Explore Moon to Mars: BEST Thermal Protection
Thursday 12/10/2020
4:30 pm ET
K-12 Educators 
 
NASA Educator Professional Development is presenting a free 60-minute webinar for K-12 educators at 4;30 PM EST. Participants will learn what it takes to move around on Mars and the difference in gravity. Participants will learn about the Beginning Engineering Science & Technology (BEST) curriculum and use the Engineering Design Process to design, create, and test a prototype of a spacecraft that is able to withstand a battery of tests that simulate the harsh conditions in space. This webinar is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards
 


Dr. Vemitra White, a native of Crawford, Mississippi, graduated with her Ph.D. in 2016 from Mississippi State University in Instructional Systems and Workforce Development. She is currently a STEM Education Specialist for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and NASA Stennis Space Center in Alabama and Mississippi respectively. Also, Vemitra is an Assistant Professor for the LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research at Texas State University. She is very passionate about helping students matriculate through the STEM pipeline and enjoys developing programs that help students build their self-efficacy in STEM. Her areas of specialization are: teacher and student professional development, engineering education, project management, K-12 and university collaborator, workforce readiness, and STEM engagement/preparation. Vemitra is a member of the Columbus Lowndes County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., the recent award recipient of the 2019 Zacharias Distinguished Staff Award , the 2019 Bagley College of Engineering Service Award, and a newly elected executive committee member of the Pre-College Engineering Education Division, member of Phi Theta Kappa, Women's Basketball Collegiate Association, and Mississippi Educators Association. Her active participation in these organizations reveals her passion in helping others succeed. Vemitra is also a former collegiate basketball player where she played 2 years of women’s basketball at Bevill State Community College in Fayette AL and her last 2 years at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton GA. She was a 4 year Academic All American.