Learn about our grant program funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
We have partnered with the University of Maryland (UMD) and NASA to launch a new initiative establishing Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics (STEM) majors at Prince George's Community College.
This initiative is funded and supported by NASA's Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Curriculum Awards (MCA) grant, allowing us to enhance our chemistry and physics curricula, expand undergraduate research in physics and chemistry, send students to NASA and UMD internships, support STEM Week, and develop Open Educational Resources (OER).
Grant Goals
- Support the newly implemented chemistry associate's degree program.
- Raise the physics curriculum to prepare students for an associate's degree.
- Enhance partnerships between the College and UMD faculty to support student success.
- Establish new partnerships and enhance current ones between the College and NASA.
- Offer students undergraduate research experience with stipends while taking college courses.
- Send students to NASA and UMD for paid summer internships.
- Support the College's annual STEM Week.
- Develop culturally responsive academic support services.
- Provide faculty professional development opportunities on culturally relevant and responsive instruction.
- Create Open Educational Resources (OER) textbooks and practice repositories for physics and chemistry curricula.
Grant Accomplishments
- The College recently purchased new equipment to enhance labs and hands-on learning experiences.
- 12 students participated in undergraduate projects with paid stipends.
- Six students enrolled in paid summer internships at NASA and UMD. (NASA offered a $8,200 stipend per intern for a 10-week, full-time internship.)
Student Internships
These students have enrolled in paid internships for summer 2024.
| Student Name | Internship Location | Faculty Mentor |
| Ms. Zainab Ali | UMD, C | Dr. Leah Dodson |
| Ms. Oyindamola Dada | UMD | Dr. Eun-Suk Seo |
| Mr. Okezie Eleweanya | NASA GSFC | Dr. Nat Gopalswamy Dr. Pertti Makela, Heliophysics |
| Clint Hinostroza | NASA GSFC | Dr. David Simpson, Heliophysics |
| Ms. Sokhna Mbacke | NASA HQ | Dr. Dave Berger |
| Ms. Adanna Ogba | NASA HQ | Ms. Samantha Thorsten |
Undergraduate Research
These students have participated in undergraduate research for spring and summer 2024.
| Student Name | Faculty Mentor |
| Ms. Jennifer Flores | Dr. Nilanthi Yasapala |
| Mr. Clint Hinostroza | Dr. Neeharika Thakur |
| Mr. Jenand Joseph | Dr. Neeharika Thakur |
| Ms. Mia LaPlace | Dr. Nadene Houser-Archield |
| Ms. Daisy Navarro | Dr. Nilanthi Yasapala |
| Ms. Oluwadamilola Ogunbiyi | Dr. Lynne Heighton |
| Mr. Christian Reyes |
Dr. Nadene Houser-Archield |
| Ms. Kekeli Woyome | Dr. Shehu-Alemi Elelu |
NASA Seminar Series
Coming soon.
Please check back later for more details on the NASA Seminar Series.
STEM Week
This grant program supports the College's annual STEM Week event. Learn more >
STEM Week 2024 Recorded Sessions
Please contact Dr. Neeharika Thakur at thakurnx@pgcc.edu or call 301-546-0605 to request access.
Acronyms and Helpful Links
- NASA: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration >
- NASA GSFC: Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, MD) >
- NASA Headquarters (Washington, D.C.) >
- MUREP: NASA's Minority University Research and Education Project >
- UMD: University of Maryland, College Park >
Grant Project Team Members
Neeharika Thakur, Ph. D.
Principal Investigator
Professor, Physics and Astronomy
Department of Natural Sciences
STEM Division
Prince George's Community College
Nadene Houser-Archield, Ph.D., M.Ed
Co-Investigator
Professor of Chemistry
Academic Coordinator of Chemistry
Department of Natural Sciences
STEM Division
Prince George's Community College
University of Maryland Collaborators
Eun-Suk Seo, Ph. D.
Professor
Department of Physics
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
301-405-4855
https://cosmicray.umd.edu/
Leah Dodson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Maryland, College Park
301-405-1874
chem.umd.edu/dodson
NASA Collaborators
Natchimuthuk Gopalswamy, Ph.D.
Astrophysicist, Heliophysics Science Division
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
David Simpson, Ph.D.
Physicist, Heliophysics Science Divison
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
OER Coordinator
Joshua Halpern, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Howard University
Chief Operating Officer, LibreTexts
Independent Evaluator
James Lookadoo, Ph.D.
University Professor Emeritus
James A. Lookadoo Engineering
Contact Information
301-546-0605 | thakurnx@pgcc.edu
Neeharika Thakur, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator of PGCC's NASA MCA Grant
Professor, Physics and Astronomy
Department of Natural Sciences
STEM Division
Prince George's Community College
301 Largo Road
Largo, MD 20785