#b#2010 South Grad Works for NASA#/b#
Stephanie Ku of West Windsor has completed a summer internship working with scientists at NASA. She was one of 20 students selected to participate in a program sponsored by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute.
Ku, a 2010 graduate of High School South, is the daughter of William Ku and Miriam Ku. She is pursuing a double major in mechanical engineering and brain and cognitive science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, worked at NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett, California. She assisted Ames scientists on a project designed to help protect astronaut health.
According to Ku, the internship in the human spaceflight program has benefits that go beyond just boosting her resume. “Through NSBRI, I have met students and mentors with unique passions for space science,” Ku said. “They inspired me with their perspectives on contributing to a cause that is truly forward-thinking and so much bigger than our immediate environment.”
“Stephanie and her fellow interns received first-hand knowledge about research for long-duration spaceflight,” said Dr. Amanda Smith Hackler, NSBRI’s science education and outreach manager. “The experience gained this summer will be beneficial to them as they become the next generation of scientists and physicians.”
The projects address space health concerns, which include bone and muscle loss, cardiovascular changes, radiation exposure, neurobehavioral and psychosocial factors, remote medical care and research, and habitability and performance issues. Research findings also impact the understanding and treatment of similar medical conditions experienced on earth.
#b#Work with SAVE Earns Silver Awards#/b#
Annie Menninger and Emma Turney, two members of Girl Scout Troop 70206 in Plainsboro, have earned their Silver awards. The girls have been in the same troop since kindergarten. Their project, “Finding Homes for Homeless Animals,” provided promotional services for SAVE, an animal shelter in Princeton. If you saw a video on a middle school television screen, were handed a flyer at Quizno’s or Bon Appetite, or made a pet-themed craft at Plainsboro’s Founders Day, you witnessed the leadership of these two scouts.
“Our issue was that animals from adoption agencies were not being adopted as frequently as animals from breeders,” says Turney, a freshman at High School North. “People think that the pets from adoption agencies are not as trainable as pets from pet stores.” The objective of their project was to convince potential pet owners to consider shelters like SAVE when looking to adopt a dog or a cat.
“About 6 million animals are put into shelters every year. About 4 million of them are killed,” says Menninger, a freshman at High School South. “We worked with SAVE to help conquer this issue.” The girls also successfully collected more than $100 to purchase pet food and cleaning supplies for the shelter. They also created a template to assist future girl scouts who are interested in earning their Bronze awards by helping SAVE.
If you are interested in bringing a new pet into your home, or if you would like to perform a service project to benefit homeless animals, contact SAVE at 609-921-6122, or visit www.savehomelessanimals.org.
If you are interested in joining Girl Scouts in West Windsor or Plainsboro as a girl or an adult volunteer, contact Louisa Ho at 609-371-2119 or E-mail louisa.ho@verizon.net.
#b#In College#/b#
University of Rochester: Joshua Suslak of West Windsor was on the dean’s list in the spring. A senior majoring in brain and cognitive sciences and music education, he is studying in the University’s College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering as well as in the Eastman School of Music.
