Fairfield University's Microgravity Team has won one of 34 national NASA grants through the Johnson Space Center's Reduced Gravity Student Opportunities Program.

"The Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program provides a unique academic experience for undergraduate students to successfully propose, design, fabricate, fly and evaluate a reduced gravity experiment of their choice over the course of six months. The overall experience includes scientific research, hands-on experimental design, test operations and educational/public outreach activities."

We will be flying on board the DC-9 reduced gravity aircraft with our experiment in the end of March, 2007. Our outreach activities include extensive work with Bridgeport inner-city schools through our partnership with The Discovery Museum in Bridgeport Connecticut, and local high schools in Fairfield.

The team will be conducting an experiment on the effects of atmospheric pressure of large droplet splashes on a dry rigid surface. It is comprised of the following members:

Brendan Hermalyn - Team Contact, Project Manager-Senior, Majors: Physics and Music
Mike Zaffetti - Senior, Majors: Physics and Computer Engineering
John Stupak - Senior, Major: Physics
Jessica Kurose - Senior, Majors: Physics, Computer Science
Dr. Leslie Schaffer - Faculty Advisor

This is the first time that Fairfield University has applied for or received a grant of this nature, and the team is proud to have been awarded a slot in such a competitive program. Our participation will, in addition to furthering the understanding of the science in our experiment, enhance the learning experience of the students in the schools we will visit, provide exposure of Fairfield University, the Physics department, and The Discovery Museum and Planetarium to a wide audience, and publicize NASA and its programs.