Mississippi NASA ambassadors

NASA has selected 11 educator teams – including one from Mississippi - for its 2016 Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program. The program is a professional development opportunity for educators designed to improve teaching methods that inspire students. As preparation, the ambassadors are to complete a graduate-level astronomy course; partner with professional astronomers as scientists conduct research aboard NASA’s flying telescope, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. SOFIA is a modified Boeing 747SP jetliner fitted with a 100-inch telescope to study celestial objects on 10-hour overnight science missions. (SETI Institute 03/04/16) Central Mississippi Note: The 2016 team from Mississippi includes Connie Gusmus of Guntown Middle School and Robert Swanson of Itawamba Community College in Fulton. The educators are to take what they’ve learned back into their classrooms and communities to convey the value of scientific research and career path options available to students.