STAR Program Description
The STEM Teacher and Researcher (STAR) program offers pre-service and early career K-12 STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) teachers paid summer research experiences in leading national, independent, and university laboratories thereby allowing participants to pursue a prestigious dual "teacher-researcher" career path. With the guidance of a research mentor, STAR Fellows work on original science projects for 8 to 9 weeks. Weekly education workshops and an opening and closing conference provide context and opportunities for STAR Fellows to consider how the "doing of science" may be translated into the "teaching of science." At the closing conference STAR Fellows present their research in a poster session or oral presentation. The ultimate goals of the STAR program are to enhance the recruitment, preparation, and retention of quality science and math teachers. The STAR program was founded and implemented by the Cal Poly Center for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Education (CESaME) and administered on behalf of the California State University (CSU) system. Through 2012, the program's sixth year, STAR has supported 290 internships for participants representing 22 CSU and 21 others campuses and has included placements at 20 different lab sites. Examples of STAR Fellows' research posters and presentations are available below sorted alphabetically by lab site.
For more information visit: www.STARteacherResearcher.org
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About STAR - STEM Teacher and Researcher Program
Poster presented at the Teacher Research Experience Conference
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0952013 and contributions from philanthropic foundations. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
NASA Ames Research Center (ARC)
Integration and Testing of Safety Case Tool Support, Sarah Bass, Ewen Denney, and Josef Pohl
Integration of FOB System to Crew Transfer Bag, Michaela Brant and Michael Flynn
Simplified Microbial Mats: Unraveling a complex community one alga at a time., Donna A. Dela Calzada, Brad M. Bebout, and Angela Detweiler
The effects of low dose gamma radiation on the production of bone cell communication factors, Anna DeNeui, Ruth Globus, L. Tran, and A. Kumar
Analyzing Wind Turbine Controller Effects on Structure Stress, Leo Groner and Susan Frost
NASA Flight Opportunities Program (FOP) Platform Tradeoffs Analysis, Stephanie Kugler and Dougal Maclise
Synthesis and Characterization of Graphene Oxide, Jeremy A. Waddell, Arthur Cheng, and Bin Chen
Electrical Energy Storage: Synthesis of Metal Oxide Nanostructures for Potential Use in Flow Cell Batteries, Robin Young, Cristina Javier, Alex LeGrande, and Bin Chen
Vapor Liquid Solid Growths of Germanium and Gallium Antimonide Nanowires, Ralph Alvarez, Esmeralda Arreola, Michael Oye, and Meyya Meyyappan
Micro-Satellite Constellation for Global Surface Water Data, Arron Apperson and Vern Vanderbilt
Forward Osmosis Bag: Ground Testing the Prospect of Using Alternative Water Sources for Drinking Water, Michaela Marie Brant, Ariella Yendler, Mona Hammoudeh, and Michael T. Flynn
NASA Robot Project, Azi Crawford, Mark Leon, and Terry Grant
MATLAB Based Algorithm to Find the Remaining State Of Charge, Ishrat Khatoon, Bhaskar Saha, and Kai Goebe
NASA Robotics Academy Lunar Micro – Rover Project: Radiation Analysis, Daniel Ruiz, Michael Zwach, Vasha Dutell, Taylor Wilson, Lauren Gossen, and Mark Leon
A Study of Ozone at Railroad Valley, NV and Trinidad Head, CA, Sarah L. Salazar, Laura T. Iraci, and Emma L. Yates
Wavelength Selective Photovoltaics for Low Cost Electricity Generation, Leona Wong, Brad Bebout, Leslie Bebout, Sue Carter, and Erich Fleming
Tunable Synthesis of Tungsten(VI) oxide Nanowires for Solar Powered Thin Film Devices, Nicholas Zabalza, Alex LeGrande, and Bin Chen
SWaMP: Surface Water Monitoring Project, Arron Apperson and Vern Vanderbilt
Zero G and Me: Modeling Cardiovascular Dynamics from Echocardiography and Impedance Cardiography during Parabolic Flight, Margaret Dominguez, Patricia Cowings, and Bill Toscano
Utilization of remote Scanning Electron Microscope (rSEM) as a Science Teaching Tool for Public School Students, Patty Hay, Richard Boyle, and Joseph Varelas
Automated Theorem Prover Axiom Management, Ashley T. Holeman and Ewen Denney
Prognostics and Health Management of Batteries and Composites, Ishrat Khatoon, Bhaskar Saha, Abhinav Saxena, and Kai Goebel
Designing a Deep Space Bioregenarative System, Hiram Lopez, Khrissaundra Journey, and Richard Boyle
Pre-earthquake Signatures in Thermal Infrared and Radar Data, Stephanie Oliver, Shamma Alqassim, Steve Roth, and Vern Vanderbilt
Carbon-based Materials for Extracting Urea to Recycle Waste Water in Space Applications, Chuong Vu, Eduardo Nicolau, Tra-my Justine Richardson, Carlos R. Cabrera, and Michael Flynn
Algae and Cyanobacteria Behavior with Fixed Variables for Space Missions, Leona Wong, Brad Bebout, and Erich Fleming
Photocatalytic Conversion of CO2 into CH4, Nicholas Zabalza, Alex LeGrande, Tuan Tran, Kathy Hong, and Bin Chen
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC)
Evaluation and Calibration of the Focusing, and Tilting and Chopping Mechanisms of SOFIA, Brian Eney, Joshua Thompson, Holger Jakob, Jeffrey Van Cleve, Zaheer A. Ali, Alan Hatakeyama, and Matt Dillman
Mathematical Modeling of Technology Payloads to Predict Expected Flight Need, Kirsten M. Fogg and Mark Collard
Telescope Assembly Alignment Simulator Performance Optimization, Joshua G. Thompson, Brian Eney, Zaheer Ali, and Bob Thompson
Freeing Space for NASA: Incorporating a Lossless Compression Algorithm Into NASA's Fiber Optic Strain Sensing System, Kaitlyn Fiechtner and Allen Parker
Sitting in the Pilot's Seat: Optimizing Human-Systems Interfaces for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Steven Michael Queen and Kurt Sanner
Analysis of Compression Algorithm in Ground Collision Avoidance Systems, Tyler Schmalz and Jack Ryan
Determination Of Water Vapor For Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy Aircraft (SOFIA), Michelle Wen, Edward Teets, and Christopher Busby
Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB)
Using Modeling and Simulation to Analyze Complex Aircraft, Kimberlee Margosian and Jason Lechniak
Simulation of Wing Tip Vortices, Ryan Termath, Jason Lechniak, and Keerti bhamidipati
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
Developing a Biophysical Model to Determine the Minimum Water Requirement for Irrigating Known Crops, Robyn M. Williams and Lahaouri Bounoua
Using the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) to Observe Trends in Pollutants, James Ruff and Charles Gatebe
The Coolest Place in the World, Joseph Spekterman and Alan Kogut
Analyzing Sun Photometer Data to Discover Trends and to Create Educational Activities for Students, Robyn Williams and Charles Gatebe
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Raman Mapping of Mars Relevant Minerals Using Multiple Excitation Wavelenghts, Victoria Campbell and William Abbey
Impact of Neutron Irradiation on the Thermoelectric Properties of Rare Earth‐Based Thermoelectric Materials, Zachary Chandler, Sabah Bux, Chen-Kuo Huang, Jagdishbhai Patel, Jean-Pierre Fleurial, and Thierry Caillat
Playing "Hide and Seek" With Binary Stars, Elin Deeb and Raghvendra Sahai
To Mask or Not to Mask: Using a Model‐Based Barameter to Detect Vegetation Changes from Polarimetric and Interferometric Radar Data, Kaitlyn Fiechtner and Marco LaValle
Propidium Monoazide qPCR for Viability Assessment of Microbes with Species Specificity, Carolyn Laymon, Adrian Ponce, and Nicholas Fingland
Survival of B. horneckiae Spores Under Ground-Simulated, Sneha Tharayil and Parag Vaishampayan
Building the Foundation for Student Observations Using NASA's Deep Impact Spacecraft, Jamie Vargas and Rich Rieber
Relationships between snow pack, soil moisture, and forest greenness: Implications for SMAP, Jordan Anderson, Noah Molotch, and Bin Guan
Deep UV Penetration Depth in Astrobiologically Relevant Rocks & Minerals, Juliana Capra and William Abbey
Investigation of a Statistical Metric for Validation of a Structural Dynamics Model, April Morton and Lee Peterson
Planetary Protection Technology Survey for Mars Sample Return Mission, Arbella Moshava, Yin Lin, and Wayne Schubert
Informing Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment Flight Schedule based upon Soil and Vegetation Freeze and Thaw Event Variation along the Alaska Ecological Transect, Jessica Potter, Kyle McDonald, and Erika Podest
Comparison of Low and High Resolution Multiscale Ultrahigh Resolution (MUR) Level 4 Datasets, Robin Sehler and Jorge Vazquez
Assessing Laser Lifetime Test Performance, Joe Weichman, Hamid Hemmati, and Malcolm Wright
Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) Variability with Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), Sam Koshy, Douglas I. Hoffman, and Roc M. Cutri
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)
Updating Purchasing Specifications for Energy-Efficient Commercial Boilers for the Federal Energy Management Program, Arturo Avila and James Lutz
Rock Porosity Analysis Using High Resolution X-ray Tomography, Leo Groner, Dula Parkinson, and Katya Bazilevskaya
Remote Sensing Analysis for Salinity Management of Seasonal Wetlands, Debra L. S. Miller and Nigel W.T. Quinn
Effects of Mechanical Ventilation Rates on Indoor Formaldehyde Levels, Thuy Nguyen and Henry Willem
Recyclability of Ionic Liquid in Pretreatment of Eucalyptus Globulus, Melissa Ambrose, Kim Tran, Anthe George, and Bradley Holmes
Cyanobacteria and Biosequestration: The Effects of High CO2 Levels on Calcifying Strains of Synechococcus, Fallon E. Frye, Stephanie M. Swarbreck, and Christer Jansson
Next Generation of Quality Low Energy “Green” Windows, James M. Kennedy, R.J. Mendelsberg, and S.H.N. Lim
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
Unmasking the Mysteries of High-Mass X-Ray Binaries (HMXBs): The Role of LLNL’s Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT), Carey Baxter, Natalie Hell, and Greg Brown
Agent Based Modeling as an Educational Tool, Jonathan H. Fuller, Rodger Johnson, and Vic Castillo
Measuring ecosystem CO2 emission sources in a northern hardwood forest, Laura Larson and Claire L. Phillips
Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling of Acetaminophen Metabolism and Toxicity, David M. Ng and Ali Navid
Analyzing Environmental Microbes for Genomic Regions Promoting Ionic Liquid Tolerance in E. coli, Ann Nguyen, Alison Richins, Thomas Rüegg, Steven Singer, and Michael Thelen
Screening the Farallon Island Bacterial Collection for Ionic Liquid Tolerance to Create Genomic Libraries, Alison Richins, Ann Nguyen, Thomas Rüegg, Steven Singer, and Michael Thelen
Chloroform Extraction of Iodine in Seawater Method Development, Hanna Seidler, Aaron Glimme, Scott Tumey, and Tom Guilderson
Efficacy Comparison of Various PCR Master Mixes and Thermal Cycling Parameters for Detection of Brucella abortus in Multiplex Assays, Kevin J. Testo, Jason A. Olivas, Alda C. Carrillo, and Pejman Naraghi-Arani
Quantification and in vitro analysis of nanolipoproteins (NLPs) containing adjuvants, Purna Venkataraman, Craig Blanchette, and Nicholas O. Fischer
Caffeine Metabolism and Cytochrome P450 Enzyme mRNA Expression Levels of Genetically Diverse Inbred Mouse Strains, Neal Addicott, Michael Malfatti, and Gabriela G. Loots
Effects of Ambient Gases On ICF Target Capsules, Bryan Chambers, Steve Letts, and Michael Stadermann
Computational Identification of Protein Catalytic Sites: Tests, Validation, Dan Kirshner, Jerome Nilmeier, and Felice Lightstone
Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling for Predicting Drug-Drug Interactions, David M. Ng and Ali Navid
Laboratory Astrophysics: Using EBIT measurements to interpret high resolution spectra from celestial sources, Carey Scott, Joshua Thompson, N. Hell, and Greg V. Brown
Approximating Commute Times by Truncated Eigenpair Summation, Brent Smith, Van Emden Henson, Geoff Sanders, and Sarah Powers
The Role of LLNL's FAST Calibration Facility in Diagnosing NIF Fusion Plasmas, Joshua G. Thompson, Carey Scott, and Greg V. Brown
Stability of various types of nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs) upon lyophilization, Purna Venkataraman, Craig D. Blanchette, and Nicholas O. Fischer
Carbon Transfer from Labeled Leaf Litter into Mineral Soil at the University of Missouri Baskett Research Area, a Deciduous Forest in the Eastern United States, Shayne Bradshaw, Karis McFarlane, Paula Zermeno, and Paul Hanson
Comparison of Lysis Efficiency for DNA Extraction of Spore-forming Bacillus thuringiensis, Jody Dunkel, Bill Hoppes, Marilyn Ramsey, Anne Marie Erler, and Lewis Wogan
Modernizing Accelerator Mass Spectrometer Data Acquisition, Leo Groner and Ted Ognibene
Characterizing Warm Dense Matter, Ernest Irish and Yuan Ping
Time Resolved UV Spectroscopy on the Alcator C-Mod Tokamak, Jonathan B. Kamp, G.V. Brown, and P. Beiersdorfer
Yersinia pestis Proteomics and Vaccine Development, Rebecca Paddack, Lindsey Evans, Jr-Shiuan Lin, Stephen Smiley, and Brett Chromy
Stability of Nanolipoprotein Particles (NLPs) at Different Temperatures and Complex Media, Purna Venkataraman, Nicholas Fischer, and Craig Blanchette
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Alaska Fisheries Science Center (NOAA AFSC)
Effects of Pristane on Growth of Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), Brielle D. Kemis and Bonita Nelson
Nutritional Content of Rhinoceros Auklet (Cerorhinca monocerata) Bill Loads, Dustin Taylor and Ron Heintz
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NOAA NWFSC)
A Genetic Survey of English Sole Populations in the Salish Sea, Elizabeth S. Gutierrez, Gary A. Winans, Jon Baker, and Amanda Cope
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Southwest Fisheries Science Center (NOAA SWFSC)
Size and Weight Changes of Leatherback Hatchlings Among Emergence Groups, Shane Morales and Kelly Stewart
National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO)
LEDs and Astronomy, Britny N. Delp and Stephen M. Pompea
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Graphene Refinement by High Temperature Anneals, Benjamin A. Calvopina, Justin Bult, and Jeff Blackburn
Investigation of Spillover Effect to Enhance Hydrogen Storage, Sarah C. Corrigan, Lin Simpson, and Thomas Gennett
Technology Portal for Energy Efficient Buildings, Larry D. Hermanson, Daniel Studer, and Annie Mroz
Classification of Multi-Domain Glycoside Hydrolases to Aid in the Enzymatic Production of Biofuels from Biomass, Emi Leonard, Gregg Beckham, Deanne Sammond, and Michael Crowley
Optimization of ethylene bioproduction in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, Derick M. Reid, Justin Ungerer, and Jianping Yu
Characterization of Coke from the Catalytic Pyrolysis of Biomass, Kristen Ryan and Kristiina Lisa
Evaluation of Hydrogen Storage in Metal Organic Frameworks by Bridged Hydrogen Spillover, Claudia V. Turcios, Thomas Gennett, Katherine Hurst, and Philip Parilla
Performance Screening of Chemostat Adapted Recombinant Zymomonas mobilis Strains, Deirdre M. Beard and Nancy Dowe
Rehabilitation of SRRL Aerosol Optical Depth Photometer Data, Elin Deeb, Daryl Myers, and Afshin Andreas