Systems Engineering Educational Discovery (SEED): An Educational Pilot Project

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Systems Engineering Educational Discovery(SEED)
An Educational Pilot Project
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

• Kamlesh Lulla, Ph.D. Ph.D.
• Deputy Manager,
• University Research and Affairs Office
• NASA Johnson Space Center
• Houston, Texas

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SEED Team

• NASA HQ
• Lisa Guerra ( NASA fellow at UT)
• NASA Johnson Space Center
• Internships Bob Musgrove
• Flight experiments Doug Goforth
• Senior Design and DLN Michele Leggitt
• Team Lead Kam Lulla
• University of Texas Austin
• Faculty of UT Aerospace Dept.
• Texas Space Grant Consortium

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Outline

• Background
• Overview of SEED project
• Glimpses of student projects
• Student feedback
• NASA Digital Learning Network
• SEED Phase II highlights
• Summary

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Need for Systems Engineers

• Background
• NASA and Aerospace industry recognizes an urgent
  need for Systems Engineering expertise
• National Academy of Engineering recommends
  interdisciplinary training for Engineers of
  tomorrow (Engineer 2020 reports)

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Report by Jain and Verma (2007)
A distribution of degrees offered by US based SE
centric programs.
A distribution of degrees offered by US based SE
centric programs.
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SEED Growing future systems engineers
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SEEDCurriculum and internships

• Systems Engineering curriculum development and
  pilot course
• Students from pilot course completing internships
  at JSC
• Curriculum validation and feedback

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SEED overview

• Some notable accomplishments
• Systems Engineering Reduced Gravity flight
  project- a national effort
• 41 students (10 females) and 10 faculty members
  did fly during the April 2008
• 5 conventional microgravity and 5 lunar gravity
  flights
• 18 student received course credits
• Teams paired with NASA mentors for real time
  interactions
• Participating universities gave high marks to the
  project
• Purdue University
• University of Colorado at Boulder
• Auburn University
• Portland State University
• University of Cincinnati

• Ohio State University
• University of Nebraska - Lincoln
• Carthage College
• Polytechnic University
• University of Kentucky

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SEED Student projects
Marshall Space Flight Center Project Purdue
University
Lunar Angle of Repose for soil simulants in
lunar gravity regime
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SEED Student projects
Johnson Space Center Project Auburn University
Multimission Space suit EVA Drink Bag Filling
Process
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SEED Feedback

• Great program! I think the idea of students
  carrying out NASA oriented research was a great
  idea and should be built upon for future
  programs. (Faculty)
• This is a wonderful program, an excellent
  educational opportunity and a tremendous behind
  the scenes look at NASA research, project
  development an exploration mission design. I am
  exceptionally pleased that I got a chance to do
  this as a faculty member (Faculty)

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SEEDFeedback

• This was a very good program. Our peer mentor
  was very helpful. The program could be made
  shorter (students)
• I think the systems engineering knowledge gained
  here at NASA will prove valuable in my future
  employment. I liked the hands-on work (student)
• I think my interactions prior to an during the
  flight week really improved chances of success
  for the student experiment. This program gave
  students a unique opportunity to gain hands-on
  design and schedule driven experience. The data
  collected will also support my NASA project and
  thus real component of a program (NASA mentor)

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NASA Digital Learning Network
Bring NASA to your students! Real life
experiences, dynamic interactions with NASA
Engineers Scientists on the future and past
NASA missions

• Johnson Space Center

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JSC DLN System Engineering Design Challenge

• Allowed multiple interactive connections with
  NASA Engineers and Scientists and participating
  university students.
• NASA Engineer Ann Bufkins briefing on systems
  engineering at JSC to high school students
• NASA scientist Dr. Carl Allen connected with
  students live to discuss the Lunar surface
  properties.

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Systems Engineering Design Challenge
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Connections 19 Students 75 Teachers 8
Other 0 Total 83
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Connections
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Faculty
Students
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DLN an underutilized resource by universities

• Post Flight connection opportunities
• Available to speak directly to university
  students regarding NASA and coursework.
• Faculty utilizing DLN can allow for more
  student experiences and interactions with NASA.

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SEED Phase II Highlights of follow on
initiatives

• Availability of systems engineering curriculum
  on-line
• Extend systems engineering curriculum to graduate
  level
• Enhance involvement of graduate students in
  curriculum development
• Use NASA Digital Learning Networks for systems
  engineering design challenge an other related
  outreach activities

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SEED Phase II Highlights of follow on
initiatives

• Increase Systems engineering Internship
  opportunities
• Increase Systems engineering reduced gravity
  student flight opportunities
• Engage faculty teaching Systems engineering in
  Flight teams
• Engage nation-wide engineering faculty by
  organizing conference presentations of systems
  engineering curriculum at ASEE or equivalent
  national conferences

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Summary

• Our collaborations with universities nationwide
  will continue as we renew our efforts to grow
  Future generations of systems engineers!

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