Frank Garcia, our undergraduate web and graphic design intern, has won a prestigious internship with NASA’s DEVELOP Summer 2007 Internship Program. DEVELOP is a NASA Program that “fosters human capital development to extend NASA science research to local communities. Students demonstrate to community leaders prototype applications of NASA science measurements and predictions addressing local policy issues. The activities are student led, with advisors and mentors from NASA and other partner organizations” (see http://develop.larc.nasa.gov/).
Frank is a fourth year Geography major and is particularly interested in Physical Geography. He has a solid background and keen interest in GIS and Remote Sensing, and he possesses exceptional interpersonal, computer, multi media, and graphic design skills—all of which made him a prime candidate for the NASA internship. To quote his summary of why he was applying, Frank stated: “My goal ever since I can remember has been to be in some way affiliated with NASA. Perhaps I had youthful dreams of grandeur or what have you, but now I am in a position in my adult career to make that dream a reality. NASA has always been a symbol of science and technology, It’s "more than just astronauts." To me it’s an agency that reaches for the unreachable and the extraordinary. I admire that goal, and I would like to be a part of this program in order to share that aspiration, to learn as much as I can, and to be included in such an elite internship.” Kudos to Frank – and to our department for enabling such aspirations.
