A science project designed by Hillcrest students Keltson Howell, Megan Dolle, and Nikos Liodakis is one of 16 nationwide and the only one from Utah selected by the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program to fly on the Space Shuttle Endeavor.
After several delays, the Endeavour is scheduled for lift-off on May 16, 2011. The students and their adviser, Jonathan Miller, will be watching. Here are their reflections on being part of history, as this mission is Endeavour’s final flight into space.
Jonathan Miller
Occupation: Physics teacher at Hillcrest High School
Education: University of California, Berkeley,
2007, B.A. Environmental Science, physics minor
University of Utah, Professional Science Master’s,
Science Instrumentation and Physics
Hobbies and interests: physics, literature, and
gastronomy
“Frog embryos are loaded, the astronauts have arrived, and the Canyons team is ready to watch the blast off!”.
Jonathan’s reflections on his Endeavour experience:
The Student Spaceflight Experiment Program is an incredible opportunity and I am very excited about my participation. Besides the scientific relevance of our stellar experiment, observing a space shuttle launch is a wholly unique experience that has been an inspiration to thousands of individuals. This experience collaborating with NASA and the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is the first step for these students to begin a successful academic career in the natural sciences, and it is a profound one. However, the importance of the SSEP program stretches beyond the individual experiments. Investment in science education is crucial for a continually prosperous society, and the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program is an incredible example of such efforts and sends a powerful message. As a teacher, a lifetime student, and a global citizen, the launch of Shuttle Endeavor will be an experience like no other.
