The PI will provide research opportunities in solar and heliospheric physics topics for undergraduate students, in collaboration with the Heliophysics Science Division of the Science and Exploration Directorate at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (NASA/GSFC). This undergraduate experience will allow students to interact with active researchers in a stimulating multidisciplinary environment at a major NASA laboratory, under the guidance of scientists who are committed to the education and mentoring of women, underrepresented minorities, and students with disabilities. This synergistic program will expose students to a wide range of research projects in solar and space physics and will leverage a NASA-funded program for undergraduate research at NASA/GSFC. Over the last nineteen years, this REU site at Catholic University of America has sponsored over 280 students, with about half that number being supported by NSF funding.
The students participating in this program will become the future engineers, scientists, and STEM teachers of our nation. Even those students who choose careers not related to STEM disciplines will greatly benefit from the program by gaining a deeper understanding of the importance of science and technology in our society, especially in the context of space physics.
