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Leveraging the NASA Administrator’s Fellowship Program (NAFP) to Enhance Graduate Chemical Engineering Education at Howard University

John Tharakan1 and Philip Chen2 1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Howard University, Washington, D.C. 20059 2 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771

Abstract

This paper addresses the enhancement of graduate education at Howard University’s Department of Chemical Engineering brought about through leveraging of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Administrator’s Fellowship Program (NAFP). The paper describes NASA’s education framework and outlines the enhancement of graduate chemical engineering education in the department through enhanced elective course offerings, expanded research opportunities and networking to broaden research and employment opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, concluding with the critical role NASA has in promoting and impacting engineering and science graduate education.

"To inspire the next generation of explorers...as only NASA can" is the NASA education program's mission. This “can-do” concept guides all NASA’s programs and activities and requires a diverse pool of talented scientists and engineers. The NASA NAFP Fellow and the Department of Chemical Engineering at Howard University have worked together to make this a model of successful educational program enhancement.

Introduction

Throughout history, NASA has played a critical role in promoting engineering and science education at colleges and universities. NASA has accomplished its educational objectives by following a well-established structure and leveraging its resources to accomplish program goals. NASA has notably committed to education since its creation in 1958. This strong commitment has been continuously reflected in the agency's Strategic Plan, in which education is viewed as important as space exploration. NASA’s national education program is devoted to “inspire the next generation of explorers”. This education program is carried out through NASA Headquarters as well as all NASA Field Centers. To further promote a direct interaction among educators, students, and personnel, NASA provides information, materials, and services to the larger education community through a multifaceted dissemination network.

Proceedings of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright ©2004, American Society for Engineering Education

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Chen, P., & Tharakan, J. (2004, June), Leveraging The Nasa Administrator's Fellowship Program (Nafp) To Enhance Graduate Chemical Engineering Education At Howard University Paper presented at 2004 Annual Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah. 10.18260/1-2--13854