At 6:35 p.m. Wednesday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the environment was filled with familiar smoke, flames, and the roaring engines of Artemis II as it lifted off for a flight test around the moon and back.
It is the first crewed lunar flyby in more than 50 years, and the first in the Artemis program for NASA.
It is the next step in increased space exploration for the U.S. as the program prepares for future missions to Mars.
While such launches and future lunar exploration may garner the most attention for NASA, there is much more work the organization completes here on Earth. Enter Chase Laduque, a junior Sociology major at Texas A&M University – Kingsville, who just received an acceptance letter for a NASA Disaster Response Research Support internship.
This internship researches geospatial analysis, knowledge management and communication across various audiences.
“My internship involves me working alongside the Disaster Response Coordination System team at NASA to conduct geospatial analysis. As a student who is interested in a career in research, I am excited for the opportunity to learn from professionals at NASA and build a strong resumé that will help me in my future endeavors,” Laduque said.
Geospatial analysis is the process of collecting and analyzing location-based data to find patterns and relationships between specific geographic locations.This data is then turned into maps, 3D models and charts for disaster response.
Dr. Jieming Chen, a professor of Sociology from the Department of Psychology and Sociology, shared some of his insight about the importance of making the connection between theory and real-world application.
“A sociology internship can be one of the most formative parts of a student’s college experience. Not simply because it is good for resumé-building, I believe the experience can help a student to apply sociological theories in a real-world setting to develop analytical and communication skills,” Chen said.
“Also, an internship helps a student build professional networks and enhance their readiness for future professional careers,” Chen said.
Noting the importance of that strong foundation, Chen highlighted Laduque who is already showing potential.
“Mr. Chase Laduque is currently taking a sociology course with me. Through my interactions with him, I believe he is a hard-working individual highly driven for academic excellence. I am confident that he will have a very successful professional career in the future,” Chen said.
Dr. Scott Anthony Jones, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, is proud to see this level of achievement, noting how it reflects the dedication of both the students and the department.
“It’s exciting, it’s an amazing accomplishment for the student and it’s validation for the program. The students and their mentors are doing excellent work, and it is something that is such an honor for the Sociology program. I just could not be prouder. There’s no limit within the capabilities of our students,” Scott said.