What: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Office of Space Science (OSS) and DePaul University’s Space Science Center will host a workshop aimed at increasing the number of minorities who participate in space science research.

Members of minority professional associations, faculty and administrators from historically black colleges, universities serving sizable Hispanic populations, and tribal colleges attended by Native Americans have been invited to attend the meeting where 200 NASA scientists will be looking to meet prospective team members for future space science projects.

Where: “Chicago 2004: A Workshop to Foster Broader Participation in NASA Space Science Missions and Research Programs” will be held June 28 to 29 at the Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave.

When: The workshop runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Tuesday.

Background: DePaul’s NASA Space Science Center for Education and Outreach has served as the Midwest broker/facilitator for NASA since 1998.

The NASA OSS—responsible for planning and executing research programs and space flight missions to explore the solar system and beyond—aims to increase the numbers of African American, Hispanic and Native American scientists who participate in its programs over the next two to three decades.

According to Carolyn Narasimhan, executive director of DePaul’s space science center, the workshop will offer scientists who are early in their careers, yet experienced enough to have developed specific areas of interest, the opportunity to pre-select areas of space science research and exploration that may be of interest to them. “Over the next decade as scientists seek to understand the universe—from its earliest origins to its current state of complexity—space missions will become broader and more diversified,” said Narasimhan. “These large teams will consist not only of astronomers and astrophysicists, but geologists, chemists, engineers, mathematicians and computer scientists. It is an important goal to increase the numbers of minorities participating in this exciting era of exploration and discovery.”

Who: Current NASA/OSS scientists; principal investigators and co-investigators of mission and research teams; minority university faculty and administrators; members of professional societies of minority scientists seeking to work with OSS, and others who share the goals of the workshop.

Contacts: Philip Sakimoto, acting director of NASA’s Space Science Education and Public Outreach program.
E-mail: Philip.J.Sakimoto@nasa.gov

Lynn Narasimhan, executive director of DePaul’s Space Science Center.
E-mail: cnarasim@depaul.edu

Charles H. McGruder III, William H. McCormack Professor of Physics, Western Kentucky University and past president of the National Society of Black Physicists.
E-mail: Charles.McGruder@wku.edu

Web Site: For an agenda of topics and speakers, visit the workshop Web site at: http://analyzer.depaul.edu/Chicago2004 .