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USM Students Summer at NASA While many college students take summer jobs at restaurants and retail stores, two USM chemistry majors landed paid, NASA internships analyzing the amino acid content of fossils and the isotopic composition of meteorites. USM chemistry major Marilena Preda, of Portland, achieved most of her education in Romania and immigrated to the United States in 1992. Now a U.S. citizen, the Barber Foods business analyst and mother of three decided to finish the degree she began long ago in Romania. A part-time student, she credits her biochemistry professor, Gale Rhodes, for making her aware of the NASA internship opportunity. “Like so many USM students, [Preda] must juggle home, family, job and course work. She does it deftly and without fuss,” says Rhodes of Preda. “I don't really see how she does it, but you can't argue with the results.” Rhodes says one obvious driving force is that Preda finds chemistry interesting. “For her, learning chemistry is not a chore,” adds Rhodes. “It's more like recreation. Preda also is grateful to her employer Barber Foods, a business that she says “encourages education at all levels,” and supported her with tuition reimbursements and the sabbatical leave required to participate in the internship program. Preda expects to graduate next spring with a degree in chemistry and a minor in biochemistry. During her internship at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, she conducted astrobiology research under her mentor, Dr. Alexandre Tsapin. Her primary research was determining the amino acid content in ancient fossils. Preda looked for the presence of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, which might indicate life. Other analyses she conducted were on ice samples from Antarctic lakes—an extremely cold environment that may simulate the conditions found on planets in our, or other, galaxies. She says her most exciting finding to date is the “determination of the existence of protein-linked amino acids in fossilized eggs from a region in China that date from the Precambrian Period.” The internship also offered seminars by Jet Propulsion Lab scientists and trips to the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Center, Palomar Observatory and Huntington Library. “I believe that I am just an extremely lucky student...” says Preda, “ ... happy to be chosen to be part of this 'once in a lifetime' experience.” Aaron Keller, also a chemistry major, spent his NASA internship at the Johnson Space Center, Texas. Keller came to USM with a bachelor's degree in German and philosophy from the University of Connecticut. The Harpswell resident is now working toward becoming a high school science teacher. He credits James Ford, USM physical chemistry professor, for suggesting he apply to the program. While an intern, Keller worked with Dr. L.E. Nyquist, a scientist in charge of two thermal ionization mass spectrometers that measure the isotopic ratios of elements. Analysis of these ratios can reveal information about the history of the solar system by showing how long it has been since a given meteorite was formed, the isotopic composition of other parts of the solar system and how homogenized the isotopes have been throughout the solar system's history. Keller documented his NASA experiences and research at Johnson on his own Web site (www.kaffee.netfirms.com/Blog), where he describes attending NASA's 35th anniversary celebration of the Apollo 11 moon landing and the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Lunar Samples Lab. “The prospect of studying material from elsewhere in the solar system is exciting, “ says Keller, “because such study can lead to a better understanding of the origins of the solar system and our own planet.” Both Preda and Keller received their NASA internships through the Maine Space Grant Consortium (MSGC). A consortium comprised of colleges, universities, research labs, state agencies, businesses and nonprofit organizations, MSCG seeks to increase space-related research and education in Maine. USM Research Associate Professor Sharon Locke is on the MSGC board of directors and serves as USM's representative to the organization. “The goal of those Workforce Develop-ment Grants,” explains Locke, “is to train a new generation of scientists to work at NASA, or in other space-related industries.”
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