Shows
Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 121: The Luxury of 1G with Dr. Shawna PandyaToday we meet with veritable force to be reckoned with. Dr. Pandya’s experience is vast, which explains in part why many believe she is inline to be a future astronaut. She is a physician, aquanaut, scientist-astronaut candidate with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences (IIAS). But she is also a skydiver a pilot-in-training, a VP of Immersive Medicine with Luxsonic Technologies, a Medical advisor at Above Space Development Corporation and a Fellow of the Explorers Club. She instructs an Operational Space Medicine course, and hosts the World Extreme Medicine’s podcast series. And just last year Dr. Pandya was...2023-07-0328 min
Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningBONUS REPLAY 3: Frank DiBello and Space Florida!As we continue our holiday replay-- check out this great episode with Frank DeBello from epsode 66!
Today, we meet with, Space Florida President and CEO, Frank DiBello. in May 2009 Mr. DiBello was chosen to lead Space Florida, which is the principal state agency for aerospace-related economic development, and the Space Authority for the State of Florida. In his position, he develops and executes programs designed to attract, retain and grow aerospace business across the state. Additionally, Mr. DiBello focuses on Florida aerospace workforce development and retention as well as international partnership development. Mr. DiBello holds more than 50 ye...2022-12-2330 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 94: Making Space for Florida Institute of TechnologyDr. Paula do Vale Pereira is currently an Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the Florida Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on technology development for space exploration, mainly through the use of Earth-orbiting small spacecraft and probes for the exploration of Ocean Worlds, such as Europa and Enceladus. She has worked on the development of three satellites, being the Assembly, Integration and Testing lead for the BeaverCube satellite, the lead operator for the DeMi satellite, and the lead Mechanical Engineer for both BeaverCube and DeMi. She has also worked on the development, testing, and modeling of melt probes...2022-12-1234 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 93: Worming Her Way Into SpaceToday Kevin and I meet with Annalyn Connor is an undergraduate Aerospace student at the University of Central Florida, with a minor in Physics. Along with her fascination for space travel and sustainability, Annalyn hopes to preserve Earth by using knowledge from space missions and other planetary discoveries. She is currently conducting experiments at Exolith Lab using their Lunar and Martian simulants and believes that a sustainable and economical agricultural ecosystem is essential for the future habitation of other airless bodies. Her research involves the interaction of earthworms in Exolith's simulant regolith, in order to create a more fertilized...2022-12-0536 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningBONUS REPLAY 2: Jin Kang/The Naval Academy and CubeSats
In this Special REPLAY episode we revisit our interview with Dr. Jin Kang who was a keynote at our first SmallSatEducation Conference.
Dr. Jin S. Kang (Suk Jin Kang) is an Associate Professor in the Aerospace Engineering Department at the United States Naval Academy, and serves as the Director of the Naval Academy Small Satellite Program. His main research area is in small satellite technology development and was involved in development of four micro-satellites and numerous CubeSat satellites. He received his B.S. from the University of Michigan, M.S. from Stanford University, and...2022-11-2832 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 92: One Voice for Change: Changing STEM Education one country at a timeDr. Gregg Cannady is COO and co-founder of One voice for change, a Colorado-based non-profit whose Vision is to bring equal learning opportunities to children around the world. Gregg builds local, national, and even international communities to empower students via simple relationships and collaborations with industry and subject matter experts. Two of their most known international programs are the Martian Greenhouse and S2B2O, and we will hear more about the work he does with these programs today.
Interestingly, Dr. Cannady does NOT have a background in aerospace. Instead, he has a music background, having received...2022-11-2136 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 91: Changing Hawaiian Lives with Space and OutreachToday we meet with Amber Imai-Hong, an Avionics Engineer and Outreach Specialist. Born and raised on Hawaii Island, Amber developed skills in robotics, astronomy, and tinkering while attending Wa ia kea High School which lead her to join a small satellite team in her freshman year at the
University of Hawaii at Manoa, where she majored in Electrical Engineering with a focus on Electrophysics. She graduated with her Bachelors of Science in 2012 and has been working with the Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory on spacecraft design, development, testing, operations, and community educational outreach. Over the past 14 years, Amber has w...2022-11-1436 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 90: An Interdisciplinary Approach: Industry to ResearchMichele Jamrozik received her PhD degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2003 form the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Michele has experience in both academia (research and teaching in speech, image, and video processing) as well as in industry (automotive software and electronics, computer vision systems, biotech/nanotechnology, etc.). More recently, Michele completed the Interdisciplinary Space Master at the University of Luxembourg. Michele is currently a research associate in the SnT computer vision group CVi2 at the at the University of Luxembourg where she is working on AI solutions for space and fraud detection. Dr. Jamrozik is a me...2022-11-0733 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningBonus Episode Replay 1: The Legacy of John McClure and his BigRedSatAfter this weekend's success at the SmallSat Education Conference, we were excited to catch up with members of the BigRedSat, which was the vision of the late John McClure. While he did not live to see his dream come to fruition, we are honored to have met him and to continue to see the lives he has touched.
John McClure was the President and CEO of Sicuro Technology, which specialized in satellite and radio communications. Mr. McClure had over twenty-five years of experience in the IOT or internet of things space, leading the development and business team fo...2022-10-3130 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 89: Producing Space with PBS’s Kate TobinToday we are honored to meet with the esteemed Kate Tobin-- a science journalist with a long track record in television news. She was a Producer with the CNN Science and Technology Unit from 1991 to 2008. She then formed her own production company and was Executive Producer of the National Science Foundation’s “ Science Nation” series from 2009 to 2019. She currently produces, shoots and edits stories for the PBS NewsHour, working in partnership with her long-time colleague Miles O’Brien. She is honored to have won two National News & Documentary Emmy Awards, one for the CNN Breaking News Program “In Nature’s Wake,” and the...2022-10-2441 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 88: Limitless Passion and Limitless SpaceToday we meet with two very inspirational space enthusiasts. Dr. Sonny White has accumulated 25+ years of experience working in the aerospace industry with Boeing, Lockheed Martin, NASA, and now with the Limit less Space Institute. He currently serves as Director of Advanced Research and Development at LSI. Among his numerous awards are the NASA Medal for Excellence in Achievement for his role in building and delivering the Thermal Protection System robotic inspection tools, to support the STS-114 mission. Additionally He was awarded the NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal for his role in exploring and incorporating advanced power and propulsion con...2022-10-1734 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 87: Robotics and Emulators and CubeSats, OH MY!Today we interview sophomore student, Maxwell L. Friedman, the Lead Engineer of the A3Sat. A3 stands for Acquire, analyze and apply and is a CubeSat emulator meant to teach students how to build and develop space technologies. Max has worked on the A3Sat project since his Junior year of high school After graduating first in his class, Max decided to attend the Worcester Polytechnic Institute where is is studying Robotic Engineering. Max continues to work on the A3Sat as well as other collaborative CubeSat based projects like our own AMARIS Rover and the WPI Satellite Development Cl...2022-10-1034 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 86: Aviation in the Classroom with Rockstar Educator Kaye EbeltToday we meet with Kaye Ebelt-- an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow, pilot, and nationally known educator. She has multiple Bachelor and Masters degrees from the University of Montana, Montana State University, and Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts and she currently teaches Elementary Science, Aeronautics, and Engineering at the Greene School in West Palm Beach, Fl. Kaye is also a Space Foundation Teacher Liaison, and the recipient of Montana's Gifted and Talented Teacher of the Year, and she was a finalist for the Presidential Award for Math and Science Teaching. An avid licensed airplane and glider pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Ebe...2022-10-0328 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 85: Student Project Spotlight: Writing About Space with Amanda GrodmanAmanda Grodman is an 11th-grade student at Florida Atlantic University High School in Jupiter, FL, where she is participating in a dual-enrollment program and striving for a degree in Biology. During her time working with the AIA, Amanda has written several of the "Let's Go to Space" blogs reflecting the weekly podcasts, and has also co-authored/illustrated the "Let's Go to Space" children's book that was published in 2021. In addition, she is coordinating the Inaugural SmallSat Education Conference's art contests for students and educators. In her free time, Amanda enjoys volunteering, weightlifting, and creating many forms of art and...2022-09-2630 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 84: Space Law and Ethics with Michelle HanlonOur listeners know that aerospace is not just about being an astronaut or engineer—both of which are fine career options. In fact, almost any field here on Earth will be needed as we becoming space faring nations. Including, yes, you guessed it, lawyers..
Today, we meet with Michelle Hanlon—who IS a space lawyer. Ms. Hanlon is Co-Director of the Air & Space Law Program at the University of Mississippi School of Law. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of both the Journal of Space Law and the Journal of Drone Law and Policy. Michelle co-founded For All Moonkind...2022-09-1940 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 83: A German View of SpaceToday we meet with 19 year old Leeloo Schindelhauer. As a German student, Leeloo attended a STEM based high school where she participated in many extracurriculars including math club. She currently pursues aerospace engineering studies at Technical University of Munich But her love of space became evident about four years ago as she participated in a student internships at DLR, the German Space Agency and even attended Space Camp. LeeLoo has participated in the European Space Design Competition and International Space Design Competition where she also serves as a volunteer. Recently, she also attended Space Rush conference at KSC where we...2022-09-1230 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 82: Software in SpaceToday, we meet with Michael Starch-- a flight software engineer working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In the decade that Michael has worked at JPL, he has contributed to a number of JPL missions including several deep space CubeSats and the Mars Helicopter “Ingenuity”. Now Michael is the Cognizant Engineer and Community Manager for the OpenSource flight software framework F´. We are excited to chat with him today about his contributions to space and we hope you will stay tuned after for our takeaways.2022-09-0541 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 81: The SmallSat Education ConferenceToday in this special episode I talk with Kevin about the first annual SmallSat Conference coming to the Kennedy Space Center Oct 29-30. We discuss why there was a need for such a conference on the East coast as well as talk about what attendees can expect. Remember students and teachers may attend for free! Head to SmallSat Education. Org to register before it’s too late. And of course you can check the show notes for that link
https://www.smallsateducation.org/2022-08-2920 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpsisode 80: On Systems Engineering in Space with Zachary Clarke.Today we meet with Zachary Clarke—a masters student at Utah State University who works as a Systems Engineer for the F-16 Fighting Falcon. As such,Zach is pursuing his degree in systems engineering with an emphasis in the space environment. Zach has worked as the head system engineer for the student developed satellite mission: ACMES, where he managed twenty undergraduates in their efforts to design a one year mission observing the atmosphere with cryocooled instruments. Zach is a strong team member who loves contributing to the community through mentoring opportunities. When Zach isn't engineering or presenting, he hangs out...2022-08-2233 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 79: Student Project Spotlight: From Paragliders to Xenobots and Digital Engineering in SpaceToday we meet with two more extraordinary middle school students who are doing real world aerospace. Argyrios Deanie Vaitsos is entering 8th grade while Dylan Kiesling is entering the seventh. Both boys are finishing up at the same private school in Palm Beach Gardens and are looking at promising high schools in the future. Deanie shares about his team’s work on building a paraglider with the intention of retrieving HAB payloads while Dylan Kiesling discusses his work both with xenobots—live robots made from frog cells as well as how digitial engineering makes space application more approachable for stud...2022-08-1530 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 78: NearSpace Education: Using HAB in the classroomToday we meet with Brandon Pearson, the director for NearSpace Education, the newest non-profit entity associated with NearSpace Launch. We have met with many NSL professionals in the past, but today, we learn more about how HABS can be used in the classroom.
Brandon has a unique understanding of the classroom having been a high school science teacher for seven years where he focused primarily on biology as well as STEM class that centered around high altitude balloons. He also taught at an international school in Senegal. Currently working on his Masters in STEM curriculum and Instruction, Brandon is helping...2022-08-0832 min
Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 77: Student Project Spotlight: From Planting the Moon to AI and CodingOur series highlighting Wolfpack Students and their research has covered, up to this point, some of our high school and university students. Today, we hear from two S. Florida middle school students, both of whom will be starting the 8th grade this coming school year but who are doing incredible research related to space and their individual passions. Arnav Joseph is the lead on two biological papers that will be presented in Athens at the COSPAR conference. His work is investigating bacteria that could be potentially useful in recycling and food supply for astronauts on The ISS or future...2022-08-0137 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 76: Student Project Spotlight: Funding FlipSat with Theo Ouyang and William MayvilleToday we meet with two South Florida members of the Wolfpack, both of whom are rising juniors in their respective high schools. Theodore Ouyang, a student at Suncoast High School, has been working for several years on his CubeSat proposal, the FlipSat, which seeks to address the mitigation of bit flips in space. When his proposal was not selected by NASA’s CSLI for funding, teammate William Mayville, who attends American Heritage, made it his mission to solve the funding issues that preclude many capable students and teams from achieving a launch. Today we will learn how the combination of...2022-07-2542 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 75: From Community College to NASAToday we meet with recent UF grad, Haley Boles. Haley earned her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and Cell Science. Before transferring to UF, she attended her local community college where she earned my Associate of Arts with Honors as well as her Certificate of International Studies. Haley loves the fields of both space biology and astrobiology which is reflected in her research experience. She is a three -time NASA intern as well as an active undergraduate researcher at UF. She has participated in many other NASA programs including National Community College Aerospace Scholars, or NCAS, the L’SPACE Acade...2022-07-1834 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 74: Current Aerospace Research from the Labs of University of Central FloridaTarek A. Elgohary, an assistant professor in the UCF’s mechanical and aerospace engineering department. He is the director of the Astrodynamics and Space Robotics Laboratory. Before joining UCF, he was a postdoctoral research associate at Texas A&M and a visiting scholar in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. He received his B.S. in mechanical engineering from the American University in Cairo and his master's degree and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M University. His research interests are in astrodynamics, optimal control, robotics and space situational awareness. We loo...2022-07-1132 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 73: A University Talkie and Techie: Combining Policy and EngineeringToday, Kevin and I meet with Andres Permuy, a third-year Physics Major and Math minor at Georgetown University. He aspires to receive a master's degree in Mechanical Engineering/Robotics to pursue a career in Advanced Robotics and Automation. Andres’ current goal is to work with automation that can be utilized in the space industry for extraterrestrial exploration and excavation. Currently, Andres helps lead the Georgetown University Space Initiative as the Co-President and conducts space policy research at the Beyond Earth Institute. We look forward to working with him on several projects including the Amaris Lunar Rover. Stay tuned after for...2022-07-0435 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 72: From Colombia to SpaceToday Kevin and I meet with Sara Alvarado who is a current economics and industrial engineering undergrad working towards her masters in Industrial Engineering at The University of Central Florida. In addition to her school load, Sara works at Universal Orlando Resort as an Industrial Engineer, Hailing from Colombia, she always dreamed big but knew her options were limited in her home country. The US has given her the career opportunities and the reach to empower many more to look up and imagine what could be, and she has kickstarted this by being the national chair of Students for t...2022-06-2729 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 71: Student Spotlight: From Osteoblasts to GrapheneFor those who follow our social media or are part of the Aerospace and Innovation Academy family, you know our students do real-world experiential aerospace on a regular basis. Students find a place in the industry to capitalize on their passions and interests. Today’s two featured students have taken these opportunities to a whole new level. Paul Kiesling, a freshman at Exeter Academy, returns to share about his current research and entrepreneurial endeavors while Jasmin Schauer, a college student at Florida Atlantic University’s Honors College, discusses her work with osteoblasts as well as her presentations at recent conf...2022-06-2031 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 70: Megan Wnek: Aerospace from The Swamp: UF engineering and explorationToday Kevin and I meet with Megan Wnek who is entering her 4th year as an Aerospace Engineering student with an Electrical Engineering minor at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. She has interned as a structural engineer for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics on the F-35 program and most recently, Northrop Grumman Space Systems as a systems engineering intern. During her time at UF, she has been involved in and led teams for multiple industry-sponsored design competitions including the NASA Student Launch Initiative, the NASA Tournament Lab Exploring Hell competition, and the Fairchild Growing Beyond Earth maker contest, in w...2022-06-1332 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 69: College Bound Post COVID with Counselor Joe BlassbergIn an ongoing effort to prepare our students for their futures, today Kevin and I meet with Joseph Blassberg. Joe began his counseling career at American University in Washington, D.C. then went on to serve as the Director of College Counseling at Milken Community Schools in Los Angeles.. There, he implemented a college counseling curriculum and provided students and families with grade-level workshops, panel discussions, and college essay workshops. Most recently, Joe was the Director of College Counseling and Academic Dean at The Buckley School in Los Angeles, CA, Mr. Blassberg's accomplishments at Buckley are many; he guided th...2022-06-0639 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 68: The Psychology of SpaceToday, we meet with Karolina Rivera-Osorio, a young lady with an avid interest in STEM with a particular focus on the psychological effects of living in space. Karolina was an intern at NASA Headquarters Science Mission Directorate supporting the Mars sample Return Mission. She participated in Human Factors creating the first Lunar Transport Modules for Incapacitated Astronauts for Johnson Space Center while studying Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Recently, Karolina spent the last 7 months in France researching “The Psychology of Sustainable Agriculture for Future Martian Astronauts,” using hydroponics/microgreens in a Mars analog. In addition to her interest in these areas...2022-05-3031 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 67: The Drive, the Mentorship, and the Passion of Aero Engineer Kevin JohnsonToday we meet with Kevin Johnson, a Systems Engineer at Jacobs supporting the Artemis Program for NASA based out of the Kennedy Space Center. As a first generation college student born to a single teenage mother and raised under the poverty line, Kevin spent his early years working in the food service industry, honing a hard working and team oriented skillset to succeed. This also led to him planning for the future, a 20 year career target that is dedicated to being a lead for the human mission to Mars.
After graduating from Penn State University with Bachelors...2022-05-2337 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 66: Supporting the Aerospace Sector: Frank DiBello and his 50 years of ServiceToday, we meet with, Space Florida President and CEO, Frank DiBello. in May 2009 Mr. DiBello was chosen to lead Space Florida, which is the principal state agency for aerospace-related economic development, and the Space Authority for the State of Florida. In his position, he develops and executes programs designed to attract, retain and grow aerospace business across the state. Additionally, Mr. DiBello focuses on Florida aerospace workforce development and retention as well as international partnership development.
Mr. DiBello holds more than 50 years of direct aerospace, defense and emerging space industry-related experience. Frank spent more than 20 years at...2022-05-1631 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 65: Researching Space from Florida State with Dr. Sunny NarayananDr. Anand “Sunny” Narayanan is currently a Research Professor at Florida A&M AND - Florida State University (FAMU-FSU). As a first-generation, immigrant, Indian American from a disadvantaged background, Sunny has held a life-long interest in encouraging diversity through educational outreach and interdisciplinary projects. Sunny holds a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in Medical and Space Physiology, and B.S. degrees from West Virginia University in Mechanical Engineering and Biology.
Sunny took his first professional steps with NASA, supporting systems engineering computational projects at the Katherine Johnson Independent Verification and Validation Facility, completing team-based design-build-fly projects throug...2022-05-0933 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 64: CubeSats and the Naval Academy: A Discussion with Professor KangDr. Jin S. Kang (Suk Jin Kang) is an Associate Professor in the Aerospace Engineering Department at the United States Naval Academy, and serves as the Director of the Naval Academy Small Satellite Program. His main research area is in small satellite technology development and was involved in development of four micro-satellites and numerous CubeSat satellites. He received his B.S. from the University of Michigan, M.S. from Stanford University, and Ph.D. from Korea Aerospace University (KAU) in Aerospace Engineering. After working for General Electric for two years, Kang taught at Korea Air Force Academy, KAU, and...2022-05-0231 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 63: Helzer BigRedSat UpdateToday we are excited to get an update on the BigRedSat, a CubeSat we first learned about last year.In fact two early podcast episodes (found linked in the show notes) served as an introduction to this team which included middle- university level students as well as an interview with one of their biggest supporters, John McClure. Sadly, John passed this year but his dream for a CubeSat in Nebraska is still in the works
But today we meet with John Helzer: the special systems team lead for AXP, which is mentoring the Big Red Satellite team's m...2022-04-2532 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 62: Designing, Building, and Flying at Embry RiddleToday, Kevin meets with Nicholas Marshall, a Junior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach Fl . There, he is studying Aerospace Engineering with an Aeronautics Track. Nicholas is an active member of Design Build Fly at Embry-Riddle, and he recently participated with our group as part of this yea’s American Insitute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Congressional Visit Day. A proud Eagle Scout, Nicholas hopes to work on military aviation projects upon graduation.2022-04-1831 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 61: Rise UP to Give Back with Craig GloverToday’s guest, Craig Glover, was raised in a community much like those in the Palm Beach County community he now serves. His experience growing up in an economically challenged area has helped him recognize his many blessing, and to survive several life challenges. Currently, Craig is excited to serve others as the Executive Director of Northend RISE.
RISE is a resident-driven, family and systems based non-profit movement, dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty for the residents of the Northend, Coleman Park and Pleasant City communities. RISE works to improve quality of life by focusing on ed...2022-04-1134 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 60: Little Martians: A STEM Focus in IndiaToday Kevin and I meet with Kadija Rahman and Amina Zulfi, founders of The Little Martians. Kadija is an Information Technology Engineer and certified STEM Educator in Teaching Primary Science and Amina, an electronics engineer turned educator, is a certified STEM activity designer and STEM curriculum planner.
The Little Martians was founded with the objective of building a strong maker community in India, starting from a young age. The group inspires bright students and mentors them to find meaningful footing in this challenging world, forming a path for Indian youngsters to explore and grow.
As alw...2022-04-0432 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 59: A Life-Long Love of Aerospace with Patrick StakemMr. Patrick H. Stakem has been fascinated by the space program since the Vanguard launches in 1957. He received a Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering from Carnegie-Mellon University, and Masters Degrees in Physics and Computer Science from the Johns Hopkins University. At Carnegie, he worked with a group of undergraduate students to re-assemble, modify, and operate a surplus missile guidance computer, which was later donated to the Smithsonian. He was brought up in the mainframe era, and was taught to never trust a computer you could lift.
He began his career in Aerospace with Fairchild Industries on the...2022-03-2828 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 58: Engaging Florida's Gifted Learners and EducatorsToday Kevin and I meet with Amy Trujillo, a professional educator and author with 20 years experience working with students from elementary school through adults. Currently she is the Instructional Coach at Orlando Science Schools where she oversees STEM, as well as oversees the gifted plans for students in kindergarten through sixth grade.
Ms. Trujillo is also n innovator and advocate for the needs of diverse learners. She believes in integrating science, technology, engineering, and math into all lessons so students grasp the concepts as well as gain the skills they need for the future workforce.
O...2022-03-2133 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 57: Parent Perspectives 3 with Mr. Paul Kiesling and Mr. William Mayville"Let’s Go to Space: BLUESKY Learning" is part of a larger educational initiative called the Aerospace and Innovation Academy, which seeks to provide unique and distinctive stem opportunities for passionate middle and high schoolers. While we often highlight careers in aerospace, today’s podcast is the third in a series where we have been hearing from parents of students who have incredible resume builders to hear how they believe the program has impacted their child.
Today for episode 57 we meet with Mr. Bill Mayville and Mr. Paul Kiesling.
Paul Kiesling is the father of two ac...2022-03-1440 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 56: Parent Perspectives Part 2 with Dr. Ahmed and Mr. VescioLet’s Go to Space BLUESKY Learning is part of a larger educational initiative called the Aerospace and Innovation Academy, which seeks to provide unique and distinctive stem opportunities for passionate middle and high schoolers.
While we often highlight careers in aerospace, today’s podcast is the third in a series where we have been hearing from parents of students who have incredible resume builders to hear how they believe the program has impacted their child. This is our second episode in the series.
Dr. Ruhi Ahmed currently serves as Senior Vice President of Regulatory and Go...2022-03-0734 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 55: Parent Perspectives Part 1 with Mr. Levy and Mrs. WelchToday: we bring you Episode 55: Parent Perspectives: Supporting Student Success in the AIA with Eran Levy and Stephanie Welch. Mr. Eran Levy has a bachelors in business and computer science. He is an expert in sales and marketing strategy and is the lead for customer success at Cisco along with being a dad of two, including son Daniel who recently spoke at the Hawaiian International Conference of Education. Mrs. Stephanie Welch is a mother of 3 with a bachelor's in both psychology and dietetics. She is currently focused on pursuing her passion for dietetics, but in her spare time, she ac...2022-02-2834 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 54: Aloha from Space: Inspiring the Next GenerationWe are fortunate to have interviewed several amazing educators during our time producing this podcast. Today, we add another rock star to that list: Frederick Hermann has been teaching at the MakuaLani Christian Academy on the big island of Hawaii for twelve years. While his passion is aerospace, Frederick holds a BA in English with a minor in mathematics and a Masters in Special Education. Before becoming a high school teacher, Frederick taught GED in prison in NC; tutored adults in reading, math, and police tests; and was lead teacher for a hispanic after-school program. Now, with his leadership...2022-02-2138 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 53: Distinctive Experiences: International Conferences as a Middle Schooler and MoreToday, we meet with seventh and eighth grade members of the Aerospace and Innovation Academy, our parent company, to discuss one aspect of the unique opportunities our students are eligible to undertake to help separate them from their peers. Argyrios Deanie Vaitsos, Michael Mikati, and Finley Strauss are middle schoolers who have written several technical papers and have even presented at international conferences including the IAC in Dubai, and, most recently the Hawaiian International Conference on Education in Jan. Today, they will share about why they take on adult style responsibilities and how doing so has helped to prepare...2022-02-1434 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 52: Using Balloons to get to Space with SpaceLoonToday we meet with Dr. Pradeep Shinde. Dr. Shinde received his PhD from Florida International University in Mechanical Engineering and is the CEO of SpaceLoon™, a company being built at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's MicaPlex. He has expertise in High-Altitude Balloons and CubeSat instrumentation and has received four awards from NASA-FSGC (NASA-Florida Space Grant Consortium) over the course seven years which helped him with his entrepreneurial goals.
SpaceLoon™ (Space Balloon Technologies) Corp. was founded in 2018, Since then, the technology has been matured by field demonstrations and commercialization risk reductions. SpaceLoon has attracted some investments from friends and family, has v...2022-02-0729 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 51:On Integrating CubeSat Puzzle Pieces With NearSpace Launch, Inc.Today we meet with Matt Voss, the Chief Operations Officer for NearSpace Launch, Inc.
Matt has an extensive professional entrepreneurial background including an MBA in Management and Marketing with 15+ years’ experience in fast-paced dynamic environments.
He has managed and directed million-dollar budgets and held a key role in their aerospace startup in 2006.
He has a passion for developing an effective and influential business culture, has excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and is able to work effectively cross-functional teams. Kevin and I are huge fans of Matt—NSL in general has always willing to work...2022-01-3130 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 50: On Being a Technological Optimist with Jim PlaxcoJim Plaxco is a digital artist, creative coder, public speaker, and web consultant. Prior to entering the field of digital art, Jim was an information technology professional and software engineer working for Fortune 100 companies, included AT&T and IBM. In March 2019 Jim became the National Space Society’s Director of Information Systems and in October 2019 became the NSS Data Protection Officer.
Jim has been a space activist since the mid-80’s when he became a member of the National Space Institute, the predecessor of the National Space Society. and is currently President of the Chicago Society for Spac...2022-01-2439 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 49: Adapting Your Passions and Communication for ClarityDoc Chaves is director of corporate communications for LI-COR Biosciences, a world leader in technology for measuring global climate change and cutting-edge instrumentation for molecular biology research. His main job is translating English to English…helping engineers and scientists share knowledge with a broader audience. He is a volunteer leader for the Big Red Satellite Team, Nebraska’s first team to be selected by NASA to design, build and fly a CubeSat and who were featured in an earlier podcast—you can see link in show notes.
Website for LiCor: https://www.licor.com/
Link to epi...2022-01-1734 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 48: On Aerospace and Analytics with Eric HarkleroadToday we meet with Eric Harkleroad— a systems engineer for APeX Systems in New Jersey. He holds a Master of Engineering in Mechanical & Aerospace and a Bachelor’s degree in Physics both from Princeton University and he previously served as a crew member for a two-week rotation at the Mars Society’s Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS).
A long time Space Ambassador for the National Space Society, Eric gained an interest in engineering due to attending NASA Space Camp in elementary school and taking part in math and science clubs during grades 7-12.
He is also a...2022-01-1034 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 47: The Art of Inquiry—astrobiology in the classroom with Julia BrodskyToday we meet with Julia Brodsky, a STEM education researcher at the Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, and a Forbes Education contributing author. Ms. Brodsky was not only an NASA astronaut instructor, but she worked as an independent school teacher, an informal math education book author, and an educational consultant for gifted students. Additionally, she is the homeschooling mom of a special needs child (and two other kids). Her academic training is in astrophysics and science education. As the founder of the Art of Inquiry - an interactive online science program for curious pre-teens - Brodsky introduces students...2022-01-0327 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 46: Getting to Space with NearSpace Launch's Matt OrvisToday we meet with ,Matt Orvis who graduated with a Bachelors degree in Physics in 2013, with an Masters in 2015. Since then he's been working with NearSpace Launch building satellites and other space subsystems as a project engineer. Working in a small business, Matt has the privilege of operating in a variety of tasks, including proposal writing, mission design, system layout, assembly/integration, mission operations, data analysis, and writing publications. He's also married with 2 kids, which has proven to be more challenging than building spacecraft.
Matt and NearSpace Launch has been especially instrumental to the development of the...2021-12-2726 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 45: Aeronautical Design Engineer and Advocate Rayon HarrisToday Kevin and In meet with Rayon Harris, an Aeronautical Design Engineer at Lockheed Martin’s Skunkworks residing in Southern California. Prior to his experience at the Skunkworks, Rayon was an avid member of AIAA’s UCF student branch and obtained his Aerospace Engineering degree in 2019. As an active member of AIAA national since 2015, Rayon has engaged in various AIAA activities from student design projects, college executive leadership, volunteering, mentorship as well as advocating for the aerospace committee in Capitol Hill. When he is not working, Rayon enjoys spending his free time working out, traveling to new places, watching sports an...2021-12-2039 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 44: Agile Engineer and AmbassadorToday we meet with Chris Kapp. Chris is Vice President of Compression in the energy group AF Global. He has 25+ years experience with nearly all aspects of turbo machinery in nearly every area of Oil & gas as well as industrial applications. Starting out abroad, Chris started up a joint venture company, Demag Kirloskar Compressors. He then Immigrated to the US and he worked for Cooper Energy Services / Rolls-Royce Energy Systems in Mt. Vernon, OH as a director of marketing and director of product standardization for gas turbines and centrifugal pipeline compressors. Chris then worked for Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery (O...2021-12-2029 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 43: Authoring Space with Loretta HallToday Kevin and I meet with Loretta Hall, a freelance writer and nonfiction book author. She has been interested in space travel since her teenage years, when she followed closely the early NASA programs: selection of the Mercury Seven astronauts, the suborbital and orbital missions of Mercury and Gemini, and the Apollo steps toward a moon landing. About fifteen years ago, her latent fascination with space exploration resurfaced, and she has since concentrated on that subject. She has written nine nonfiction books, including five on the history and future of space travel. Loretta loves finding ways to participate in s...2021-12-1331 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 42: The "Magnitude" of Ted TagamiToday we meet with Ted Tagami. Mr. Tagami is the CEO and co-founder of Magnitude. Io, which was created to bring learning right to the edge of human discovery and exploration with their ExoLab experiments about the International Space Station. Ted also is the education chair on the User Advisory Committee of the ISS US National Lab. Stationed in San Francisco, Tagami started Magnitude in 2013 understanding that many things were changing, including the learning landscape. The possibility of new tools that would enable learner agency were becoming apparent including Microcontrollers, sensors, entire systems on a chip,Machine learning, 3D...2021-12-0651 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 41: A Space Engineer, Advocate, and AmbassadorToday we meet with Stevan Akerley, a retired aerospace engineer from Pratt & Whitney, with more than 40 years of manufacturing and engineering experience with automated equipment and measurement sensor systems in manufacturing applications. He also has experience in precision manufacturing, machine measurement, CAD CAM software development, quality assurance, and tool and equipment design. He holds a BS degree in industrial technology, and an MBA degree in Management Information Systems and International Business.
Akerly was one of the finalists and award winners of the Space Ambassadors, Phase 1 Program, and is currently serving as a Space Ambassador Program Director for t...2021-11-2934 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 40: Educating Educators and Promoting CubeSatsToday we meet with John D. Moore, an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow. John also served in the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Geosciences 2009-2011. Currently he is the founder and Executive Director for the Institute for Earth Observations in New Jersey. Prior to his fellowship, he developed and was an instructor at he the Burlington County Institute of Technology, a four-year CTE high school, focusing on the development of applications of satellite data, remote sensing, and computer visualizations at the pre-college level. He has numerous publications and is a contributing author in the “Einstein Fellows Best Practices in S...2021-11-2235 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 39: Engineer by Day, President by NightToday, we meet with Ken Ruffin. Ken is a Senior Environmental Engineer for one of the largest electric utilities in the USA, with over 25 years of experience in air quality inspections, consulting, permit applications, and compliance in both public and private organizations. But his passion for science doesn’t stop at the end of his workday. Mr. Ruffin is also the President of the award-winning National Space Society of North Texas (NSS-NT). For the fourth time in the last eight years, NSS-NT has earned the #1 NSS Chapter in the World Award! During public events, monthly meetings, and news interviews, Ke...2021-11-1532 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 38:Accessing Space With New TechnologiesLarry Bartoszek, is a licensed engineer with Physics and Mechanical Engineering degrees from the Univ of Illinois. He is a member of numerous professional societies related to engineering, welding, and the International Space Elevator Consortium.
Larry worked at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory from 1983 to 1993. In his work at Fermilab he was responsible for the design of many accelerator and detector projects, including a 150 million dollar Hadron calorimeter and many other accelerator and detector projects.
Larry is the owner of Bartoszek Engineering, a world-wide consulting firm which specializes in mechanical designs for the nuclear and...2021-11-0835 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 37: On Educational Research: Preparing Science Teachers for ExcellenceToday, we are excited to meet with Dr. Ben Van Dusen, a professor of science education at Iowa State University where he runs the Learning About STEM Student Outcomes (LASSO) platform. LASSO is funded through the NSF and is a free online resource supporting teachers in how to use research-based assessments to determine the impact of their courses on student content knowledge, attitudes, and identities. A focus of his research is the impacts of oppression on science student outcomes and how the quantitative methods that are commonly used by researchers may be obscuring academic inequities. A former high school...2021-11-0122 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 36: Early Influencers; How Teachers InspireToday, it is my pleasure to interview one of my most influential teachers--my 8th grade science teacher Jeff Johnson. Jeff grew up at the start of the space age and was heavily influenced by Sputnik 1, John Glenn and the vast media onslaught of TV and media that emerged shortly thereafter. .In his early year’s Jeff created space scrapbooks with articles he found and his love was fueled even further by watching the Apollo 11 landing with his family.
Although Jeff’s interest in science was nurtured in high school, it was a serendipitous meeting at a softball game...2021-10-2533 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 35: On Being a Liquid Oxygen Systems Engineer With Joshua JonesToday, Kevin and I meet with Joshua Jones of Jacobs Technology. Mr. Jones has a masters degree in mechanical engineering from University of North Florida and is currently working on his masters in mechanical engineering at UF. In addition to his work for Jacobs, Josh donates his time as the VP of the Missile Space and Range Pioneers, a group of retired and current aerospace enthusiasts., Josh also enjoys gaming, traveling, and building PCs. He will share with us how he came to be interested in engineering as well as share advice for our student listeners in an area...2021-10-1830 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 34: Training Astronauts To Boldy Go: Dr. Tess CaswellToday we meet with Dr. Tess Caswell. Dr. Caswell is an Extra Vehicular Activity or E. V. A Operations Engineer at NASA. Her work helps to plan spacewalks and prepares astronauts to conduct them. Dr. Caswell holds a bachelor of science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a PhD in Planetary Geology from Brown University. She has previously worked as an Environmental Systems officer in mission control for the International Space Station, lived for a month in a simulated space station as part of NASA's Human Exploration Research Analog, and served as Lead Capsule Controller at...2021-10-1131 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 33: On Being a Vertical Flight Test Engineer: Dr. Andy BernhardDr. Andreas P. (Andy) Bernhard is the Director of Aircraft Design at Sikorsky Aircraft, a Lockheed Martin Corporation Company. In this capacity he is responsible for all technical aspects related to the design of blades, rotors, transmissions, airframes, propulsion systems, landing gear, and miscellaneous subsystems This includes developing and implementing next generation strategies & technologies and creating and maintaining effective processes and standard work.
Prior to this assignment, Dr. Bernhard was the Chief Engineer for the CH-53K KING STALLION providing overall strategic leadership for all technical activities of the program, including design development, integration and test, as...2021-10-0437 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 32: Curriculum, Cognition, and Kids: Literacy and STEMDr. Liz Knowles began her career as an elementary school teacher in Connecticut but spent most of her career (29 years) at Pine Crest School in South Florida. She earned a master’s in reading and a doctorate in Curriculum Development and Systemic Change both from Nova Southeastern University. Early in her career, she was Director of Professional Development and Curriculum where she assisted more than 300 faculty members with curriculum mapping, launched a teaching certification program, offered in-service classes, and oversaw several school accreditation processes.
Beginning in 1997, she completed the first of her 14 books, The Reading Connection: Bringing Pa...2021-09-2735 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 31: Putting the Language Arts in STEAM:Today, Kevin interviews Shawna Christenson about how she got involved with the Aerospace and Innovation Academy considering her background in English and Debate. Shawna holds a BS in secondary English education and a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. She has been teaching well over 20 years in both the public and private sector and was chosen as the National Speech and Debate Association's Middle School Coach of the Year in 2020. She believes in our BLUE-SKY philosophy by taking communications beyond the classroom and into the real world through legislative advocacy and technical writing with her students. She is...2021-09-2035 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 30: Nailing the Application Process: HS and BeyondToday Kevin and I meet with the inspiring Carolyn Kost. I had the opportunity to be hired by Carolyn in 2012and she has been a constant source of insight with regards to curriculum and the college process ever since. For well over twenty years, Carolyn has helped families find the right academic, social and financial fit for their college bound students. Carolyn is an admissions reader for a prominent university and frequent presenter at national conferences. She was mentioned in The New York Times and reads college news all day every day. She has taught in five universities and...2021-09-1338 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 29: The Harvey Academy: A Concierge Education Meets the Aerospace and Innovation AcademyAs the Founder of The Harvey Academy, Nancy Harvey embraces the opportunity to share her enthusiasm for learning with her students and teachers every day. Nancy has over 25 years of teaching experience and holds a Masters in Elementary Education from Chestnut Hill College, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from Villanova University, and a Florida Teaching Certificate. Her focus on a concierge education means she is determined to meet each student where they are at educationally and emotionally and helps them to overcome their learning difficulties. Because she believes so strongly in providing opportunities for each child, she b...2021-09-0629 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 28: Reflections on the Aerospace and Innovation Academy--8 months inIn this special edition, Kevin and Shawna recap some of the ways the Aerospace and Innovation Academy pivoted post-Covid to continue to provide unique STEM opportunities for students and teachers. For more information about what the Academy offers including after school programs and science fair consultation, please visit the website at www.aerospacehigh.org or the FaceBook page @Go2Space. You can also reach out to us via email at schristenson@aerospace-policy.org or ksimmons@bluecubesat.com. 2021-08-3030 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 27: Being of Service to Industry and CommunityToday Kevin and I continue our focus on the AIAA with engineer and treasurer of the Palm Beach section Bruce Trembly. Bruce is a Systems & Software Engineering Section Leader with 35 years’ experience in jet & rocket engine development, test, analysis & validation with specialties in vehicle systems performance and engine test & analyses. His Experience includes thirteen years with Pratt & Whitney Large Military Engines, two years as Director of IRSC Technology Development & Training Center / Business Incubator and twenty years with Belcan Engineering Solutions including 15 years in positions of engineering management. Mr. Trembly has a B.S. Aerospace Engineering from Embry Riddle Aeronautical Uni...2021-08-2331 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 26: A Lifetime Engineer and the Importance of Professional OrganizationsToday we meet with Since graduating from the University of Kentucky in 1977, Randy worked for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne in West Palm Beach, Florida. His career began as a propulsion engineer gaining experience in a wide range of systems including gas turbine, liquid rocket, nuclear and hypersonic propulsion. During this time, Randy acquired two graduate degrees from University of Miami and gradually moved toward the business and program development side of the business.
This broad experience provided Randy with a deep understanding of the difficult technical, business and marketing balance needed to bring an idea from concept to...2021-08-1626 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 25: Time for the Science Fair: Coordinator's Advice for SuccessToday we meet with Jennifer Davis, the director for the Palm Beach Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Ms. Davis was born into a science loving family in Dublin, Ireland, where her father was one of only four people to hold a PhD in organic chemistry. From a very early age, her father helped her to value education and hard work. This inspiration for science was reinforced when she moved to the US in 1981, and met her high school freshman biology teacher with whom she took every science class she could. Ms. Davis eventually obtained a Bachelor's degree in Biology a...2021-08-0933 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 24: Getting Involved in Real World Stem at the University LevelToday, we meet Sahadeo Ramjatan who received his Bachelor’s and Masters of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Florida. There he served as President of the Small Satellite Design club where motivated students learn about space exploration through various STEM activities . His dedication helped the organization to win 2nd place for Best Community Outreach from the AIAA Region II Conference. In addition, he performed internships at NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center where he was a recipient of the NASA John Mather Nobel Scholarship. Sahadeo received the Belgian American Educational Foundation Fellowship (BAEF) and studied at the von Karm...2021-08-0234 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 23: Developing Community: Outreach and the UnderservedToday we meet with Alpesh M. Patel who has spent the last three decades helping organizations drive their business development and revenue growth with strategies that blend technology, marketing, management and leadership. Over the past two decades in Palm Beach County, Alpesh has also served on numerous boards/committees and supported many nonprofits focusing on family literacy, entrepreneurship, leadership, and youth development.
Alpesh is now leveraging his experiences and intersecting his passions for serving clients, causes and community with creative problem solving to develop practical solutions for enriching lives. Pivoting his resources and his company, Alpesh initiated...2021-07-2639 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 22 Storytelling And STEM: Inspiring the Engineers of the FuturePraba Soundararajan is a Neuroscientist and a Children's book author of a STEM series. He is also the Founder & CEO at Boon-dah, an EdTech Startup company located in Tampa, Florida. Growing up in India, Praba was a reluctant reader during his childhood and much of his earlier part of adulthood. After moving to North America to pursue an education in Neuroscience, he discovered why reading had been such a chore. He was a visual learner—and much of the material he had been given was not presented in a manner that was conducive to his learning style. With this kn...2021-07-1937 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 21: From Robotics to Woodshop: Real World Engineering Applications in the Classroom and BeyondStephen Portz is a nationally recognized leader in STEM Education and an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow. Steve is a pioneer in secondary engineering and manufacturing education – Creating the STEAM Engineering Academy in Brevard County, FL, developing curriculum standards, serving on state and national certification committees for software and testing, and working on a team to establish a national engineering credential for students. As an early adopter of 3D printing, Portz has a passion for giving students access to desktop manufacturing technologies and the democratization of product design. His work in this area has resulted in collaborative and curriculum de...2021-07-1239 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 20: Preparing for Launch with SpaceFlight Inc.Today we meet with Marcy Mabry—a senior mission manager at SpaceFlight Inc, with extensive engineering and project management experience in the aerospace industry.
In her current position she has overall technical, cost, and schedule responsibility for the Spaceflight customers. She works closely with spacecraft owners and operators, ensuring overall mission success, from mission assignment to post-launch, including onsite launch leadership. She guides her satellite customers to meet the technical and schedule requirements to successfully get launched.
Prior to her current position, Marcy was the VP for Business Development at Kaney Aerospace, an Avionics manager wi...2021-07-0528 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 19: Big Red Sat: Nebraska and SpaceIn episode 17, we met John McClure, who among many outstanding achievement has been a big supporter of aerospace education. He was instrumental in the formation of Nebraska’s first CBT, and their satellite, the Big Red Sat will fly in a few years. Today, Kevin and I are joined by two members of that team to share more about how they formed a unique coalition of middle school, high school and university students who had a desire to go to space. We will Meet Joel Murch Shafer-- a junior at UNL majoring in computer and electrical engineering. He is al...2021-06-2829 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 18: STEM and the Gifted ChildToday we meet with our friend and former employer, Dr. Denise Spirou.
Dr. Denise Spirou is the founding Head of School at The Greene School, an independent PreK through 8th grade school for high-performing students in West Palm Beach, Florida. Dr. Spirou created the curriculum and culture at Greene nearly tripling enrollment in under three years. She joined the school after a 16-year tenure at another Florida private school for gifted children where she worked as a teacher and administrator, earning her credentials as one of the region’s leading educators.
Due to her extensive kno...2021-06-2127 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 17: From the Internet of Things to CubeSats: The Legacy of John McClureJohn McClure is the President and CEO of Sicuro Technology, which specializes in satellite and radio communications. Mr. McClure also has over twenty-five years of experience in the IOT or internet of things space, leading the development and business team for the General Motors OnStar subsidiary-- the original large scale IoT commercial business. As an information technology senior manager for Electronic Data Systems (EDS) John provided leadership for $4.2 billion of products and services.
As an entrepreneur John created three technology startups in the software and systems integration industry, providing services to many markets including logistics, aerospace, as...2021-06-1434 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningBONUS episode: LAUNCH INTO SUMMER SCIENCE AND SPACE SESSIONSLooking for a great way for your STEM-loving middle or high school student to stay engaged this summer? Check out our offerings through the Aerospace and Innovation Academy's Summer Science and Space Sessions-- three distinct and unique virtual camps coming your way in July. Still time to register but don't delay. Deadline June 28th!
In this bonus episode, Kevin discusses Science Fair Iteration, Orbital Mechanics, and CubeSat Mission Planning offerings.
Link for registration: https://forms.gle/wUXjBLeLjgwyrcV7A
2021-06-1215 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 16: Redwire and Additive Manufacturing in SpaceToday, we meet with Kevin DiMarzio, the vice president of business development at RedWire. He leads a team of professionals in the identification and capture of new opportunities, customer engagement and retention, and business strategy focused on technology solutions. Their recent efforts include new material processing techniques, quality tool sets, and unique ways to use existing terrestrial methodologies in the microgravity and space environment.
Prior to joining Made In Space, the company that was recently acquired by Redwire, Mr. DiMarzio worked for Siemens Energy in the power generation sector primarily focused on the large gas and steam t...2021-06-0728 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 15: Public Speaking in a STEM WorldThe Aerospace and Innovation Academy is purposed to provide unique STEM opportunities for students and teachers. Some of these opportunities include speaking at prestigious conferences or with legislators. Today we meet with two students who have spoken on a national stage for Humans To Mars, but more importantly, who demonstrate that being comfortable public speakers has positively impacted their academic and future careers. In addition to speaking at Humans to Mars, both students are former TedX speakers, have participated in legislative blitzes, and are top debaters in their respective events.
Michael Evrard Vescio is a graduating senior...2021-05-3133 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 14: CubeSats and the FCCToday we interview Mike Miller, President of Sterk Solutions. Mr. Miller has served in both the public and the private sectors; boasting experience in engineering, research, technology transfer, business development, and operations. Sterk Solutions Corporation has supported radio and remote sensing licensing for small satellites for 15 years and has successfully helped launch 100 spacecraft. While his experience with radio spectrum management and licensing is exceptional, he is also a self-proclaimed nerd and collector of retro toys. Mike has been a great friend to Kevin and our CubeSat Development Teams, helping to guide the students in the licensing process for both...2021-05-1739 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 13: Students and Space AdvocacyIn previous episodes, we talked about the importance of getting students involved in advocacy. You may recall our Episode 3 interview with Dale Ketchum of Space Florida, which promotes Space Day each year in Tallahassee. Then in episode 7, we spoke with Congressman Brian Mast of Florida’s 18th district, whom our students met with regularly during AIAA CVD each year. Today, we meet with four students who have been active participants in aerospace advocacy to get their perspectives on how talking to legislators has opened up opportunities and created new perspectives.
8th graders Beau Kimler, Paul Kiseling, and Ant...2021-05-0337 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 12: Dr. Muckherjee and Florida Space Grant ConsortiumDr. Jaydeep Mukherjee is an astronomer, faculty at the Univ of Central Florida, and the Director of the NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium. This consortium is a state-wide association of universities, colleges, the Astronaut Memorial Foundation, Space Florida, Kennedy Space Center, and the Orlando Science Center. The Florida Space Grant Consortium supports the expansion and diversification of Florida’s space industry, by providing grants, scholarships, and fellowships to students and educators from Florida’s public and private institutes of higher education.
Dr. Mukherjee's education culminated at the Univ of Florida with a Ph.D. in Astronomy and his area...2021-04-1933 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 11: National Space SocietyToday, Kevin and I reconnect with Frances Dellutri, member of the NSS Board of Directors and its Deputy Education Director. In this role she founded and facilitated the NSS Student spUN (Debate program in 2017. Post Covid, she has pivoted to a completely virtual platform which allows students aged 12-18 from around the world to discuss ideas of universalization in space and the policies that should exist to facilitate.
Ms. Dellutri believes strongly in the NSS mission “to promote social, economic, technological, and political change in order to expand civilization beyond Earth, to settle space and to use the...2021-04-0528 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 10: A Hero and PioneerEpisode 10: A Hero and Pioneer: The Inspiring Story of Gunther Karger
Today, we are honored to interview the esteemed Gunther Karger. Mr. Karger’s story is both amazing and diverse, starting with his birth and early years in Germany, where he narrowly escaped death on the last children’s transport out of Germany to Sweden. Shortly after his departure, his parents and grandparents were murdered by the Nazis.
After WWII, and moving from several foster homes and orphanages, young Karger was sent to the U.S. where he later joined the Air Force, becoming an instr...2021-03-2248 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 9: Forming a Science Identity in Early EducationThis past year, I was fortunate to present two technical papers related to the importance of early childhood identity development in relation to STEM careers. One of the most interesting takeaways I learned from my research is that students as young as 5 begin to identify themselves in careers based on what they recognize or what they see. Have a parent in a STEM field? Children identify with that. If children don’t have this exposure at home, teachers can play an early role in that same development. The premise was that curriculums and teachers can do more to help st...2021-03-1528 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 8: Space Foundation and Teacher Liaisons and how YOU can be a Liaison too.Space Foundation Discovery Center is the Colorado's first and only dedicated space, science and technology center. It is an interactive, education-focused destination that advances STEAM concepts in the exciting context of space exploration, development and utilization.They also oversee a special group of educators to whom both Kevin and I belong, Teacher Liaisons. Teacher Liaisons are educators who use space-related education programs and principles in the classroom to act as advocates for space-based education in their schools and districts. Once selected for the program, TLs receive Space Foundation training and resources to further integrate space into their classrooms.
2021-03-0131 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 7: Federal Advocacy: Calling on Congress for CubeSatsOur special guest is Congressman for Florida’s 18th district Brian Mast. In addition to being an army veteran, Mast is in his third term of elected office. In 2017 our Policy Team students reached out to him to propose and idea for legislation that would increase awareness of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative. Over the next few years, the students would work closely with the Representative’s legislative team to participate first hand in the legislative process, writing what came to be known as HR 109 and 2020's HR 85: CubeSats in Education.
Today, Congressman Mast takes time out of his...2021-02-1533 min
Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningEpisode 6: Janet's Planet, Explore Mars, and EdutainmentToday’s special guest is Janet Ivey, President of Explore Mars, Inc., and creator and CEO of the award winning Janet’s Planet. Ms. Ivey is committed to enriching the lives of children via education and live performances, TV, and online programming. With over 27 years in the children’s edutainment and space science outreach sector, Janet has captivated Nashville and beyond with her work. Today we will talk about how she gets kids of all ages and locations around the world to love space as well as how online learning in light of Covid has changed her approach to reachin...2021-02-0944 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningFrom Student to Engineer: Inspiring Generations of Aero EnthusiastsToday we interview Chelsea Partridge, test engineer for Lockheed Martin Space at NASA's Kennedy Space Center where she conducts spacecraft systems testing on the agency's Orion spacecraft. She is also the president of the Missile, Space, and Range Pioneers––a community of engineers, astronauts, military personnel, and space enthusiasts that has been an institution at Cape Canaveral for over 50 years. She will share about her inspiration to become a woman in STEM and how she works to bridge the generations in the STEM pipeline.2021-01-2534 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningSpace Florida: advocating at the state capitolVice President of Space Florida, Dale Ketchum, discusses his role in helping to bring aerospace companies to our state. Space Florida also advocates for the industry at our state capitol where our students join in each year to talk to legislators about space policy . This year's Space Day is Feb 22, 2021. 2021-01-1729 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningLunar rovers and leveraging passionsHigh school junior Owen Welch and senior Caeden Dooner reflect on their beginnings with the CubeSatDevelopment Team and how it inspired their work on the Amaris Lunar Rover team. Both discuss how taking advantage of opportunities to expand your skillsets, even when daunting, is instrumental in academic and personal growth. The Amaris lunar rover is based on Cube-Sat technology and, their major area of focus is on lunar dust mitigation.2021-01-0131 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningTwo students, two satellites, and two takeawaysHigh school Freshmen, Theo Ouyang and Samer Elhoushy talk about their involvement on the CubeSat Development Team and how being a part of real-world experiential aerospace activities as electives and after school programs helped them to stand out on high school applications as well as boasting adult-level resumes. They discuss the missions of the WeissSat-1 and the CapSat as well and we touch upon how you can get a team started today. 2020-12-2625 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningIntroduction: CubeSats, BLUESKY Learning, and STEM educationMeet the hosts, Kevin Simmons and Shawna Christenson, as they share their educational philosophy that has helped student and teacher teams to launch satellites into space. 2020-12-2222 minLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY LearningLet's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY Learning (Trailer)2020-12-2100 min