Let's Go to Space: BLUE-SKY Learning

Laurie Orth is a music teacher who teaches about space exploration and rockets in her music classroom. She believes the classroom is where the arts and sciences coexist to develop creative people today for the workforce of tomorrow. In 2019, Ms. Orth published space-themed music in a workbook called Rocket Recorder. Laurie is passionate about starting the STEM and STEAM pipeline for young people through the pathway of music, and she passionately believes educators can collaborate to teach across the curriculum for more engaging lessons. Im addition to her young students, Laurie e teacsh professional development for music, STEM and STEAM educators.As if that were not enough, she volunteers with the Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, teaching her space-themed music curriculum and combining that with lessons about women in aerospace careers. She is also a volunteer with the Air & Space Forces Association as Chapter President for Savannah AFA. When she is not teaching or inspiring students through music, Laure is a professional singer in her community and even has her own podcast through The Space Foundation. We are sure this interview will hit the right notes and we hope you will stay tuned after for our takeaway.

Laurie's website:  Www.laurieorth.com 

Laurie's podcasthttps://www.spacefoundation.org/2022/01/14/space4u-podcast-laurie-orth-rocket-recorder-author-composer-educator/

Today we meet with Wolfpack VIP member Colin Quinn, a freshman at Suncoast Community High School in South Florida.  As part of the Wolfpack, he was part of the team working on the  CapSat-1 mission and is in the process of developing his own CubeSat mission, which will aim to study cosmic radiation in space. Colin is an aspiringI aerospace engineer and we know he is well on his way to achieving that dream. As always stay tuned after for the takeaway.

Today, Kevin and I meet with Edward Ellegood. Edward began his career as a space industry economist in the Florida Department of Commerce, while there he served as staff to a Governor's Commission on Space, which recommended that the state take a larger role in developing the space industry. He moved from Tallahassee to the Space Coast in 1990 to start-up the Spaceport Florida Authority (now Space Florida) as the nation's first space transportation authority. In 2001 he transitioned to start-up the Florida Space Research Institute as a spinoff of the Spaceport Authority. After FSRI and the Spaceport Authority were dissolved to make way for Space Florida in 2006, he joined Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University as a Space Policy Analyst and Director of Aerospace Development. He has since worked with Starfighters Aerospace, Saalex Corp., SimIS Corp., and currently ICF Corp. He serves on the board of the National Space Club, Florida Committee, publishes the weekly FLORIDA SPACErePORT newsletter, and was inducted in 2022 to the Florida Space Worker Hall of Fame.

Link to his blog: http://spacereport.blogspot.com/

Today we meet with three amazing young women, Sree Patnayakui, Abhi Soundarajan, and Celine Schauer.  These girls, ranging from middle to high school are members of the Wolfpack CubeSat Development Team and have aspiring futures in STEM. Check out what motivates these girls to love space along with their current aerospace goals. 

In this special centennial episode, Kevin and I look back on the amazing accomplishments of our students in the various programs offered by the Aerospace and Innovation Academy. Join us as we celebrate an incredibly productive and successful two years of podcasting and providing real world experiential aerospace opportunities.

Caeden Dooner is a 2nd year Aerospace Engineering student at the University of Central Florida. He started working on the AMARIS Lunar Rover with other Wolfpack CubeSat Development Team members while he was still in high school. In fact, one of our first interviews on this podcast (episode 2 to be specific) is when we first takjed with Caeden and his teammate Owen, whose now at UF.. The Rover will use components of CubeSat technologies and its mission is to mitigate lunar dust using electrostatics. In addition to an update on this long term project, Caeden shares insights into surviving your first few years in a rigorous engineering program.

Today we meet with Theresa Robertson, who has been inspiring elementary and middle school students in STEM in for over 22 years. Theresa has a Masters in STEM coaching and is working towards her  Education Specialist Degree in Educational Technology. Currently she is a STEM elective teacher in Missouri utilizing the well known program, Project Lead the Way, where she engages students with classes such as Flight and Space, Design and Modeling, and Computer Technologies.

Thersa has presented nationally for the Smithsonian Educator Summit and with the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Teacher Innovator Institute. In addition to these impressive accolades, she is also a Space Station Ambassador as well as a Space Foundation Teacher Liaison. While she has several kids at school, she is also the mom of college aged twins!

We are always inspired by passionate educators and we know you too will be inspired by Theresa Robertson. Please stay tuned after for our takeaways.

Jake Pearman is an undergraduate at Florida Atlantic University pursuing a mechanical engineering degree with an aerospace certificate. He is also the president of FAU’s Aerospace Experimental Association, a student-focused club dedicated to providing a platform for students to learn STEM in engaging projects.

Jake currently serves as the project manager, systems engineer, and software subsystem lead for a 6U CubeSat with the College of Engineering in partnership with Kennedy Space Center and the Florida Space Grant Consortium.

Outside of academia, Jake is an officer in the Air Force ROTC Detachment 155 out of the University of Miami, where he has held numerous leadership positions, including being the Cadet Wing Commander in Fall of 2022. Once graduated, Jake will attend Air Force pilot training and serve on active duty for 10 years.

We really enjoyed our time with Jake and hope you will stay tuned after for our takeaway.

John Inness is a guidance, navigation, and control engineer at Marshall Space Flight Center supporting various projects including SLS, HLS, Solar Cruiser, SVGS, and more. He is originally from North Carolina where he went to North Carolina State University for aerospace engineering and co-oped at Marshall Space Flight Center while a student. Upon graduation, he began full time work at MSFC.  In his spare time, John enjoys playing music, cooking and trying various foods, hiking, and ultimate frisbee.  As always, stay tuned after for our takeaways. 

Today Kevin and I meet with Noor Daraiseh, an oceanography student at the Florida Institute of Technology. She hopes to achieve a phD, after which she would dive into oceanic climate research, which could also add insight into space research as well. Noor is very passionate about education and the power it has in our communities, and would ultimately like to be like to be a professor after fulfilling her research goals. In addition to playing the violin, reading, playing video/board games, and cooking, Noor intends to be able to spread not only education, but a passion for music and instrument learning across younger audiences.   We hope you will stay tuned after for our takeaways!