UAMS’ Ashley Nemec-Bakk, Ph.D., Awarded Postdoctoral Fellowship for Space Health Research

By Benjamin Waldrum

Ashley Nemec-Bakk, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the UAMS College of Pharmacy’s Division of Radiation Health and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, is one of three researchers nationwide to receive a postdoctoral fellowship from the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) at Baylor College of Medicine.

TRISH is backed by NASA’s Human Research Program, with a mission, in part, to support the upcoming Artemis missions, which aim to put the first woman and first person of color on the Moon. The institute funds innovative and disruptive research that can improve and protect the health and safety of humans, wherever they explore.

“Cultivating the next generation of space health researchers is one of our strategic goals,” said Dorit Donoviel, Ph.D., TRISH executive director. “We aim to prepare a diverse workforce from a variety of scientific backgrounds to help us solve the challenges facing space explorers on future missions to the Moon and beyond. We are thrilled to welcome this next batch of postdocs as they help bring us closer to that goal.”

https://news.uams.edu/2022/08/15/uams-ashley-nemec-bakk-ph-d-awarded-postdoctoral-fellowship-for-space-health-research/

Arkansas Elementary Students Talk With Astronauts On Space Station

Nettleton School District STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) students did something Thursday that no one in Arkansas has ever done – talked directly to astronauts inside the International Space Station.

The Jonesboro area school became the first in the state to livestream with astronauts in space after receiving a grant from NASA. Students from around Arkansas were part of a livestream of the event held on the Nettleton campus. Gov. Asa Hutchinson was present for a pre-livestream ceremony that included video salutations from numerous elected officials and a special message from the only president to hail from the Natural State, Bill Clinton.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/arkansas-elementary-students-talk-astronauts-space-station

Astronauts onboard the International Space Station took questions Thursday from students in northeast Arkansas.

CREDIT NASA