By Jason Klaiber
Staff Writer
The Dresser-Rand Challenger Learning Center, located in Allegany, NY, hosted the first installment of its Exploring Science Lecture Series this week in the Walsh Ampitheater.
The learning center is a non-profit, space-themed education program designed to teach students science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through simulations and hands-on experiences.
On Monday, the Challenger Learning Center invited Kevin H. Miller to present a talk to students, faculty members, and local residents. Miller works for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center, an organization that carries out space explorations and makes scientific discoveries.
“The main portion of my talk concerned NASA missions of interest to the general public and was supported in part by the research work I conduct,” Miller said.
Miller’s end goal was to promote interest and enthusiasm in STEM careers by describing his own longtime fascination with science, which led him to his current line of work.
“My interest in science stems from a very enthusiastic high school physics teacher I had who always provided hands-on examples for textbook concepts,” said Miller. “He sold me on physics.”
Miller obtained an undergraduate degree in physics at St. Bonaventure in 2004. During his junior year at St. Bonaventure, he completed what amounted to a fellowship at Notre Dame University, where he worked in a laboratory with a man internationally distinguished in the field of solid-state physics. He then pursued doctoral research at the University of Florida.
Presently, Miller manages a laboratory at NASA Goddard that focuses on infrared optical measurements. He also works on the James Webb Space Telescope, which is now NASA’s flagship mission and the replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope. Miller is also working on OSIRIS REx, a satellite scheduled to land on a nearby asteroid and later return to Earth.
“My future work with NASA is largely guided by missions proposed by the agency’s officials and chosen to receive congressional funding,” said Miller.
Once the plans for these space missions are put forward, scientists such as Miller as well as engineers and technologists contribute to the mission with their specialized expertise of spacecraft, technology, and scientific instruments.
In April of 2014, he was awarded the NASA Early Career Achiever Award for his laboratory work.
The Challenger Learning Center’s next Exploring Science Lecturer, Taylor Pancoast, will be presenting his talk entitled “If a Tree Falls…” which will discuss the natures of reality and sound. This presentation will be held on Monday, Nov. 10 at the Challenger Learning Center.
On Monday, Nov. 17, Matthew M. Kropf will be speaking at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. His Exploring Science Lecture, entitled “The Science of Energy Sustainability,” will center on scientific metrics that are used to evaluate the sustainability of energy development. Both lectures are free of charge and open to the public.
