The Hawai'i Space Grant Consortium awarded undergraduate fellowships in the Fall of 2004 to students at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa and Hilo.

University of Hawai'i at Manoa:

• Kristine Ayson, a senior in Biology and Physics, will work with mentor Dr. Karen Meech of the Institute for Astronomy on a project utilizing a large database of comet images. Kristine's project, titled "The Effects of Aging on the Morphology of the Dust Comae of Periodic and Non-periodic Comets with Regards to the Formation of Jets" will include the collection and processing of images from the UH 2.2 meter telescope at Mauna Kea.

• Josh Nagashima, a senior in Chemistry will work with mentor Dr. Craig Jensen of the Department of Chemistry researching "Hydrogen Fuel Storage-Metal Hydrides." Josh's work will help develop improved hydrogen cycling capacities of metal hydrides, which could ultimately lead to an improvement of cost and performance of energy storage in spacecraft.

• Bridget Cantu, a senior in Mechanical Engineering, will use theoretical analyses to study the effects of high-frequency vibrations and micro-convection on the motion of suspended crystals in microgravity environments. Bridget's project, titled "Effects of g-jitter on the Motion of Particle Seeds for Microgravity Crystal Growth Applications," is being conducted under mentor Dr. Carlos Coimbra of the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

• Michele Harman, a senior in Global Environmental Science, will use remote sensing data from the IKONOS satellite, GIS, and field observations to map native and invasive plants in the Makaha Valley watershed. Working with mentor Dr. Tomoaki Miura of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Michele seeks to understand the effects of invasive species on biodiversity and ecosystems. The project is titled "Understanding how Earth is Changing: Invasive Species."

• Jasen Kaya, a senior in Mechanical Engineering, will pursue a project titled "Effects of Slip Condition on the Aerodynamics of Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles." Working with mentor Dr. Marcelo Kobayashi of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jasen will use computational fluid dynamics tools to investigate the forces and moments acting on the vehicles at high altitudes.

• David Narahara, a junior in Mechanical Engineering, will work on a project titled, "Processing, Performance, and Characterization of Continuous Fiber Ceramic Composites with Nanoparticles" with mentor Dr. Mehrdad Ghasemi Nejhad of the Department of Mechanical Engineering. David seeks to understand how the addition of nanoparticles may improve the mechanical performance of ceramic composites used in high temperature jet-engine or space hardware components.

• Alina Stauffer, a senior in Mathematics, will continue working with mentor Dr. Monique Chyba of the Department of Mathematics on a project titled "Optimizing Orbital Transfer." Alina's work emphasizes the use of differential geometry and numerical simulations visualized in 3D to solve how to transfer satellites or spacecraft from one orbit to another in the shortest time.

• Kristina Wong, a senior in Electrical Engineering, will continue her interdisciplinary research project involving physics, engineering, and materials science. Kristina's project, titled "Study of Micro- and Nano-cracks in Fatigued Advanced Materials" includes samples from the Shuttle Columbia and is being conducted with mentor Dr. Murli Manghnani of the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology. She is using a variety of advanced microscopes in her study of the elastic properties of ceramic fiber-reinforced composite materials and ceramic sensors used in space vehicles.

• Anna Moore, a senior in Geography, will continue her project using Geographic Information Systems to analyze lichen morphology in relation to its distribution over different elevations and growing surfaces. Anna's project, titled "Spatial Distribution of the Lichen Stereocaulon vulcani on Mauna Loa Volcano, Hawai'i" will document the growing habits of this primitive plant that shows tolerance to environmental extremes, which may prove beneficial to future astrobiology research. Serving as mentor this semester is Dr. Rebecca Ostertag of the Department of Biology.

• Amanda Leonard, a senior in Geology, will work with mentor Drs. Jene Michaud and Ken Hon of the Department of Geology to create a new illustrated brochure and companion website on the natural history of Mauna Kea Volcano. Her project, titled "Educational Outreach for Mauna Kea Astronomy" is designed to give the public a better understanding of the natural history, astronomical discoveries, and cultural significance of Mauna Kea. Final Report

University of Hawai'i at Manoa:

• Kalil G. Abdullah, a freshman in Microbiology, will work with mentor Dr. Dulal Borthakur of the Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering to learn about aspects of genetic engineering. Kalil's traineeship, titled "Preserving Bacteria in Space Through Genetic Engineering," will help him gain valuable experience in laboratory techniques.