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Silver Spring Student Participates in NASA Internship at Goddard Space Flight Center

Posted on: Thursday, 28 June 2007, 15:03 CDT

GREENBELT, Md., June 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sonia Dalal, a student from Silver Spring, Md., has been selected to participate in a prestigious NASA program at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. This fall Dalal begins his junior year at Paint Branch High School in Burtonsville, Md.

The High school Internship Program (HIP) is a research-intensive program that allows interns to explore "real-time" applications of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. By the end of the summer, interns will complete eight weeks worth of research on a project related to NASA's goals and deliver an oral technical presentation where they will share the results of their research with NASA management, personnel and fellow interns.

Each HIP student is assigned a NASA scientist or engineer as a mentor and assists the mentor with his or her current project. The interns conduct research and use data for the projects, and the mentors guide the students and help them learn as much as possible from their experience at NASA Goddard.

For example, this year, some students test web interfaces to allow access to data and models.

"My motivation to intern at NASA began with my interest in the exploration of space, the final frontier, and research to development which include the advent of technologies," says Dalal. "I hope to gain my gratification to and real work experience in the disciplines of engineering. Additionally, I hope through my ability to impress and potentially secure a long-term working relationship at NASA."

The eight-week program runs now through Aug. 18.

"It is critical for the Center to maintain programs that will allow students prior to entering college to be exposed to NASA research activities," said Dillard Menchan, deputy chief of education for Goddard Space Flight Center. "This affords the Center the opportunity to influence the academic choices of participants."

With this program, NASA continues the agency's tradition of investing in the nation's education programs. It is directly tied to the agency's major education goal of attracting and retaining students in STEM disciplines. To compete effectively for the minds, imaginations and career ambitions of America's young people, NASA is focused on engaging and retaining students in STEM education programs to encourage their pursuit of educational disciplines critical to NASA's future engineering, scientific and technical missions.

News media should contact Dewayne Washington at (301) 286-0040 of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Public Affairs Office for additional information.

NASA

CONTACT: Dewayne Washington, of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,Greenbelt, Md., +1-301-286-0040

Web site: http://www.nasa.gov/

Source: PRNewswire-USNewswire

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