Caitlin Milera

As space colonization efforts advance, WVU scientists are developing AI-powered computer models to treat and prevent the physical challenges astronauts face due to extended weightlessness.

A study led by Valeriya Gritsenko and Sergiy Yakovenko, associate professors in the departments of Human Performance and Neuroscience in the WVU School of Medicine and WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, responds to the growing likelihood that astronauts will be spending longer periods in microgravity environments like space stations, the moon or rocket ships bound for Mars.

For each astronaut, Gritsenko and Yakovenko’s technology will be able to create a unique “digital twin” — a computer model capturing the relationships between that person’s movements and muscle activity.

The models will show how each astronaut adapts to weightlessness and identify what that specific individual needs to do to counteract the well-known hazards of microgravity, including muscle loss, declining bone density, and the vision and neurological changes that emerge when gravity disappears.

“Currently, each astronaut requires a very large Earth-based team that looks at his or her vitals and modifies exercise plans or otherwise intervenes,” Yakovenko said. “As we travel farther away from Earth, that kind of support will not be available, so we are researching alternatives.

Read the full article on enews.wvu.edu

Author Credit: ENews | West Virginia University

Original Post Date: 1.28.26

This year’s recipients—Alan Briseño, Nicholas Cox and Xavier Grundler—are all active members of the Society of Physics Students, a group known for leading physics and astronomy outreach. Each student has also engaged in undergraduate research within the department, which offers opportunities in astrophysics, stellar and nuclear astronomy, planetary science, surface physics and materials research.

Briseño, a physics major with an emphasis in astrophysics, said the scholarship will support his ongoing research with Dr. Billy Quarles.

“My research focuses on planetary dynamics, and receiving the Texas Space Grant Consortium scholarship allows me to continue developing these interests while preparing for graduate school,” Briseño said.

Grundler, who studies neutron stars under the mentorship of Dr. Bao-An Li, said the award enables him to continue advancing his work.

“Last year this scholarship supported my research on neutron stars, and we were able to publish our results and present them at multiple conferences,” Grundler said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to continue expanding our models of matter under extreme conditions.”

Cox said the scholarship eases financial pressures and allows him to focus more fully on his coursework and research.

“With this scholarship, I won’t have to worry about the cost of books or supplies this semester, and I’ll be able to concentrate more fully on my studies,” he said.

Read the full article on myparistexas.com

Image Credit: MyParisTexas

Author Credit: Trey Wright

Original Post Date: 1.26.26

For more than 30 years, the NASA Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium has passionately worked to support educators who inspire their students to shoot for the stars, literally.

The OSGC is a collaboration between universities in Oklahoma and NASA to elevate science, technology, engineering and mathematics in Oklahoma. The College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology houses OSGC’s Educator Resource Center on the Oklahoma State University campus.

Through a program called STELLAR (Stem Teachers Experience Linking Learners to Aerospace Research), educators participate in a variety of activities to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

This yearlong mentorship program for pre-service/in-service educators and undergraduate engineering majors, where participants learn from NASA scientists, educators and researchers on how to implement the NASA curriculum in their classrooms.

Read the full article on news.okstate.edu

Image Credit: Texas Scuba Adventures

Media Contact: Tanner Holubar | Communications Specialist | 405-744-2065 | tanner.holubar@okstate.edu

Original Post Date: 1.27.26

Researchers from the College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology are taking a significant step toward accelerating the design and certification of advanced aerospace materials through a new multiscale modeling initiative, supported by a three-year $750,000 NASA grant. 

The project is led by Oklahoma State University and includes investigators from the University of Oklahoma. The science principal investigator is Dr. Wei Zhao, assistant professor for the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and professor Andrew Arena, director of the Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium and Oklahoma NASA EPSCoR, is the administrator of this project. The co-investigators include Dr. Pankaj Sarin, associate professor for the School of Materials, Mechatronics and Manufacturing Engineering and Dr. Peter Attar, associate professor at OU.

The project brings together OSU’s growing expertise in computational mechanics, advanced composite materials, high-performance computing, and next-generation aerospace and space systems.  

At the core of the research is a challenge that has slowed innovation for decades: the difficulty of predicting how complex materials behave across multiple length and time scales in real-world engineering problems.  

Zhao notes that, much like a rope whose strength depends on the integrity of its smallest fibers, material performance at the structural scale is directly tied to what happens at the microscopic level. 

Read the full article on: news.okstate.edu

Original Post Date: 12.18.25

Author Credit: Desa James | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-2669 | desa.james@okstate.edu

Image Credit: OSU

Lindsey Tober was looking for a way to combine her creative side with her passion for science when she found the technological leadership degree at Arizona State University and ultimately used it to pursue her love of filmmaking.

Now she’s one step closer to moving her undergraduate work into a full-time career as she graduates this December with a degree in technological leadership with a minor in film and media production and as the program’s fall 2025 Dean’s Medalist.

“Lindsey has been selected as a Dean’s Medalist in recognition of her drive and success while a student at ASU. Lindsey is pursuing a career path that blends film and media with space and science, creating her own pathways into this industry,” said Cassandra Threadgill, an academic advising manager at the Interplanetary Initiative.

Tober combined the skills learned from both her major and her minor to excel in her internships throughout college. She has previously worked as a NASA Space Grant Intern to create videos  explaining the importance of space technology to society and Earth, and served as an ASU Space Student Ambassador.

Read the full article on news.asu.edu

Author Credit:  Megan Neely

Image Credit: ASU News

Original Post Date: 12.18.25

Dr. Ali Er, Associate Professor of Physics, has been awarded a Research Infrastructure Development Grant in the amount of $35,000. The grant comes from the Kentucky Space Grant Consortium and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, both funded by NASA and administered through the University of Kentucky. The purpose is to support research capacity and student involvement in space and STEM-related fields across the state.

Dr. Ali’s project explores how powerful ultrafast laser pulses can reshape the surface of shape memory alloys, special metals that “remember” their original form. By using lasers to imprint tiny, reversible patterns with size one thousand times the diameter of human hair, the team aims to design smart surfaces that can adapt their shape or behavior with temperature changes. These materials could one day help aircraft and spacecraft reduce drag, resist icing and improve energy efficiency.

Explaining the work’s significance, Dr. Ali noted, “Our goal is to make materials that can literally think on their surface—adapting in real time to their environment. With NASA Kentucky’s support, we can train students to use advanced laser systems while developing technology that may someday influence how aircraft and spacecraft move through air or space.”

Read the full article on wku.edu

Author Credit: Contact: Dr. Mike Carini | info@physics.wku.edu | https://www.wku.edu/physics | WKU News

Image Credit: Open Access

Original Post Date: 11.11.25

Hannah Jones, a graduate student in mechanical engineering at UA Little Rock, spent her summer interning at NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, gaining hands-on experience that brought her closer to her dream of a career in aerospace engineering.

Jones, a Benton native who is set to graduate in May 2027, worked in the Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate as a systems safety intern. Her primary role involved reviewing risk management processes and conducting a gap analysis to ensure Stennis Space Center’s documentation aligned with updated agency-wide requirements.

“The report I created ended up being 31 pages long, detailing updates and processes for risk management at Stennis Space Center,” Jones said. “My favorite part was interviewing representatives from each organization and seeing how they each handle different types of risks, from rocket propulsion testing to audits.”

Beyond her project, Jones toured historic facilities, including the Apollo-era B-complex test stands, and the Michoud Assembly Center, where they assemble large pieces of rockets and is also a popular site for movie filming.

Read the full article on ualr.edu

Image Credit: Hannah Jones | UALR.edu

Author Credit: UA Little Rock

Original Post Date: 11.5.25

NASA has awarded a team of Wisconsin researchers $500,000 to continue working on a system for refueling spacecraft in space.

Kevin Crosby is a professor of physics, astronomy and computer science at Carthage College, and director of the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium. He’s also a visiting senior scientist at NASA. Crosby and his team of students at Carthage have been working on microgravity ullage trapping, a method for increasing in-space refueling efficiency.

Crosby told WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” that the process is needed to make trips to the moon and Mars easier.

“Our idea is fairly unique, so it got some attention from this competition,” he said.

NASA’s TechLeap Prize means to support technology ideas “of significant interest” to the space industry. Crosby’s team is one of 10 that won a prize out of more than 200 applicants.

Semaje Farmer is a senior majoring in physics at Carthage College and part of Crosby’s team. On “Wisconsin Today,” he compared their work to the plumbing aspect of space operations.

Read the full article on urbanmilwaukee.com

Original Post Date: 11.9.25

Author Credit:  Royce Podeszwa, Wisconsin Public Radio

Image Credit: Open Access

The novel agricultural research of a University of Wyoming senior could help NASA pioneer the future of space farming. Growing food in space is a critical component of prolonged exploration of the solar system and beyond.

Drea Hineman, a senior at the University of Wyoming, grew up gardening with her grandfather in Gillette. Now, her novel agricultural research could help revolutionize gardening in space.

Hineman is a research fellow with the Wyoming NASA Space Grant Consortium, which sponsors education and research that can support long-term space missions. Her research is solving one of the most critical problems with “space farming.”

“Space farming sounds crazy, but it’s really important to understand plant behavior in reduced gravity,” Hineman told Cowboy State Daily. “NASA is focused on staying in space for an extended period of time, and they want astronauts to have fresh food.”

Using special systems that mimic water movement in reduced or zero gravity, Hineman has developed a system that will allow fresh lettuce to be grown and harvested in space, and potentially on the Moon and Mars. And she did it all in a greenhouse in Laramie.

Read the full article on cowboystatedaily.com

Author Credit: Andrew Rossi

Image Credit: Paulo Pinto de Mello Neto Photo; NASA

Original Post Date: 11.30.25

(East Wenatchee, WA) – An East Wenatchee man has taken a passion for exploration and made it a career of searching deep sea and near space. Trent Tresch grew up in Western Washington but now calls East Wenatchee “home.” Of course, “home” is where you make it.

Recently, Tresch joined NCWLIFE Channel host Eric Granstrom on a Zoom interview to talk about his journey and where he’s heading next.

Tresch is continually on the go and has stepped foot on seven continents in his travels. From the polar ice sheets of Antarctica, where he supported remote ice surveys, to working on the National Geographic DropCam operations in Southeast Alaska. With the non-profit Exploring Our Deep World, in the depths of the Great Lakes, he has even hunted and discovered shipwrecks. Under the flagged banner of the Explorers Club, he led a submersible expedition that logged over fifty hours at depth, successfully tagging and tracking sixgill sharks in partnership with Florida State University’s Marine Science Laboratory.

Read the full article on ncwlife.com

Original Post Date: 11.12.25

Author Credit: Eric Granstrom

Image Credit: Trent Tresch | NCWLIFE