MSFC Academy Working Group Telecon Minutes
December 16, 1997

Time: EDT
Present: Catherine Venturini (MSFC 95) Chair, Heather Cohea (MSFC 97), Ruth Jones (MSFC 94), Chris Hart (MSFC 96), Nikki Mattson (MSFC 96), Zine Smith (MSFC 97), Matthew Meineke (MSFC 97), Laura Burns (MSFC 96), Diana Coleman (MSFC 97), Alys Blair (MSFC 97), David Goldstein (GSFC 95)

I. Discussed the current situation of the MSFC NASA Academy and tried to pin point why they put a moritorium on the program.

• MSFC University Affairs officer is not clear on what NASA Academy is all about.
• The MSFC Education Program office is understaffed. It is important to note that NASA Academy is not the only program that is temporary cancelled. Other summer programs at MSFC are not happening including STEP ( high school teacher program).
• Dr. Soffen visited MSFC on Friday, Dec. 12th to talk with the Deputy Director, Carolyn Griner, about NASA Academy. She has always been supportive of the program and said she would look into things. The current center director, Littles, is retiring this January and Griner is most likely going to be the interim director.
• Where NASA Academy falls in the organizational structure of MSFC:
  

  Center Director - J.W. Littles ->
  Deputy Director - C.S. Griner ->
  Human Resources & Admin. Support Office - Director: T.H. Washington, Deputy Director: S.L. Cloud ->
  Education Programs Office - Head: J.R. Pruitt ->
  University Affairs - J. Dowdy ->
  NASA Academy
  * note: this might change in 1998 with the new center director coming in

II. Ideas and our "plan of attack"

• It was generally agreed upon that we need to take a more supportive role in re-starting the program. This is a sensitive issue with certain people and if we start telling people what to do they are not going to listen.
• As a start, have alumni write letters to administration at MSFC about the positive experiences they had. If anything the bulk of letters would make them realize we alumni care! Currently putting together a general email to send out to all with details on who to write and some general guidelines. Any input on what we should say in the letters please let us know.
• In conjunction with alumni writing letters, it was also suggested that alumni contact past advisors they worked with and also the alumni's respective Space Grants to let them know the situation and possibly have them write letters.
• While letters are being written, we need to devise an action plan. Here is where we need people to help organize and finalize what we should do. Some ideas are:
  • have a group of alumni come down to MSFC to talk with Education administration to talk about the program and what we can do to help.
  • think of ways to help the University Affairs officer " get on board". We need to make him feel like this is going to be his prgram.
  • suggested even contacting Alabama politicians about the situation.
  • another idea was to have 1998's NAAA reunion in Huntsville, AL so MSFC adminstration could see first hand what NASA Academy is all about. Zine Smith is looking into the possiblity of having something at the Space and Rocket Center. David Goldstein is going to bring up the suggestion at the reunion working group meeting.

III. Mailing list has been created.

Any comments, questions, etc... can be addressed to Catherine Venturini at venturinic@cspar.uah.edu