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New TSU, NASA partnership promotes STEM education in Middle Tennessee high schools

November 14, 2022 Emmanuel Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Some of the next generation of NASA astronauts, scientists and engineers may just have their beginning at Tennessee State University. TSU and the federal agency are expanding an existing STEM education program to include high school students in Middle Tennessee. The new initiative is funded with a $480,000 NASA grant over a period of three years.

“We are moving into Middle Tennessee to work with high schools,” says Dr. Trinetia Respress, principal investigator of the MUREP Aerospace Academy at TSU.

“The goals of our project are to inspire, engage and educate students and their families about the infinite possibilities in STEM degrees and careers. Basically, we want to provide them with STEM education that will support them in their pursuit of STEM degrees prior to entering college.”

Under MUREP or the Minority University Research and Education Program, the NASA-funded initiative had served only K-8 students, teaching them to design, build, and program robots, as well as learn simple mechanics, sensor functionality, and automation. With the new funding, TSU’s College of Education will target grades 9-12 students in Middle Tennessee. The goal is to get students interested in STEM careers when they enter college.

Dr. Janet Finch, interim dean of the College of Education, says she is thankful to NASA for expanding the MUREP program to the high school level.

“Given the successes that have already been achieved with grades K-8th, we look forward to including high school students in our STEM efforts,” says Finch.

TSU students from different disciplines, specifically the STEM area, will be recruited to participate in the program as mentors to the high school students. Londee Boyd will be one of them. The Memphis native is pursuing her doctorate in educational leadership, with a focus on PreK-12.

“As a teacher at heart, I have enjoyed partnering with the project to encourage, educate and equip our youth with dynamic learning experiences immersed in STEM,” says Boyd. “With the growing demand for STEM-related careers, it is vital to have accessible programs, like the MUREP project, lead the charge in preparing our youth to become future leaders.”

Cayla Jeff, a senior biology major from Cleveland, will also mentor the high school students.

“I have enjoyed working with the MUREP project over the last four years. I am very excited to continue moving forward to interact with more students and grow even bigger as a team. I cannot wait to inspire our youth and show them they have so many options to be successful in the future.”

Sosiak Makonnen will handle overall implementation of the project.

Dr. Jennifer Berry, MNPS’ director of STEAM and Science, says that the new NASA program under the university’s MUREP Aerospace Academy will help enhance Metro schools’ STEM initiatives.

“This program will benefit our students as they will have an opportunity to engage with professionals in STEM with innovative STEM activities that will pique their interest in STEM degree and careers,” says Berry.

Respress, who is also professor of educational leadership in the College of Education, says TSU will recruit 100 high school students from MNPS and the surrounding Middle Tennessee areas for the program.

“We have had a long collaboration with MNPS, but it has been with students in grades K-8, so we are excited to continue our partnership with MNPS by moving into high schools,” says Respress.

Dr. Kisha C. Bryan, professor in the College of Education, is one of the co-principal investigators of the new interdisciplinary NASA project.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to expose Nashville’s diverse high schoolers to a culturally responsive STEM curriculum,” says Bryan. “It is my hope that this community-based, cross-college partnership results in a more racially diverse population of high school students pursuing STEM education degrees. “

Other co-PIs are Dr. Ranganathan Parthasarathy, assistant professor in the College of Engineering, and Dr. Owen Johnson, professor in the College of Health Sciences. Sosiak Makonnen, program manager in the College of Education, is responsible for the overall implementation of the new program.

The program will start January of 2023. For more information, contact Dr. Trinetia Respress at trepress@tnstate.edu or Ms. Sosiak Makonnen at smakonne@tnstate.edu.

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NASA engineers share opportunities with TSU students during campus visit

January 24, 2020 Lucas Johnson

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University students learned about opportunities with NASA when Kennedy Space Center engineers visited the campus on Jan. 28.

The engineers provided an informal student Q&A in the Forum of the university’s Floyd Payne Campus Center, and discussed the agency’s Artemis mission and internship opportunities.

TSU senior Tahmadiyya Dawson talks to NASA engineers about opportunities with the agency. (Photo by Lucas Johnson, TSU Media Relations)

“With the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024, using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before,” according to the agency’s website.

Stacie Turner is a NASA engineer, as well as a strategy and collaboration manager with the agency. She said it’s important for young people, especially minorities, to know about the opportunities that are available.

“We think that they are going to be the folks that are going to take over and do the exploring, and the development of all of NASA’s new technology,” said Turner.

TSU senior Tahmadiyya Dawson of Little Rock, Arkansas, said talking to the engineers and learning about the Artemis mission was inspiring.

“This has been very beneficial,” said Dawson, who plans to graduate in May with a degree in chemistry. “They have tons of opportunities. So it makes me happy to know that I can have a job once I graduate.”

Antoinette Hargrove Duke, associate director of TSU’s Career Development Center, said the NASA engineers are aware of the talent TSU has to offer.

“They say in 2024 they want to have a female on the moon, and we hope it will be someone from here,” said Duke.

Last year, more than 200 students in grades K-8 from Davidson County and surrounding areas took part in a NASA-funded, one-day STEM education workshop at Tennessee State University.

Called “Dare to Dream STEM Saturday,” the workshop engaged students in scientific experiments, and engineering design processes, such as robotics, coding, drones, virtual reality, flight simulation and math games.

The TSU College of Education, in partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools, hosted the workshop under the Minority University Research Education Project, or MUREP, a NASA program at the university.

For more information about the Tennessee Minority University Research and Education Project at TSU, visit http://www.tnstate.edu/murep/about.aspx.

To learn more about NASA’s Artemis program, visit https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/.

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Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and seven doctoral degrees. TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee. With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

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NASA’s Nationwide Technology Infusion Tour Makes Two-Day Stop at Tennessee State University

April 5, 2017 Emmanuel Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) –Tennessee State University hosted a two-day workshop to provide HBCUs and minority-serving institutions a platform to seek research funding from NASA.

The NASA HBCU/MSI Technology Infusion Road Tour, on its third HBCU stop, is designed to strengthen research enterprise at historically black colleges and universities and minority serving institutions by providing opportunities for faculty and students to engage in significant research activities.

The tour is also designed to help NASA and large prime contractors meet and/or exceed the agency’s mandated HBCUs/MSI goals.

“We want HBCUs and minority-serving institutions to be actually involved with the next type of technology that will get us beyond earth or tomorrow,” said Dr. Joseph Grant, NASA’s deputy program executive for Small Business Innovation Research. “These technologies are going to be developed by minds of students like those here at TSU and all over the country.”

Grant said HBCUs have a unique way of looking at solving problems that are not always tapped into.

“So what we are trying to do is to bring all the voices to the table to help us solve some of the complex problems that we are going to have. I know what the expertise are, where they lie, how we look at things, and how we attack a problem,” he said.

TSU Associate Vice President for Administration, Dr. Curtis Johnson, in a welcome statement on behalf of President Glenda Glover, said the NASA tour brings “new knowledge and opportunities to TSU.”

“We thank NASA and all of these other agencies for bringing this road trip to TSU,” Johnson said. “We are counting on our faculty and staff to fully maximize the benefit of this opportunity.”

Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young is TSU’s chief research officer and vice president of Research and Institutional Advancement. She said the NASA tour is “very critical” because HBCUs and MSIs have not had the opportunity to significantly participate in their share of federal funding.

“So this is going to teach them strategies on how to be successful in getting that funding,” Crumpton-Young said. “Our expectation is that through this tour and many other efforts, we are going to help strengthen the research enterprise, not only at TSU, but throughout the country.”

Before TSU, the NASA HBCU/MSI Technology Infusion Road Tour stopped at Tuskegee University and North Carolina Central University. The next stop is Jackson State University. Seven agencies and participants from 14 HBCUs attended the workshop at TSU, according to Crumpton-Young.

Tabisa Taliwaku Kalisa, program manager of the Office of Small Business Programs at NASA, said the agency wants to find ways to engage with more minority-serving institutions in its “industrial base.” She said NASA is not reaching its 1 percent goal of doing business with HBCUs and MSIs.

“We are having a hard time meeting those goals because most of our prime contractors cannot find schools that are capable of doing the work,” Kalisa said. “I truly believe that the schools are there, but we have to figure out the synergy to get those schools more engaged, to be able to know about opportunities, and be able to participate.”

Gwen Johnson is director of Small Business at Parsons, a prime contractor. She was part of a group of participants who toured research facilities and classrooms at TSU as part of the NASA visit, and was “very impressed.”

“I look forward to sharing this information with Parsons’ technical experts and connecting them specifically with the TSU Center of Excellence in Information Systems Research in areas of cyber security, data analytics and advanced control and identification systems,” she said.

Among other agencies and contractors at the workshop were the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the National Institutes of Health, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, and the U.S. Department of Army.

“The event allowed faculty to expose their students to research at a higher level, to conferences, internships and maybe even a new career as many of the agencies and companies represented are looking to add new talent to the workforce,” said John Barfield, director of engagement and visibility in TSU’s Division of Research and Institutional Advancement.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 25 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

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TSU hosts NASA Technology Infusion Road Tour

April 3, 2017 Lucas Johnson

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University is hosting an event this week to help make students aware of programs offered by NASA and other federal agencies.

The NASA HBCU/MSI Technology Infusion Road Tour is April 4-5 and is an opportunity for students and university officials to learn more about the space agency’s Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) in particular, as well as other programs.

The event will also feature key information from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the National Institutes of Health, the Office of Personnel Management, the Small Business Administration, the U.S. Department of Army and large prime contractors.

Throughout both days, there will be workshops, panel discussions and networking opportunities.

“The event allows faculty to expose their students to research at a higher level, to conferences, internships and maybe even a new career as many of the agencies and companies represented are looking to add new talent to the workforce,” said John Barfield, director of engagement and visibility in TSU’s Division of Research and Institutional Advancement.

For more information about the NASA HBCU/MSI Technology Infusion Road Tour, visithttps://sites.ed.gov/whhbcu/2016/02/05/the-2016-nasa-hbcumsi-technology-infusion-road-tour/.

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Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

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Tennessee State University Alum and NASA Engineer Receives Director’s Commendation Award for Outstanding Contribution

December 23, 2014 Emmanuel Freeman

NASA Johnson Space Center Director, Dr. Ellen Ochoa, right; and Deputy Director Kirk Shireman, left, congratulate Ron Cobbs after presenting him with the NASA-JSC Director’s Commendation Award, during a ceremony recently in the Teague Auditorium at the center. (Courtesy photo)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – A Tennessee State University alumnus and NASA engineer has been recognized for outstanding contribution to the agency.

Ron Cobbs, a 1989 TSU graduate with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering and avionics chief engineer assigned to the International Space Station operations, recently received the NASA Johnson Space Center Director’s Commendation Award.

The award, the highest honor given by the NASA-JSC administrator, recognizes the center’s civil servants with “significant” contribution toward the mission and operations of the JSC.

Last year, Cobbs’ input was helpful in identifying the cause of a space suit malfunction during a spacewalk in July. Although Cobbs was not part of the official Extravehicular Mobility Unit (space suit) investigating team, he was asked to “look into” the situation because the problem “appeared to be electrical.”

Ron Cobbs, International Space Station Avionics Chief Engineer and TSU graduate, helped NASA engineers identify the cause of a serial interface issue with a spacesuit that malfunctioned during a spacewalk on July 16. (courtesy photo) — Ron Cobbs, International Space Station Avionics Chief Engineer and TSU graduate, helped NASA engineers identify the cause of a serial interface issue with a spacesuit that malfunctioned during a spacewalk on July 16, 2013. (courtesy photo)

“I discovered that the problem was a systems problem relative to operational use of the serial port on the laptop side of the suit,” said Cobbs, after investigating the problem. As a result of his findings and recommendation, the procedures for the astronauts were rewritten and retested, subsequently leading to identifying the problem.

Saying that he is “deeply honored” to receive the Administrator’s Award from NASA-JSC, Cobbs, who has been with NASA for nearly 30 years, credits his parents and his TSU preparation for his career success.

“My parents always taught me to work hard and always do the right thing,” said Cobbs, who also holds a master’s degree in Space Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology. “They taught me to believe in myself, have faith and shoot for the moon.”

Shooting for the moon is what Cobbs has been doing since. As avionics chief engineer, his role is to ensure that engineers in the NASA Directorate adhere to the “right processes.” He also supports project managers during the design, development, test and evaluation of projects that require electronics and/or software for operational use.

“I also support Failure Investigation Teams whenever their failures or anomalies on the Space Station need to be resolved. I also sit on several Space Station program boards to provide concurrence representing engineering on all proposed forward plans and action that will be implemented,” Cobbs noted.

“Ronald Cobbs is a true example of an electrical engineering graduate with passion for life-long learning and professional growth,” Dr. Satinderpaul Singh Devgan, professor and head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said of his former student, when information came out about Cobbs’ spacesuit malfunction intervention.

Cobbs joined NASA at the Johnson Space Center immediately after graduating TSU. He has moved through the ranks from design engineer, systems engineer to now ISS avionics chief engineer.

“I think Ron Cobbs’ achievement at NASA is a great story,” added Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of the College of Engineering.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With more than 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 42 undergraduate, 24 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.

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TSU Trained Engineer Helps NASA Troubleshoot Computer on Malfunctioned Spacesuit

September 11, 2013 Emmanuel Freeman

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Teamwork does pay even if you are not part of the team. Just be good at what you do.

Ask Ron Cobbs, a NASA avionics chief engineer assigned to the International Space Station operations. His input has helped investigators trying to unravel the cause of a spacesuit malfunction during a recent spacewalk.

“I personally am not part of the official Extravehicular Mobility Unit (space suit) investigation team that is looking into the suit anomaly,” said Cobb, a 1989 TSU graduate with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. “

However, Cobbs said, since the problem appeared to be electrical, he was asked to “look into” the situation.

“I discovered that the problem was a systems problem relative to operational use of the serial port on the laptop side of the suit,” he added.

As a result, the procedures for the astronauts were rewritten and retested, and subsequently lead to identifying the problem.

“It worked,” Cobbs exclaimed to the excitement of his fellow engineers.

It all started on July 16 when astronaut Luca Parmitano was doing a spacewalk outside the ISS when his suit malfunctioned, cutting short the spacewalk or extravehicular activity. Water used to cool the suit started to leak into his air ventilation system, causing the astronaut’s helmet to start filling with water. Crewmembers sent a short video describing the incident to ground control engineers.

Immediately, a team of investigators, not including Cobbs, was assembled to see what was the cause of the problem with the spacesuit. However, as astronauts and team engineers were having problem downloading the data from the suit for analysis, Cobbs was called in to troubleshoot the problem.

“I am not a mechanical engineer, nor would I have been able to troubleshoot the air recycling/thermal system, but they did call me because of a serial interface issue and I was able to help,” Cobbs said, adding, “The operations group wrote the procedures and the engineers told them how the hardware works, but forgot to tell them that everything works as a system.”

He said, operationally, the laptop Wi-Fi on the spacesuit was active with software loads operating in the background, but “no one asked how they all interact together.”

“It is not enough to know about the design product, but also how it works in the environment, what are the interfaces to the design, and who are the users. All of this is known as the Concept of Operations, which was not appropriately applied in this situation to find the cause of the problem,” Cobbs added.

Cobbs, who also holds a master’s degree in Space Systems Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology, said to solve the problem, he repeated the steps of the “documented procedure” to see if he could come out with the same “error.”

“I found out that there were some ambiguities that created the problem. The hardest part in the procedures was making sure they were clear so that anyone could understand them. Never assume that they already know,” he added.

“I think Ron Cobbs’ achievement at NASA is a great story,” added Dr. S. Keith Hargrove, dean of the College of Engineering.

Cobbs, who graduated TSU with honors, is a member of the Eta Kappa Nu Honor Society. He joined NASA at the Johnson Space Center immediately after graduating TSU. He has moved through the ranks from design engineer, systems engineer to now ISS avionics chief engineer.

Department of Media Relations

Tennessee State University
3500 John A. Merritt Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37209
615.963.5331

About Tennessee State University

With nearly 9,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university and is a comprehensive, urban, coeducational, land-grant university offering 38 undergraduate, 22 graduate and seven doctoral programs. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top Universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912 Tennessee State University celebrates 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu