Cerritos College Hosts First NASA on Campus Experience
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 12, 2019
Media Contact: Aya Abelon, Public Affairs; 562-653-7878
NORWALK, Calif. – September 12, 2019 – Cerritos College is hosting its first NASA on Campus event September 12-15 as part of the NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars, or NCAS.
Thirty-eight students were selected from 496 community college students from across the U.S. to be part of NCAS at Cerritos College. Cerritos College is one of six community college campuses piloting the NCAS model, developed by NASA, this fall.
The experience consists of a five-week online activity that culminates with a four-day onsite event at select campuses across the country, and offers students the opportunity to learn more about careers in science and engineering. While at Cerritos College, students will form teams and establish fictional companies interested in Mars exploration. Each team is responsible for developing and testing a prototype rover, forming a company infrastructure, managing a budget, and developing communications and outreach.
The event includes briefings by NASA subject matter experts, information on how to apply for NASA internships, and tours of labs at Caltech and USC. One lucky student from this experience will receive a NASA internship to be awarded in summer 2020.
The Minority University Research and Education Program, or MUREP funds NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars. MUREP is committed to engaging underrepresented and underserved students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with authentic learning experiences to sustain a diverse workforce.
With this activity, NASA continues the agency’s tradition of engaging the nation in NASA’s mission and leading an innovative and sustainable program of exploration to enable human expansion across the solar system and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities.
“NASA on Campus opens doors for community college students who want to explore opportunities and careers with NASA and other STEM-related professions,” said Janet Mclarty-Schroeder, Professor of Astronomy, and NCAS at Cerritos College program coordinator. “It provides our students with a valuable enrichment opportunity that will have a lasting impact on their education.”
For additional information about NCAS at Cerritos College, please contact Janet Mclarty-Schloeder at jmclarty@cerritos.edu. For more information about the national NCAS program, visit: http://ncas.aerospacescholars.org/. For more on MUREP, visit: www.nasa.gov/education/murep.
For updates on social media follow: #NCAS2019 #MUREP
About Cerritos College: Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college’s district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 180 areas of study in nine divisions. Annually, more than 1,200 students successfully complete their course of studies, and enrollment currently averages 23,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at http://www.cerritos.edu/.
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