NASA announces 1999 graduate student training fellowships for persons pursuing Master of Science (M.Sc.) or Doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees in Earth System Science. The purpose is to ensure continued training of interdisciplinary scientists to support the study of the Earth as a system. These fellowships will be available for the 1999/2000 academic year. Over 400 Ph.D. and M.Sc. fellowships have been awarded since the inception of the program in 1990.
Applications will be considered for research in atmospheric chemistry and physics, ocean biology and physics, ecosystem dynamics, hydrology, cryospheric processes, geology, geophysics, and information science and engineering, provided that the specific research topic is relevant to NASA's Earth remote sensing science, process studies, modeling, and analysis in support of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). NASA discourages submission of paleo-climate-related applications to this program.
Additional information about the Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) and the Earth Observing System (EOS) scientific priorities can be obtained from the ESE Strategic Plan, http://www.earth.nasa. gov/, and EOS science publications http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/eos_homepage/scipubs.html.
Awards are made initially for one year and may be renewed annually, no more than two additional years for a total of three years, based on satisfactory progress as reflected in academic performance and evaluations by the faculty advisor. Three years is the maximum support a student may receive in pursuing M.Sc. and/or Ph.D. degree(s). The amount of award is $22,000/annum, which may be used to defray student's stipend, living and educational expenses, travel expenses to scientific conferences, tuition, and fees.
Students admitted to or already enrolled in a full-time M.Sc. and/or Ph.D. program at accredited U.S. universities are eligible to apply. United States citizens and resident aliens will be given preference, although the program is not restricted to them. Students with disabilities and from underrepresented minority groups are urged to apply. No applicant shall be denied consideration or appointment as a NASA Earth System Science Fellow on grounds of race, creed, color, national origin, age, or sex.
For more information, see http://www. earth.nasa.gov/education/ess99/index.html.
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) is leading an effort for NASA and the U.S. Global Change Research Program to develop a series of educational resources to promote the teaching of climate change. This effort involves three main tasks:
The list of existing climate-change-related education resources has been developed and the regional articles are progressing through a rigorous review and editorial process.
The development of K-12 learning activities is just beginning and will include the participation of several leading science education experts. For more information, please contact Nancy Colleton, IGES, at ncolleton@aol.com.
Premiering Tuesday, April 6, 1999, at 10:00 p.m. ET, JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH explores the fragile relationship between people and the world they inhabit. Produced by Emmy Award-winning
filmmakers, Marilyn and Hal Weiner, and presented on PBS by South Carolina ETV, this three-part series examines the intense pressures being placed upon the world's rivers, farmlands, and mega cities.
"Rivers of Destiny" kicks off the series with a close look at four of the world's great waterways, the Mississippi, Amazon, Jordan, and Mekong. Audiences will meet the people whose lives and livelihoods are intertwined with these rivers.
"Land of Plenty, Land of Want," airing Tuesday, April 13, at 10:00 p.m., examines the social, economic, and political factors that determine how farmers and communities around the world can work the land and grow food for their rapidly increasing populations without destroying their natural resources.
"The Urban Explosion," airing Tuesday, April 20, at 10:00 p.m., brings the first season of programs to a conclusion with a look at the scientific, historic, and economic dilemmas of the mega cities. "The Urban Explosion" takes a close look at the history, growth, and future of four major cities, New York City, Mexico City, Istanbul, and Shanghai.
JOURNEY TO PLANET EARTH is made possible by funding from NASA, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Kellogg Foundation, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation, the American Honda Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
For further information, contact: Michele Reap, South Carolina ETV Outreach, (803) 737-3394; e-mail: <mreap@scetv.org>
The NASA Student Involvement Program (NSIP) is a national program of investigations and design challenges for students in grades 3-12. NSIP links students directly with NASA's diverse and exciting missions of research exploration and discovery. Two new Earth science competitions have been developed for this year's program:
Watching Earth Change, with categories for grades 5-8 and 9-12 Students will use images of Earth (from satellites, astronaut photos, or aerial photography) to identify and illustrate ways that the Earth changes.
Earth Systems in My Neighborhood for grades 3-4 Students will select, observe, and describe a local study site, focusing on how the parts (land, water, air, and life) are connected.
The other two competition categories are Design a Mission to Mars, and Aeronautics and Space Science Journalism students select any topic of interest, including the Earth system.
The entry deadline for this year is February 23, 1999. Submissions will be judged at NASA Centers; winners will be notified by April 20, 1999.
The NSIP program and materials are developed in collaboration with NASA by TERC's Center for Earth and Space Science Education, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, and WT Chen & Company, Inc. For more information about NSIP see the project website at http://www.nsip.net.
The exhibit "Worlds of the Pacific," which is on display at the California Science Center, continues to be a great success. The exhibit consists of elements from NASA TOPEX-funded projects at Oregon State University, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and Colorado Center for Space Research, along with NASA JPL's Earth Sciences Flight Projects, Earth Science Flight Instruments, and SeaWinds. It is expected that over 1.5 million visitors will see this exhibit.
Investigation of Sulfur Chemistry in the Antarctic Troposphere (ISCAT)
http://www.acd.ucar.edu/spole.
Students from around the world join in the excitement of a six-week field study at the South Pole's new Clean Air Facility.
El Niño Poster
http://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/newedu.html
A new El Niño poster as viewed by TOPEX/Poseidon is available at this site.
Ocean World
http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/
Developed by Texas A&M through support from the NASA/JPL TOPEX/Poseidon Education Project.
Global Viewer
http://farside.gsfc.nasa.gov/ISTO/dro/global/page1.html
This site uses data from existing satellites to create a multi-layered representation of Earth in near real time.