Ti-6-4 deposits and modified by the addition of powder made from Fe and B. Resulting deposits exhibited reductions in β grain size, α phase colony intercept length and lath width, and an increased volume fraction of β phase. The mechanism of microstructure refinement was related to precipitation of boride particles. Hardness testing confirmed that mechanical property anisotropy was reduced and an overall increase in hardness was achieved.Metal matrix composite (MMC) materials offer strength and stiffness benefits over unreinforced materials. Two methods were investigated using PCTW technology for producing Al 6061 basedMMC materials; the direct addition of SiC reinforcing particles and the in-situ generation of reinforcements through reaction synthesis of precursor powders. Al 6061 based MMCs reinforced with SiC exhibited particle clustering and formation of aluminum carbides during deposition. The application of a Ni coating to the SiC particles prior to incorporation into the powder fill eliminated aluminum carbide formation and aided particle distribution during deposition. Modulation of beam focus and power further reduced aluminum carbide formation and aided particle distribution. In reaction synthesis, precursor additions undergo an exothermic reaction during deposition to form new ceramic products, generally of finer scale than the initial precursor components. The product phases provide reinforcement in the MMC and act as nucleation sites during solidification, resulting in grain refinement, improved mechanical properties, and reduced susceptibility to solidification cracking. Higher tensile strength and stiffness were demonstrated in Al 6061 based MMCs with 2 vol% reinforcement. These combined research efforts demonstrate the potential of PCTW technology for customizing of alloy composition and achieving microstructure control. A manufacturing process for titanium- and aluminum-based PCTWs was developed based on iterative design, theoretical calculations, and empirical data. PCTW technology successfully mitigated Al loss from Ti-6-4 and Mg loss in Al 6061, resulted in grain refinement in Ti-6-4, and demonstrated fabrication of Al based MMCs

Marcia S Domack↗

A Bimetallic Nickel–Gallium Complex Catalyzes CO 2 Hydrogenation via the Intermediacy of an Anionic d 10 Nickel Hydride

Large-scale CO2 hydrogenation could offer a renewable stream of industrially important C1 chemicals while reducing CO2 emissions. Critical to this opportunity is the requirement for inexpensive catalysts based on earth-abundant metals instead of precious metals. We report a nickel-gallium complex featuring a Ni(0)→Ga(III) bond that shows remarkable catalytic activity for hydrogenating CO2 to formate at ambient temperature (3150 turnovers, turnover frequency = 9700 h-1), compared with prior homogeneous Ni-centred catalysts. The Lewis acidic Ga(III) ion plays a pivotal role by stabilizing reactive catalytic intermediates, including a rare anionic d10 Ni hydride. The structure of this reactive intermediate shows a terminal Ni-H, for which the hydride donor strength rivals those of precious metal-hydrides. Collectively, our experimental and computational results demonstrate that modulating a transition metal center via a direct interaction with a Lewis acidic support can be a powerful strategy for promoting new reactivity paradigms in base-metal catalysis. The work was supported as part of the Inorganometallic Catalysis Design Center, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences under Award DE-SC0012702. R.C.C. and M.V.V. were supported by DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research and National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship programs, respectively. J.C.L., S.A.B., and A.M.A. were supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Final Scientific Findings Report- Hydro Research Foundation- Research Awards Program

The Research Awards Program was established in 2014 by the Hydro Research Foundation (Foundation) to support research efforts for the hydropower industry. Using the previously funded Fellowship Program that ran from 2010-2015, the Research Awards Program (RAP or program) captured the lessons learned from the Fellowship program and fine-tuned a nation-wide graduate level research program to support innovation, research and workforce development. The RAP was funded through a $2 million-dollar grant through the Department of Energy’s Water Power Program within the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy office (DOE). This award made possible, 33 research projects by 32 students from 21 universities in 11 states. The grant widely engaged the industry by providing the opportunity to work with 25 organizations as well as 63 students and advisors. The funded research focused on a topic list selected by industry and worked to cover a breadth of research needs across many disciplines, basins and types of hydropower issues. The funded work, answered pressing research needs in the fields of the following disciplines; civil engineering, mechanical engineering, environmental engineering, electrical engineering, geography, fisheries, wildlife, water resources, geology, energy science and materials innovation. The Foundation estimates that 116 individuals benefited from this research through either direct mentorship (42), research (32), overseeing the research (31), partnerships (7) and the day-to-day management of the program (4). This investment by DOE showcases how private-public partnerships can leverage limited funds to create a wide range of research products. The project objective was to build on the successful Fellowship Program to develop and execute the RAP on a national level. The program sought to provide competitively awarded hydropower-related graduate-level research awards. The intent of the RAP was to support beneficial, innovative research related to conventional or pumped-storage hydropower. It also sought to stimulate interest among students and universities in this research arena and provide students with a foundation for productive careers within the hydropower industry. The outcome was 33 research findings with 100% of proposed research completed. In addition, 87% of students chose to either join the hydropower industry or continue their hydropower related research at their universities. These research findings advanced the understanding of pressing research topics within the hydropower industry and met the objective of the funding. An ancillary benefit the program identified through this funding was, not only did 63 students and advisors work on hydropower within the academia space, but now there are more professors and students teaching hydropower at the university level. The program saw an addition of 12 new professors, teaching assistants, and graduate researchers continuing to simulate interest in hydropower. Another interesting outcome is that during this grant funding, the program saw alumni of the predecessor program, who are now professors, applying for the RAP with their students. A unique element of this funding is there was significant cost-share provided by host universities, who did not charge facilities and administration overhead to the student’s research awards. In addition, each university provided laboratories, computing capacity and research facilities to support the research which is extraordinarily unique to grant funding at the university level. The total cost share exceeded 30% of the total grant cost. The funding clearly reached many sectors of the industry to provide helpful work and continue building hydropower’s next generation of innovation and workforce. The Foundation has established a broad network of universities interested and engaged in hydropower. The work was supported by the hydropower industry through donations of meeting space, conference registrations, in-kind contributions, mentorship and support of students. The Foundation would recommend finding a vehicle to further advance programs like the graduate level research through competitions, competitively funded awards and student research. It will take many universities to advance hydropower’s most pressing challenges. To let a program like the RAP dwindle away would incapacitate research at universities.

13 HYDRO ENERGY↗

Understanding Roles of Social Media in Academic Engagement and Satisfaction for Graduate Students

Research indicates positive effects of social media in academia and education. However its main populations have been faculty, teachers, high school or college students, and its primary contexts have been course or classroom settings. We realized there exists a lack of studies on how Ph.D. (broadly graduate) students use social media for academic purposes and how its use is associated with academic motivation, engagement, and satisfaction, which are salient factors for the success of their graduate degrees and life. Based on the survey responses from 91 current Ph.D. students, our study results highlight that (1) students mainly use social media for broadcasting and keeping up with up-to-date academic and research information; yet, making connections and developing professional networks is one of the primary reasons, and (2) social media use is positively associated with their academic engagement and satisfaction. We discuss implications and future work of our study.

social media↗

Research Infrastructure Challenges for Graduate Programs in STEM Disciplines at Minority Institutions

It is much more challenging to perform experimental research functions at many minority institutions, because of lack of adequate research infrastructure. This is especially true if one wishes to initiate and implement masters and doctoral degree program in physics. In the present paper, an attempt is made to discuss the various hurdles encountered by the authors in the establishment of Master's and Doctoral degree programs in physics at one of the HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). The department got no special or necessary treatment and faculty members are asked to teach as much course work as any other undergraduate department on the campus. It was very hard to convince university administration that giving less teaching load to research producing department faculty, shall culminate in abundant funding for the future years. This scenario created an extra heavy pressure on the faculty to continue the program. Some of the challenges included the resistance of some faculty and administrators to change, lack of sufficient release time for research producing faculty, and potential variation in funding or support with changes in the state education budget proration or members of the administration. In spite of the indirect cost recovery, very little infrastructure facilities was provided and the federal funding agencies did not want to interfere in the administration of the university. Various issues of recruiting and mentoring minority students, retention in the STEM disciplines as well as research infrastructure challenges at an HBCU university are presented.

Aggarwal, M. D.↗

Command Generation and Control of Momentum Exchange Electrodynamic Reboost Tethered Satellite

The research completed for this NASA Graduate Student Research Program Fellowship sought to enhance the current state-of-the-art dynamic models and control laws for Momentum Exchange Electrodynamic Reboost satellite systems by utilizing command generation, specifically Input Shaping. The precise control of tethered spacecraft with flexible appendages is extremely difficult. The complexity is magnified many times when the satellite must interact with other satellites as in a momentum exchange via a tether. The Momentum Exchange Electronic Reboost Tether (MXER) concept encapsulates all of these challenging tasks [l]. Input Shaping is a command generation technique that allows flexible spacecraft to move without inducing residual vibration [2], limit transient deflection [3] and utilize fuel-efficient actuation [4]. Input shaping is implemented by convolving a sequence of impulses, known as the input shaper, with a desired system command to produce a shaped input that is then used to drive the system. This process is demonstrated in Figure 1. The shaped command is then use to drive the system without residual vibration while meeting many other performance specifications. The completed work developed tether control algorithms for retrieval. A simple model of the tether response has been developed and command shaping was implemented to minimize unwanted dynamics. A model of a flexible electrodynamic tether has been developed to investigate the tether s response during reboost. Command shaping techniques have been developed to eliminate the tether oscillations and reduce the tether s deflection to pre-specified levels during reboost. Additionally, a model for the spin-up of a tethered system was developed. This model was used in determining the parameters for optimization the resulting angular velocity.

Robertson, Michael J.↗

Development and Application of a Data-Driven Methodology for Validation of Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characterization Models

The document is the Final Technical Progress Report for the Nuclear Energy University Program’s Integrated Research Project (IRP) on “Development and Application of a Data-Driven Methodology for Validation of Risk-Informed Safety Margin Characterization Models” that supports the LWR Sustainability Program’s RISMC R&D Pathway. The project goal is to develop and demonstrate a data-driven methodology for validation of advanced computer models used in nuclear power plant safety analysis. Specifically, the advanced computer models are those in the toolkit developed to support risk-informed safety margin characterization (RISMC), an integrated deterministic/probabilistic safety analysis methodology developed in the Department of Energy’s Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWR-S) program. The report reflects the progress made towards the project’s stated goal by contributions by researchers and graduate students from universities, with support from researchers from national laboratories and industry companies. The project organization, effort coordination and technical implementation are summarized, followed by discussion of main findings, issues, and path forward. Selected chapters provide a more detailed description of tasks, approaches and respective findings and recommendations. Noteworthy are contributions that serve as guidelines for methodology development. It is also noted that this report is complemented by other milestone reports (as stand-alone deliverables) that provide detailed discussion of the technical developments. The project results have been documented in a number (12) dissertations and these, 50+ peer-reviewed publications in technical journals and conference proceedings.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Molecular and Metabolic Mechanisms of Carbon Sequestration in Marine Thrombolites

The overall goal of my dissertation project has been to examine the molecular processes underlying carbon sequestration in lithifying microbial ecosystems, known as thrombolitic mats, and assess their feasibility for use in bioregenerative life support systems. The results of my research and education efforts funded by the Graduate Student Researchers Program can be summarized in four peer-reviewed research publication, one educational publication, two papers in preparation, and six research presentations at local and national science meetings (see below for specific details).

Mobberley, Jennifer↗

Basic Research in Orbital Debris Detection and Estimation

The research conducted under NASA Research Grant has been reported periodically throughout the duration of this grant. This research has been coordinated with the work supported by NASA Graduate Student Research Grant awarded to further the graduate doctoral program of Kira Jorgensen. This work will continue through the completion of Kira Jorgensen's Ph.D. program in May, 2000.

Culp, Robert D.↗

Chemistry of Atmospheric Aerosols at Pacifichem 2015 Congress

This grant was used to provide participant support for a symposium entitled “Chemistry of Atmospheric Aerosols” at the 2015 International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies (Pacifichem) that took place in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, on December 15-20, 2015. The objective was to help attract both distinguished scientists as well as more junior researchers, including graduate students, to this international symposium by reducing the financial barrier for its attendance. It was the second time a symposium devoted to Atmospheric Aerosols was part of the Pacifichem program. This symposium provided a unique opportunity for the scientists from different countries to gather in one place and discuss the cutting edge advances in the cross-disciplinary areas of aerosol research. To achieve the highest possible impact, the PI and the symposium co-organizers actively advertised the symposium by e-mail and by announcements at other conferences. A number of people responded, and the end result was a very busy program with about 100 oral and poster presentation described in the attached PDF file. Presentations by invited speakers occupied approximately 30% of time in each of the sessions. In addition to the invited speakers, each session also had contributed presentations, including those by graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. This symposium gathered established aerosol chemists from a number of countries including United States, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Australia, Brazil, Hongkong, Switzerland, France, and Germany. There were plenty of time for the attendees to discuss new ideas and potential collaborations both during the oral sessions and at the poster sessions of the symposium. The symposium was very beneficial to graduate student researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and junior researchers whose prior exposure to international aerosol chemistry science had been limited. The symposium provided junior researchers with a much broader perspective of aerosol chemistry than that afforded by attending a national meeting. The oral and platform presentation abstracts from the symposium were published in the Pacifichem Congress program.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

TMD Handbook

This handbook provides a comprehensive review of transverse-momentum-dependent parton distribution functions and fragmentation functions, commonly referred to as transverse momentum distributions (TMDs). TMDs describe the distribution of partons inside the proton and other hadrons with respect to both their longitudinal and transverse momenta. They provide unique insight into the internal momentum and spin structure of hadrons, and are a key ingredient in the description of many collider physics cross sections. Understanding TMDs requires a combination of theoretical techniques from quantum field theory, nonperturbative calculations using lattice QCD, and phenomenological analysis of experimental data. The handbook covers a wide range of topics, from theoretical foundations to experimental analyses, as well as recent developments and future directions. It is intended to provide an essential reference for researchers and graduate students interested in understanding the structure of hadrons and the dynamics of partons in high energy collisions.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Educational Experiences of Embry-Riddle Students through NASA Research Collaboration

NASA's educational programs benefit students while increasing the overall productivity of the organization. The NASA Graduate Student Research Program (GSRP) awards fellowships for graduate study leading to both masters and doctoral degrees in several technical fields, while the Cooperative Education program allows undergraduate and graduate students the chance to gain work experience in the field. The Mission Analysis Branch of the Expendable Launch Vehicles Division at NASA Kennedy Space Center has utilized these two programs with students from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to conduct research in modeling and developing a parameter estimation method for spacecraft fuel slosh using simple pendulum analogs. Simple pendulum models are used to understand complicated spacecraft fuel slosh behavior. A robust parameter estimation process will help to identiFy the parameters that will predict the response fairly accurately during the initial stages of design. NASA's Cooperative Education Program trains the next wave of new hires while allowing graduate and undergraduate college students to gain valuable "real-world" work experience. It gives NASA a no risk capability to evaluate the true performance of a prospective new hire without relying solely on a paper resume, while providing the students with a greater hiring potential upon graduation, at NASA or elsewhere. In addition, graduate students serve as mentors for undergrad students and provide a unique learning environment. Providing students with a unique opportunity to work on "real-world" aerospace problems ultimately reinforces their problem solving abilities and their communication skills (in terms of interviewing, resume writing, technical writing, presentation, and peer review) that are vital for the workforce to succeed.

Schlee, Keith↗