最新天美传媒

By Dakota Galvin, College of Arts and Sciences

More than 3,700 students across North America competed to design experiments for launch aboard the International Space Station 鈥� and in USF鈥檚 first official year participating in the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program (SSEP), an interdisciplinary competition open to all colleges, USF students joined forces and answered the call.

The program, established in 2010 by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE), was made possible at USF through funding designated by Sylvia Thomas, PhD, electrical engineering professor and former vice president for Research and Innovation and CEO of the USF Research Foundation, Inc.

Thanks to a collaboration between USF Research and the College of Engineering, 35 students pursued this once鈥慽n鈥慳鈥憀ifetime opportunity with guidance from mentors including faculty, postdoctoral scholars and doctoral students. Of those, three teams were selected for final review, including five students from the College of Arts and Sciences.

One of the winning teams includes biomedical sciences major Riva Nathani, whose project tests water鈥慶leaning materials in space. Her team is studying how coatings made from the mineral titanium dioxide, enhanced with cactus extract, can break down pollutants in water 鈥� and whether they behave differently in microgravity. The goal is to see if space conditions could make these materials more effective, potentially improving water purification systems for future missions and remote environments on Earth. Her team was advised by Norma Alcantar, professor in the Department of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering and associate dean for research for the College of Engineering, and doctoral student Khuloud Alrashdi.

鈥淚 applied [to the program] because this is a rare opportunity to combine meaningful research on a space mission,鈥� Nathani said.  

鈥淣ot every day a student鈥檚 experiment flies on the International Space Station.鈥�

鈥淏ut even if I鈥檓 not selected for the experiment to fly in space, the experience of designing and preparing the space-appropriate experiment will be enormously valuable,鈥� she added.

鈥淚 will gain insight into problem-solving and collaboration as well as skills related to scientific communication and science and impact my future research.鈥�

For one of Nathani鈥檚 teammates, Ivan Alexis Martinez Diez-Muro 鈥� a health sciences major from the College of Public Health 鈥� this experience has strengthened his resolve to pursue space medicine. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned that science isn鈥檛 done alone; it鈥檚 a collaborative endeavor combining creativity and precision,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his experience has encouraged me to study medicine. I鈥檓 applying to be an MD/MPH candidate because I want to be a cardiologist who contributes to global and space health research.鈥�

Competing against Nathani and Martinez Diez-Muro鈥檚 team is biology major Jaiden Brick, whose team proposed investigating chitosan 鈥� a compound derived from natural sources like shrimp shells and beetles 鈥� as a key ingredient in a versatile hydrogel mixture. Their experiment aims to compare how these gels form in microgravity versus on Earth, with the goal of uncovering structural differences that could inform the design of more effective materials for use in space-based applications.

For Brick, the experience nurtured her love for collaborative projects.

鈥淥ne of my favorite moments working with my team was when we were in a laboratory setting. Because we all come from different majors and grade levels, it was interesting to compare the kinds of lab environments each of us are used to,鈥� Brick said.  

鈥淚t was a rare opportunity for students from different colleges to come together and work on a project, and I鈥檝e had such an amazing time getting to know my teammates.鈥�

Now, the proposals from the finalists will be reviewed by a national SSEP board, which will select one experiment from USF to fly aboard the ISS.

This win for them was met with steep competition 鈥� including Taylor Carroll, a physical sciences major with a minor in astronomy, who collaborated with students from the College of Engineering to explore ways to slow aluminum corrosion during a redox (reduction-oxidation) reaction involving hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide. If selected for flight, their experiment could offer insights into improving the durability and efficiency of aluminum-based fuel cells 鈥� a step Carroll believes could advance cleaner, more sustainable energy technologies.

Ultimately, this opportunity also brought Carroll closer to a lifelong goal.

鈥淚 have wanted to work for NASA and study astronomy, physics or space systems since I was in fourth grade, and that dream has never deviated,鈥� Carroll said.

鈥淎s a first-generation college student, it felt like such a dream to be selected for this opportunity, studying what I am most deeply passionate about, as well as meeting others with that same love and networking with amazing advisors and research associates.鈥� Her team was advised by Norma Alcantar and  doctoral student Eesha Bhattacharjee.

Though her team wasn鈥檛 selected to move forward, she still had a valuable takeaway:

鈥淚 hope that I鈥檝e grown as a researcher and will only become better, showing that challenges are welcomed 鈥� and no matter the hardships, anyone can do it with a little bit of determination,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 also hope this experience will open other opportunities for me in space systems and really showcase my love for NASA and their affiliate research, in all capacities.鈥�

In addition to Alcantar and Thomas, faculty members Stephanie Carey, Christine Richards, Aydin Sunol, and Arash Takshi, along with staff and graduate-level mentors guided students through their experiment design and proposals.

According to doctoral candidate Eva Fernandez, a lead advisor who helped three different teams go through the initial proposal and research process, this experience opened students鈥� eyes to careers and the possibilities of what they can accomplish.

鈥淓ngineering and STEM research is dynamic, and students need to be future-thinking, so they are ahead of 鈥� or on the cusp of 鈥� innovative technologies, projects, and career paths,鈥� Fernandez said.

鈥淭hanks to this experience, some students have realized that even if what their life鈥檚 goal is not visible at the time, they can forge their own path as they experience new and unfolding research,鈥� she added.

Saundra Johnson Austin, EdD, director of Student Engagement in Research and Innovation, is serving as the liaison between the university and the NCESSE and works weekly with the teams and their mentors to keep their projects on track. Now that the finalists are chosen, she鈥檒l continue to work with the teams to make sure they鈥檙e prepared to submit abstracts for the Florida Undergraduate Research Conference in March 2026 and the OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference in April 2026.

While the space flight is exciting, Austin hopes that all the students who participated will carry this experience with them well into their careers.

鈥淚 hope students gain confidence in their abilities, a deeper understanding of the scientific process, and the resilience to learn from challenges,鈥� Austin said.

鈥淲hether or not their experiment is selected for flight, they should leave inspired, skilled in research and collaboration, and motivated to pursue new questions, opportunities, and innovation.鈥�

The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) will formally announce the flight experiment winners in mid-December 鈥� something the scholars  and the university eagerly await.