Video Transcript

NASA Student Airborne Research Program 2013

Length: 5:58

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Sam Pellock, SARP Participant

One thing that really appealed is that it was just NASA, and had no idea that they had an airborne research program.

Tim Johnston, SARP Participant

Honestly, when I read about the DC-8 flying laboratory, I was like, OK, I have to apply to that one.

Rachel Kirpes, SARP Participant

It was definitely really fun to be able to fly on the DC-8.  It's like you're working in a lab but you're up in the air while you do it.

Michael Austerberry, SARP Participant

The Student Airborne Research Program, from beginning to end, was an enormous, fun learning experience.  And it’s something that I’ll definitely carry with me for a very long time.

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Emily Schaller, SARP Project Manager

The NASA Student Airborne Research Program, or SARP, is a unique summer internship program for undergraduate juniors and seniors majoring in any of the science, technology, engineering, or math disciplines.

Josette Marerro, SARP Mentor

SARP is an 8-week program where students have this opportunity to do really unique science that they wouldn't have the opportunity to do anywhere else.  Learn about the Earth system itself, and learn more about NASA and the Airborne Science Program.

Shane Grigsby, SARP Mentor

For SARP, you're not really an employee, you're really, you're a researcher and you get to have the opportunity to see what it's like to be a researcher; to actually, ask your own questions and decide what's important to you.

And one of the things that's really neat about it is that you get a chance to have resources that you normally wouldn't be able to have access to.  So you actually have aircraft that are flying scientific instruments. And you have access to do a lot more challenging and sort of innovative things than you might have access to, normally as an undergraduate.

Emily Schaller, SARP Project Manager

This is the fifth summer that we’ve offered the program. The students flew on the NASA DC-8, which is one of NASA’s airborne laboratories.

So this summer, we had four research groups. Two of the research groups used remote sensing techniques.  One focused on studying the ocean, and the other group focused on studying forest ecology. The other two groups studied the atmosphere looking at air quality in Los Angeles and collecting air samples in the Los Angeles Basin and California Central Valley.

Josette Marerro, SARP Mentor

The students get to do everything hands on and get to see what it's like to actually be a graduate student.  A lot of the work that the students do here is very independent.   And I think they get a little bit of understanding of that kind of critical thinking that’s required in order to continue on in science.

Dion Kucera, SARP Participant

Well, I've never done a research program before so I was most interested in seeing how research was done from beginning to end, from collecting data to analyzing data to presenting the data.  And this program really gave me the opportunity to do that as well as to see how NASA participates in the Earth sciences.

To be able to go to the places that NASA has and to see all the planes and all the equipment that they have to study the Earth, I really had no idea how NASA was so involved in the Earth sciences before I participated in this program.

Maribel Torres Velazquez

It’s incredible!  It’s like you are working from the beginning collecting data in the airplanes.  Also in going to the field trips. And then you have the opportunity to select what data you want to use.  And then you create your own project and make the way to do it successfully.

I think that is the focus of the program; to expose you to a research experience from the beginning to the end.

Michael Austerberry, SARP Participant

This is the second internship that I've done with NASA. And each time I'm consistently surprised by the amount of choice there is in terms of directions you can pursue with research.

But I was really in charge of my own project here and that was the big difference.  It's a lot more rewarding to see something that you yourself are the impetus behind actually coming to fruition.

Tyra Brown, SARP Participant

I definitely gained the ability to go start to finish with a research project.  I’ve never had such a hands-on experience with my research.

I think that was almost the best part for me is being able to both live and work with all of these different people from different universities.  Everyone has different backgrounds and they all contribute to the information that's coming in and out of the projects.

Rachel Kirpes, SARP Participant

I think that was really one of the cool things about this program.  Is that it brings students from all over the country who have different backgrounds together.  And we were able to collaborate really well.  And I had more background in the chemistry side of things and other people in my group knew a lot more about the meteorology, so we were able to work together and help each other out with our projects.

Emily Shaller, SARP Project Manager

We’re providing students with this opportunity that allows them to see the full range of research that NASA does in the Earth system sciences.

A lot of our students have gone on to pursue Masters and PhD degrees in the Earth system sciences.  We’ve had a lot of students who’ve been awarded national level fellowships.

And some students have even gone on to participate in NASA Airborne Science Program missions around the world.

Tim Johnston, SARP Participant

Coming into SARP I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do after undergrad.  But SARP has definitely made me realize that I'm all about going to grad school and I want to continue researching, hopefully towards a PhD.  And for my career I definitely intend to stay involved in Earth systems research.

I never thought I would make so many great friends that I'm going to plan on keeping in touch with in the future, or maybe see in the future.  It was a fantastic bonding experience.

Sam Pellock, SARP Participant

Yeah, it's so inspiring and that's what you want, really.  You want, the people around you, and the people on the plane that work for NASA, in my mind they're kind of like heroes, and that's the kind of thing that you want to have to inspire future students.  This project, even for, I'm 21 years old and I still get inspired by that kind of thing.  So, definitely training future scientists for Earth science.

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