UW-Sheboygan to host annual Wisconsin Space Conference Aug. 19-20

The University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan will host the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium’s 20th annual Wisconsin Space Conference August 19-20 on the UW-Sheboygan campus. Members of the WSGC, including space and aerospace professionals, researchers, students and educators, will converge on the campus to share the latest research in the field for this year’s anniversary conference.

All Sheboygan-area astronomy enthusiasts – even those who are not members of the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) – are welcome and encouraged to attend this year’s conference and enjoy the keynote addresses or the entire conference.

The WSGC includes 39 member institutions all across the state, including UW System four-year universities, private schools and two UW College campuses, including UW-Sheboygan. The WSGC serves as the central clearinghouse of information for those working in the aerospace industry in Wisconsin. It also grants hundreds of thousands of dollars every year to undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, educators and industry partners for them to pursue scholarship and research studies. Essentially, the Consortium is the “face” of NASA in the state of Wisconsin.

As a member of the WSGC, all UW-Sheboygan students and faculty/staff are eligible to apply for NASA scholarships, fellowships and grant opportunities.

The highlights of the 2010 Space Conference will be the keynote speakers on Thursday and Friday. Dr. Marc Rayman, of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Project System Engineer for the NASA DAWN Mission, will address attendees on Thursday. Dr. Rayman will bring a very current topic to the conference, offering an update on the DAWN Mission, which will be orbiting the asteroid Vesta, and later the asteroid Ceres.

Friday will feature Max Mutchler, a Research and Instrument Scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute, who will address guests via SKYPE in a video presentation.

Additional plenary and breakout sessions will be offered each day of the conference featuring research from many local aerospace experts and students.

According to Dr. R. Aileen Yingst, Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium Director, the Wisconsin Space Conference is an opportunity for students, faculty and professionals all over the state to come together to learn the latest research, news and developments in the aerospace industry.

“The sheer diversity of the presentations is so exciting to me,” Dr. Yingst said. “I’m always fascinated and glued to my seat to find out what the people of Wisconsin are doing in space exploration. “

Dr. Yingst said she was very excited to bring the conference to Sheboygan this year to celebrate the conference’s 20th anniversary, since UW-Sheboygan is one of the newest members of the WSGC and Sheboygan’s growing prominence in the aerospace community due to the future development of Spaceport Sheboygan.

“Sheboygan is on the cusp of what’s next. Space is what’s next and Sheboygan is positioning itself wisely to be a Spaceport,” Dr. Yingst said. “What I see here is a community that is positioning itself for the next 50 to 100 years to be a leader in what is next – space. It’s a natural place for us to have this conference and bring all of our stakeholders together.”

Local residents interested in attending the conference can do so for a $5 fee, which will cover the keynote speaker and afternoon breakout sessions. Lunch is not included or available for community registrants.

For more information or to register as a community participant, contact Jane Donlon in the UW-Sheboygan Center for Engagement Learning at (920) 459-6617 or e-mail jane.donlon@uwc.edu.

For more information on UW-Sheboygan or to access a campus map, visit www.sheboygan.uwc.edu. A copy of the conference brochure is located here.