NASA Selects High-Performing Interns As Agency Ambassadors

Ann Marie Trotta

Headquarters, Washington                               

WASHINGTON -- NASA has selected 101 of its high-performing interns and fellows for the agency's Student Ambassador Program. The students will represent NASA at a variety of education and outreach events at schools and universities to help inspire future students interested in science, engineering, mathematics and technology, or STEM, opportunities.

The new ambassadors represent 31 states and 64 different universities. This third group of student ambassadors, known as Cohort III, joins 189 other student ambassadors selected in 2009 and 2010. NASA managers and mentors nominated the ambassadors from hundreds of current interns and fellows who have participated in various NASA Education projects.

"The ambassadors have demonstrated their ability to motivate students to enter the STEM workforce," said Leland Melvin, associate administrator for education at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "They play an important role in our effort to develop the next generation of explorers, because they can engage fellow students in a meaningful peer-to-peer dialogue. That’s something that more traditional approaches cannot accomplish."

The new student ambassadors will join a virtual web-based community, which allows them to interact with NASA staff and other ambassadors to share information and make professional connections. Through the website, the ambassadors also will have access to the latest NASA news, cutting-edge research and career resources.

For more information about the NASA Student Ambassadors Virtual Community and to see an interactive U.S. map with the names and schools of the 2011 ambassadors, visit http://intern.nasa.gov.

For more information about NASA's Education programs, visit http://www.nasa.gov/education.

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