Tag Archives: Le Moyne College

NASA HQ NEWS: NASA Astronaut Jeanette Epps Joins First Operational Boeing Crew Mission to Space Station

Greetings, fellow astrophiles!

Excellent local astronomy news from the NASA News Releases. And, by local (from wikipedia)…

Jeanette Epps was born in Syracuse, New York, one of seven children born to Henry and Luberta (née Jackson) Epps… She graduated from Corcoran High School in Syracuse and earned a B.S. degree from Le Moyne College and an M.S. and a Ph.D degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland.

Official Astronaut portrait of Jeanette Epps Photographer: Robert Markowitz

NASA has assigned astronaut Jeanette Epps to NASA’s Boeing Starliner-1 mission, the first operational crewed flight of Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on a mission to the International Space Station.

Epps will join NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Josh Cassada for a six-month expedition planned for a launch in 2021 to the orbiting space laboratory. The flight will follow NASA certification after a successful uncrewed Orbital Flight Test-2 and Crew Flight Test with astronauts.

The spaceflight will be the first for Epps, who earned a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1992 from LeMoyne College in her hometown of Syracuse, New York. She completed a master’s degree in science in 1994 and a doctorate in aerospace engineering in 2000, both from the University of Maryland, College Park.

While earning her doctorate, Epps was a NASA Graduate Student Researchers Project fellow, authoring several journal and conference articles on her research. After completing graduate school, she worked in a research laboratory for more than two years, co-authoring several patents, before the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recruited her. She spent seven years as a CIA technical intelligence officer before her selection as a member of the 2009 astronaut class. 

NASA assigned Williams and Cassada to the Starliner-1 mission in August 2018. The spaceflight will be the first for Cassada and third for Williams, who spent long-duration stays aboard the space station on Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33.

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is working with the American aerospace industry as companies develop and operate a new generation of spacecraft and launch systems capable of carrying crews to low-Earth orbit and to the space station. Commercial transportation to and from the station will provide expanded utility, additional research time and broader opportunities for discovery on the orbital outpost.

For nearly 20 years, the station has served as a critical testbed for NASA to understand and overcome the challenges of long-duration spaceflight. As commercial companies focus on providing human transportation services to and from low-Earth orbit, NASA will concentrate its focus on building spacecraft and rockets for deep-space missions.

Follow Epps on social media at: twitter/Astro_Jeanette and instagram/jeanette.epps/

Sweet Science Series – Life And Death In The Late Triassic: The Rise Of Dinosaurs

NOTE: Two excellent science lectures in Syracuse on October 11th! You cannot go wrong with Space and Dinosaurs.

Thursday, 11 October 2018, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Milton J Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology – Syracuse, NY


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Considered from a variety of perspectives, the Late Triassic, spanning the final 36 million years of the Triassic Period (237 to 201 million years ago), is the most interesting and perhaps, the most important interval of the last half-billion years. The face of the Earth was changing dramatically as the supercontinent Pangaea started to come undone with the continental breakup triggering massive volcanic eruptions that caused dramatic environmental changes. Reptiles were the dominant vertebrate animals of this world, ruling the ocean, land and skies. A burst of evolutionary innovations led to the appearance of the flying reptiles, the pterosaurs, as well as the first turtles, the earliest ancestors of crocodiles, the first dinosaurs and not inconsequentially, the first mammals. Dinosaurs were initially small animals, although they were active and agile creatures, and were only minor players on the landscape at the start of the Late Triassic. However, the loss of many of the competing reptile families by the close of the Triassic set the stage for dinosaur diversification and domination. LeMoyne College professor Lawrence Tanner will join the MOST on Thursday, October 11th, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM to discuss the rise of dinosaurs. Note that the MOST will once again be hosting Dinomania at the same time, the traveling exhibit of animatronic dinosaurs!

Those interested in learning more about dinosaurs are invited to attend this Sweet Science at the MOST presentation in the Space Gallery meeting room at the Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) in Syracuse’s Armory Square. Admission is free and open to the public. Light snacks will be served at 5:30 pm. Walk-ins are welcome, but TACNY asks that people RSVP by registering here.

Presenters

Lawrence Tanner is the Joseph C. Georg Endowed Professor of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Le Moyne College where he teaches and conducts research in geology and environmental science. Much of Dr. Tanner’s research career has been devoted to the interpretation of ancient environments and climate from the study of sedimentary rocks, with specific focus on the late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic world. He has extensive experience in using fossil soils for the interpretation of ancient climates, including the study of the chemical composition of soil minerals. His research has included field studies in the American Southwest, the Canadian Maritimes, Egypt, Italy, Iceland and Costa Rica and has resulted in over 100 journal articles, book chapters and edited volumes. Dr. Tanner’s current research with students focuses on the carbon cycle, specifically, the rates of exchange of carbon between the atmosphere, biosphere and geosphere in modern soils and forests in tropical and near-Arctic environments, as well as in laboratory settings.

TACNY John Edson Sweet Lecture Series

TACNY John Edson Sweet Lectures, a program founded in 1913, is now called the Sweet Science Series and features discussions about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere for adults of all levels of technical understanding. A minimum of six free and open to the public presentations are held each year.

About The MOST

The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) is a hands-on science and technology museum for all ages. The MOST hosts numerous STEM education programs and community outreach events annually and is home to 35,000 square feet of interactive exhibits, Silverman Planetarium, and Bristol IMAX® Omnitheater – the only domed IMAX theater in New York State. The MOST’s vision is to be a preeminent science and technology center, inspiring all generations through hands-on education and entertainment.

Technology Alliance of Central New York

Founded in 1903 as the Technology Club of Syracuse, the nonprofit Technology Alliance of Central New York’s mission is to facilitate community awareness, appreciation, and education of technology; and to collaborate with like-minded organizations across Central New York.

For more information about TACNY, visit www.tacny.org.

Sweet Science Series – Women in STEM Forum

Thursday, 10 May 2018, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.

Milton J Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology – Syracuse, NY


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Join us as we celebrate the achievements and discuss the challenges of women in STEM fields! Refreshments will be served followed by a panel discussion among women in STEM in the Syracuse area. We welcome you to join the dialogue about what we can do — as institutions and individuals — to encourage women and girls to take an interest in STEM.

People interested in learning more about women in STEM are invited to attend the free Sweet Science Series presentation on Thursday, May 10th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Space Gallery meeting room at the Museum of Science & Technology in Syracuse’s Armory Square. Admission is free and open to the public. Light snacks will be served at 5:30pm. Walk-ins are welcome, but we ask that people RSVP by emailing sweet.science@tacny.org by May 8th, 2018.

Moderator:

Dr. Miriam Gillett-Kunnath – Dr. Gillett-Kunnath is the Research Assistant Professor of the Ruhlandt Research Group in the Department of Chemistry at Syracuse University. She is also a member of the MOST Board of Trustees and a Technical Specialist for Barclay Damon.

Panelists:

Dr. Hilary McManus – Dr. McManus is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at Le Moyne College. She is also a participant in Homeward Bound, a leadership development initiative aiming to heighten the influence and impact of 1,000 women in STEMM from around the world over the next 10 years. After the year-long leadership development program, she joined 77 other women in STEMM on a three-week, all female expedition to Antarctica this past February-March.

Dr. Marie Garland – From 2011 through 2017, Dr. Marie Garland was the Executive Director of an NSF-funded initiative (SU ADVANCE) to increase recruitment and retention of women faculty in STEM at Syracuse University. Her academic expertise in communication and inclusion in the workplace, and on gendered occupational segregation in STEM careers in particular, was the basis for her previous work as a faculty member and as a human resources professional at Ithaca College and Cornell University, respectively.

Dr. Kate Lewis – Dr. Lewis is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Syracuse University. She directs a federally-funded research group which studies how different types of nerve cells are made in the spinal cord. She is one of two faculty Co-Directors of Syracuse University’s Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) program and the Director of the Neuroscience Integrated Learning Major.

Dr. Mary Taylor – Dr. Taylor is a Principal Systems Engineer with SRC (formerly Syracuse Research Corporation). While earning her doctorate at Syracuse University, she was the Principal Investigator for an SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) contract with NAVAIR. She has taught at Syracuse University and LeMoyne College and has worked for ALCOA and Philips. She is currently an officer in the IEEE Syracuse Section and is also a member of the Electrical Technology Advisory Committee of Cayuga College.

TACNY John Edson Sweet Lecture Series

TACNY John Edson Sweet Lectures, a program founded in 1913, is now called the Sweet Science Series and features discussions about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere for adults of all levels of technical understanding. A minimum of six free and open to the public presentations are held each year.

About The MOST

The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology (MOST) is a hands-on science and technology museum for all ages. The MOST hosts numerous STEM education programs and community outreach events annually and is home to 35,000 square feet of interactive exhibits, Silverman Planetarium, and Bristol IMAX® Omnitheater – the only domed IMAX theater in New York State. The MOST’s vision is to be a preeminent science and technology center, inspiring all generations through hands-on education and entertainment.

Technology Alliance of Central New York

Founded in 1903 as the Technology Club of Syracuse, the nonprofit Technology Alliance of Central New York’s mission is to facilitate community awareness, appreciation, and education of technology; and to collaborate with like-minded organizations across Central New York.

For more information about TACNY, visit www.tacny.org.

TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique: “Plaque Attack: The Science Of Slime”

Saturday – March 19, 9:30-11:00am

Milton J Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology – Syracuse, NY


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Speaker

Suzanne De Tore-Wilsey, Science Teacher, Syracuse City School District; NYS Master Teacher; Adjunct Professor, Department of Biology, LeMoyne College; Research Associate, NSF EFRI – REM Biomedical & Chemical Engineering Syracuse University.

Talk Overview

For every human cell in our bodies there are 10 bacteria cells. When bacteria – good or bad – sticks together, they form a slimy layer called a biofilm that adheres to surface inside or outside the body. A good example is inside your mouth, which is coated with a biofilm that you can feel. The key is we want to keep the good bacteria on the surfaces where they benefit us, and the bad bacteria off the surfaces where they cause harm.

About The Presenter

Ms. De Tore-Wilsey is a NYS Master Teacher currently teaching science at Corcoran High School in the Syracuse City School District. She is also an Adjunct Professor at LeMoyne College in the biology department. Her favorite course to teach is Human Anatomy and Physiology, and she loves to investigate the interactions of body systems, the greatest engineering feat of all!

TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique

TACNY Junior Cafe Scientifique, a program for middle-school students founded in 2005, features discussions about topics in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in an informal atmosphere and seeks to encourage students to consider careers in these areas. Students must be accompanied by an adult and can explore the MOST at no cost after the event.

Technology Alliance Of Central New York

Founded in 1903 as the Technology Club of Syracuse, the nonprofit Technology Alliance of Central New York’s mission is to facilitate community awareness, appreciation, and education of technology; and to collaborate with like-minded organizations across Central New York.

For more information about TACNY, visit www.tacny.org.