Educational Opportunities

Diverse scientific and engineering academic endeavors are available with WCSAR. Work is done concomitantly at WCSAR and at several departments at UW-Madison (Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Horticulture, Botany). Currently, WCSAR provides funding for several graduate students. These students are involved in projects such as the development of controlled environmental systems, physiological and genetic manipulation of plant ethylene production and environmental control of photosynthesis. Undergraduate students also work with WCSAR on day-to-day science, engineering, and administrative tasks.

Educational Products

Data from the three experiments performed in the ADVASC payload on board the International Space Station were shared with Space Explorers Inc. so that Orbital Laboratory® could be developed. Orbital Laboratory® is an internet-based, innovative life science curriculum for students in grades 4 through 12, and provides the following features:

		allows students and educators to design, conduct, and analyze life science experiments in the classroom, and to study the microgravity effects by comparing their results with on-going or archived space experiments,
		creates a hands-on, minds-on, and team-work oriented environment, and allows schools nationwide to communicate with each other and discuss the results of their experiments on-line,
		emphasizes math, science, and engineering to enhance a student’s ability to solve problems encountered during research.

An Astroponics student plant growth chamber was designed to allow students to gain hands-on experience with the simulation of several of the fundamental aspects of controlled environment plant growth as developed by WCSAR. The experiments which students were able to perform include modestly duplicating the "Spuds in Space" potato tuberization conducted by WCSAR on STS-73. The product was available (though no longer is) through the nationally distributed catalog Fisher Science Education.