GLUE Sponsors

Texas Space Grant Consortium (TSGC)

The GLUE program would not be possible without the generous funding from TSGC.

Our Goal
Our Plan
Budget Usage
Team Members

Very few of the engineers currently involved with the GLUE program have projects related to space research. In order to better target NASA-based projects, multidisciplinary projects, and Aerospace Engineering students, we will use funding provided by the TSGC to add the component "A Space Based Research Experience" to the GLUE program. By engaging engineering students across the College of Engineering in NASA-based projects and targeting space based and multidisciplinary research projects, students in all disciplines will be exposed to NASA related research activities.

The Spring 2004 GLUE program had the following departmental distribution:

Aerospace 2 projects (9.5%)

Biomedical 1 project (4.8%)

Chemical 1 project (4.8%)

Civil/Architectural 4 projects (19%)

Electrical and Computer 8 projects (38%)

Mechanical 5 projects (24%)

While the project topics were quite diverse (see the Projects section for more details), there were very few space-based research projects involved. A specific aim of GLUE is therefore to improve this distribution by significantly increasing the number of space-based projects. At a minimum, we aim have 5 to 8 space based research projects involved in the Spring 2005 GLUE program.

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Our Plan

How do we plan to make this all happen?

Goal:	Provide opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in space based research and exploration.
Plan:	Students in aerospace engineering and other departments will have the opportunity to participate in space based research with engineering graduate students and faculty through the GLUE program. In addition, students in other disciplines such as Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering will have the opportunity to participate in research that contributes to advancements in space, broadening their experience from traditional fields of study within their major. All GLUE undergraduate participants will have the opportunity to explore the various aspects of space based research being conducted in GLUE projects through student presentations as part of the interdisciplinary GLUE course.
Goal:	Support NASA related research activities through student projects.
Plan:	GLUE projects will consist of a variety of department-specific and multidisciplinary research topics including space based research. As part of the GLUE program, undergraduate student participants will work 3 to 5 hours per week on a research project. These projects will be widely disseminated via the program Web site and we plan to increase the number of student projects from the current number of 21 to approximately 30 next year.
Goal:	Facilitate mentor relationships between students and faculty and the NASA community.
Plan:	A major component of the GLUE program is the mentoring relationships developed by undergraduate students while working on their research projects. This mentoring relationship is primarily with the graduate student they work with but they also meet other graduate students in the laboratory and we encourage the undergraduates to attend research meetings with the faculty advisor for their graduate mentor.
Goal:	Development of interdisciplinary courses and curriculum.
Plan:	An integral component of the GLUE program is the interdisciplinary course previously discussed in which students share their research and attend seminars related to research and graduate school options.

To further encourage undergraduates to consider space based research, we will also devote $5500 of the TSGC funding to provide scholarships to undergraduate students conducting NASA-related research.

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Budget Usage

The TSGC donation of $15,000 will be used for the following purposes:

Undergraduate Student GLUE Coordinator Salary
Undergraduate Student GLUE Web Developer Salary
Graduate Student GLUE Coordinator Salary
Domestic Travel – TSGC Annual Membership Meeting; WEPAN National Conference
Materials and Supplies
GLUE Scholarships/Stipends for Undergraduate Students

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Team Members

	Tricia Berry Tricia Berry is the director of the Women in Engineering Program (WEP), which provides administrative support for the GLUE program, including recruitment and day-to-day oversight of the program. Visit her online
	Dr. Kerry Kinney Dr. Kerry Kinney is the Principal Investigator and the instructor for the GLUE program. In addition to being an Associate Professor in the Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering department, she will also help with the oversight of this program. Visit her online
	Dr. Robert Bishop The Chairman and a Professor of the Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics department, Dr. Robert Bishop also serves as a Co-Principal Investigator for the GLUE program. He works with Dr. Kinney and the Women in Engineering Program to identify and recruit graduate students to work on NASA-relevant projects and to identify undergraduate students to participate in the program. Visit him online
	Stephen Pun Stephen Pun is currently a student in the Department of Electrical Engineering, he is also the web developer for the GLUE program.
	Women in Engineering Program staff WEP staff will provide administrative support for the GLUE program. They will advertise for the program, evaluate application forms, matching students to available projects, manage student coordinators and web developer, assess and evaluate the program, disseminate program information, and maintain corporate funding.

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