Increasing Diversity in Astrobiology:Developing a New Program at an

Undergraduate Institution

Donald WalterAbSciCon 2006: Session 30

March 30, 2006

SCSU Team

• Donald Walter (astronomy)• Jennifer Cash (astronomy)• Nasrollah Hamidi-Vadeghani (chemistry)• James Payne (physics)• Linda Payne (physics/K-12 education)• Judith Salley-Guydon (biology)

Department of Biological & Physical SciencesSouth Carolina State University

SCSU Background

• HBCU in rural SC• 4,200 students• 95% African-American• Mostly Undergrads• STEM disciplines offer only B.S. degrees

Astronomy at SCSU

• Pre-1994– Planetarium programs & public observing

• 1994 – 2000– 1 PhD astronomer, 1 physics faculty (cosmology)– NASA awards in astronomy & for IT infrastructure

• 2000 – 2006– Numerous NASA awards– 2 PhD astronomers on faculty (1 new, 1 existing)– 1 PhD astronomer as planetarium manager – 4 other faculty involved in astronomy/astrobiology

Astrobiology Beginnings at SCSU

• Sep 2002 – MU-SPIN hosts meeting at Goddard • Fall 2002 – MIAC Formed• Fall 2002 – SCSU Joins MIAC as Charter Member• Feb 2003 – SCSU part of Goddard NAI proposal

– through MIAC EPO– through providing optical ground-based imagery of comets

• Feb 2003 – Attend first NAI Conference • Sep 2003 – SCSU wins a NASA MUCERPI Award

– 3-year award– funds SCSU involvement in astronomy & astrobiology

Faculty Astrobiology Research • Donald Walter• Past PI on Hubble Space Telescope • 2004 NASA Faculty Fellowship

– 10 weeks at Goddard Center for Astrobiology (GCA)

• Collaborates with GCA on IR Spectroscopy of Comets

• Will provide support to GCA with optical imagery of comets using access to telescope at Kitt Peak

Faculty Astrobiology Research

• Nasrollah Hamidi-Vadeghani• Discussing a collaboration

with a chemist at the Goddard Center for Astrobiology – topics of mutual interest

selected – lab work at SCSU to begin

summer 2006– recruiting student at SCSU

• Also works with MIAC developing curriculum materials

SCSU Student Research

• Astrophysics Summer Internships on SCSU campus – 1998-2006– Eight week residential program on campus of SCSU– Total of 63 participants– From minority institutions around the country– 18 have participated in a 2nd summer at:

• Goddard, Lawrence Livermore, Kitt Peak • Planetary Science Institute, University of South Carolina

– To date no astrobiology interns

Astronomy & AstrobiologyCurriculum Development

NEW Astronomy Option for Physics MajorsNEW Astronomy Minor for all other Majors

focus on biology & chemistry majors

NEW Course: Physics 322 – Introduction to AstrobiologyNEW Course: Physics 326 – Introduction to AstrophysicsNEW Course: Physics 338 – Scientific Image Analysis

Revised Course: Physical Science 203 – Elementary AstronomyRevised Course: Physical Science 152 – Earth/Space ScienceRevised Course: Physical Science 153 – Earth/Space Science Lab

Education & Public Outreach

• Worked with all 4 NASA Explorer Schools in SC

• Teacher workshops– MESSENGER, SOFIA, Astrobiology

• Public Observing • Talks, demos to K-12 students • Ron McNair Memorial Program• Display at teacher conferences• Future work with SCSU planetarium

K-12 Course Materials in Astrochemistry

• Working with GCA, Tennessee State University (TSU) and MIAC

• Developing high school astrochemistry modules

• SCSU provides– funding– science input– recommend teachers

• See following talk by: Butler et.al.

Astrobiology Collaborations• Goddard NAI Team• TSU & MIAC• Bennett College

– Subward through MUCERPI– On campus & outreach activities– SCSU students spoke at Bennett– B.Bell collaborates w/ George

Cooper at NASA Ames• U. of Washington NAI Team

– Guest speaker Jody Deming– Videoconference w/ grad student

LaTasha Taylor – summer 2006

Physics Today September 2005SCSU featured as an example of MUCERPI Success

Astrobiology Challenges

• Growing faculty research has been slow– Faculty interest is mixed– Academic Year Research Time Limited– Competing with NIH, DOE, USDA funding

• Trying to excite “medical” biology majors• Low number of physics majors• Funds needed to develop astrobiology courses

Future

• Further develop faculty research– NAI-MIRS Sabbatical Program

• Increase student interest• Non-research faculty to develop & teach courses• Continue teacher workshops & use of campus

NASA Educator Resource Center• Team up with newly restored

campus planetarium to do EPO

Acknowledgements

• NASA Science Mission Directorate– MUCERPI Award – Broker/Facilitator SERCH Subaward

• NASA MU-SPIN• NASA 2004 Faculty Fellowship Program• Goddard Center for Astrobiology• Univ. Washington NAI Team• Tennessee State University• Minority Institute Astrobiology Collaborative