NASA leads STEM Students in Robotics Competition on Campus
Cypress College STEM students who participated in the NCAS (NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars) program this year completed their final event last week: the robotics competition.
NCAS-enrolled scholars from the (STEM)2 program, 21 in total, broke into four teams to pit small-scale Mars rovers against each other in multiple contests.
In the first, team vehicles roamed faux Martian terrain to collect rocks and identify minerals. During the second, teams collected Hot Wheel Mars rovers, some of which were atop a simulated Olympus Mons, a tall, orchestrated mountain in the center of the field. Team Red took first place, bringing in five rocks, identifying two minerals, and collecting nine mini rovers.
The four-day competition capped off the NCAS course, and featured a series of missions to demonstrate career pathways in STEM for underrepresented groups. Missions included visiting UC Irvine’s College of Engineering, touring Google in Playa Vista, and networking with mentors and professionals in the field.
The partnership with NCAS began four years ago. Yanet Garcia, Director of Educational Partnerships – STEM and the competition’s co-Principal Investigator alongside Dr. Ron Armale, Astronomy and Physics professor, says it has been a platform of representation ever since.
“Experiences like this really affect students’ trajectories,” Yanet said. “They think, ‘You know what, I can work for NASA. I can get that degree. I can work in that industry.’ Not every college has this on their campus. We can consider ourselves very fortunate to have this beautiful partnership with NASA. I’m just beyond grateful.”
Two speakers at event this year began their academic careers at community colleges. Ramon Rubio went on to earn a M.S. in Structural Engineering from UCLA and work for 15 years in the field, eventually launching his own business. Dr. Farisa Morales went on to receive a Ph.D. in Physics from USC and has worked with JPL since 2000.
The NASA on Campus team members deployed to assist students assemble their robots were Michael McGlone, Louis Thompson, and Mikel Tinich in person, and Melodee Sweeny online. Mentors Jesus Hoil, Sarah Kernal, Alex Miyoshi, Abel G Peña lent their hands to students, too.
An esteemed panel of judges were also in attendance: Mayor of Cypress Scott Minikus; Buena Park City Manager Aaron France; Cypress College Foundation Board Member and Public Affairs Manager at So Cal Gas, Clarissa Serpas; District Representative from the Office of Congresswoman Michelle Steel, Zechariah Jauregui; Math Professor Christina Plett; and Chemistry Professor Phyllis Mays.
NOCCCD Chancellor Dr. Byron D. Clift Breland, Cypress College President Dr. Scott W. Thayer, and Vice President of Instruction Dr. Kathleen Reiland attended the event as well, along with an audience of campus community members cheering on the tiny, mighty rovers built by enthusiastic STEM students.