NASA's New Suborbital Center of Excellence at New Mexico State University Dedication Set

Minority students will now have a new avenue for education and career opportunities through a unique partnership between NASA and New Mexico State University.

Wallops Flight Facility and New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, N.M., held a dedication ceremony for the nation's only Suborbital Center of Excellence on April 24. The Center is a component of the New Mexico Aerospace Institute and will be dedicated to the improvement of minority student education and career opportunities, with a focus on suborbital science and engineering opportunities.

"This is an exciting endeavor that will sponsor outreach programs for students in kindergarten through the post-graduate level and will provide them with a better understanding of NASA's programs." said Bernice Merritt, Balloon Program Office Business Manager at Wallops.

The mission of the Suborbital Center of Excellence (SCE) is to promote science and engineering education and outreach, with the objective of increasing the number of college graduates who have an interest in suborbital programs as a career choice. The SCE will be dedicated to the improvement of education for minorities focusing on engineering disciplines relevant to suborbital programs.

Through a $700,000, three-year grant from NASA, New Mexico State University's Physical Science Laboratory (PSL) will establish and operate the Center and team with the Science Education Alliance, a nonprofit organization, to develop projects for public school students. The Center will sponsor student research projects at NMSU, support student co-op positions at NASA Wallops Flight Facility, provide grants to faculty members who involve students in relevant research and promote projects in secondary and elementary schools.

To view the complete article on the educational partnership with New Mexico State University, click: http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/news-release/releases/2002/02-62.htm