 | |
| Vol. 18, No. 34 | June 10, 1999 |
| |
| Vol. 18, No. 34 | June 10, 1999 |
Space Grant fellows (from left) Jonathan DuBois, Stephen Pledgie, Curt de Koning and Nellie Elguindi.
DESGC was established in 1991 to administer NASA's National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. It is a regional association of universities, colleges and organizations committed to a coordinated effort to enhance the future development of the U.S. in space science and technology.
The Bartol Research Institute at UD, as the lead institution, receives an annual NASA grant for programs supporting space research, education, outreach, student scholarships and fellowships and special initiative programs. NASA support is matched by contributions from members and affiliates.
Including the four new fellows, UD has had 20 space grant fellows and awarded 33 fellowships.
De Koning received his bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in cosmic ray physics from the University of Calgary. At UD, he will be studying the physics of the inner heliosphere and will be working in collaboration with several individuals of the Bartol Research Institute, in particular his adviser John Bieber. Cosmic rays are a naturally occurring probe that can be used to study the inner heliosphere, especially the solar wind. By analyzing cosmic ray transport and cosmic ray interactions with the interplanetary magnetic field, they plan to focus on one aspect of the sun-Earth connection-that is, on characterizing the dynamics, properties and structure of the solar wind as it flows through the inner heliosphere.
DuBois received a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Florida. His current research involves quantum Monte Carlo simulations of interacting bose systems and Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC). Predicted by Einstein in 1925, BEC is of fundamental importance in superfluidity and superconductivity, as well as lasers and a host of other phenomena. The observation of a "pure" condensed state in atomic vapors in 1995 opened the doors to a vast and exciting new area of study. DuBois is working with his adviser Henry Glyde to understand some of the fundamental questions raised by BEC such as the connection between the condensed state as observed in dilute vapors and that of the highly interacting liquid Helium. The results of this work are expected to provide quantitative predictions that will aid in the design and interpretation of low temperature experiments performed in NASA's microgravity facilities.
Elguindi received a bachelor's degree in earth sciences and geography and a master's degree in geography at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is working with her advisers Brian Hanson and Cathleen Geiger to understand the effects of local atmospheric processes on sea-ice variability in Antarctica. Her current research involves modeling the effect of the Antarctic Peninsula and the Filchner-Ronne ice shelf on local atmospheric processes and sea-ice dynamics in the Weddell Sea. This research will provide more insight to the dynamics of global climate change by increasing our understanding of the atmosphere-ocean-ice interactions in the polar regions.
Pledgie received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a master's degree in biomechanics and movement science from UD. His master's thesis investigated the suppression of pathological tremor movements with robotic devices and will be presented this summer at the 1999 International Conference on Rehabilitation Robotics at Stanford University. His current research is devoted to the development of a haptic interface that can function as an advanced exercise machine for neurorehabilitation. This system will ultimately enable the user to perform three-dimensional movements during which precisely controlled levels of resistance are applied to his or her limb as it navigates a specified trajectory. 
Photo by Jack Buxbaum
