Simulation Space: The Mobile Extreme Environment Research Station

Love Space? Love your Major? Love Construction, Design or anything else? Join MEERS!

The Mobile Extreme Environment Research Station (MEERS) is a student-run project to design and build a mobile laboratory made out of a 1976 31-foot Airstream trailer for the purpose of testing and advancing space technologies.

The primary goal of this unique project is to employ solar power generation, aeroponics (a food-growth process using fertilizer-infused water mist to nourish plant roots without the need for soil) and water filtration/reclamation to create a “stand alone” facility that can operate for at least two weeks without resupply.

MEERS is comprised of three teams: Design, Construction, and Budget & Outreach. Join one or join all!

When complete, MEERS will provide crew quarters for four individuals, a galley, hygiene facilities, and workstations to facilitate data collection, science, and communication with an off-site MEERS Mission Control (MCC) center. Because MEERS is mobile, the facility can be transported to any location in the United States to support research.

MEERS has involved over 100 students from Human Factors, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aviation Maintenance Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering and more through class-related projects. Outside of class, over 20 students volunteer their time and effort to renovate MEERS, develop marketing and fundraising efforts, and submit to local and national scientific conferences.

No matter what major you are or what background you have, MEERS is the perfect research project for you!

Join us in this one-of-a-kind opportunity to promote student research in habitat design and space technologies and inspire generations of future space researchers.

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jason Kring

Department of Human Factors

Project Manager: Tim Disher

Graduate Human Factors Student

Minor Updates

Hello, hello! I hope everyone is doing well. The past two weeks have been a killer for me, especially with all of my classes starting to kick into high gear. There’s nothing really important to report on sadly (I know, it’s really depressing), so it’s gonna be one of those updates.

In the past two weeks, I had to write a precis (yeah, I still don’t know what that is) for my SIM 200 about in-flight simulation which in of itself is a really cool topic to read up on. On top of that paper, I had to compile a rhetorical analysis for HU 143, my intro to rhetoric class. I did amazingly well on my precis considering I never wrote one before, and I did ok on the rhetorical analysis, which I also have never written before.

My PS160, physics II, test was fun and so was my MA 242, calc II, test. In COM 219, speech, I had to give a narrative speech and I did well on that. Now I’m preparing to deliver my informative speech on photography in a few weeks in conjunction with studying for this Friday’s test.

I will say that my SIM 200 class is very interesting. One week I was in the GAT trainer, which is a disorientation simulator, and ran through two disorientation tests. Only 13 more and I can be certified…for something! Another week we went into the simulation bay to look at Riddle’s Level D CRJ 200 full-flight simulator. This thing is massive and thinking about the price of this thing makes my head hurt.

_MG_5649

This thing is ridiculously small…

_MG_5647

…really small.

_MG_5723

Look at it! Look at this machine!

In the extra-curricular activities life, I’ve contributed a few written articles for The Avion, which is weird because I don’t like writing at all. I’m a better photographer than a writer, but people say otherwise so maybe I have an act for both?

_MG_5866

I recently had the opportunity to attend one of the volleyball games which was fun! Good job Lady Eagles!

Working at the Digital Studio as a tutor is fun. I’ve gotten to meet some really cool people and learned a lot of new skills. I’m really excited to see where that goes.

I’m sorry if this update was short, and maybe boring, I promising to find interesting things to write about next time! Until then, be curious, ask questions, and watch Doctor Who.

_MG_9315

This past Sunday was the “super lunar eclipse”…or at least it was supposed to be since we couldn’t see anything thanks to the clouds.

The Work Load

I can’t believe that it is already October! The first full month of school flew by. This semester, I am taking Speech, Financial Accounting, Marketing, Microeconomics, and Statistics, and I am working quite a bit in the Career Services Office as a student assistant. It is definitely a full load, but so far, it has been easy to handle; since I did survive a week of four tests and one speech due last week, I think I can handle just about anything at this point.

Towards the end of summer, I was a bit concerned with starting classes again as I did not think that I would remember how to study or really even have the motivation to study, but surprisingly, the transition was quite easy; taking interesting classes does help!

In my speech class, we are learning a lot about delivery and helping relive stress that we get when having to speak publicly. Public speaking is not really my thing as I definielty prefer writing, but so far, I am enjoying the class. Most, if not all, students will have to take the class, but it is definitely worth it as it will help you communicate and listen better.

My Financial Accounting, Marketing, and Microeconomics classes are all core business classes, and even if you are minoring in business, it is likely you will have to take them. These three classes are my favorite by far as all of my teachers make relative connections to what is going on the real world, and in Microeconomics, we are required to scan the Wall Street Journal; yes this may sound boring, but it is crucial to know what is going on in the world. Out of these three classes, Marketing is definitely the most fun as examine consumer behavior as well as how companies try to target and segment customers; plus, watching commercials provides nice breaks!

Meanwhile in Career Services, we are gearing up for our big Industry Career Expo that is Wednesday, October 7. There will be 99 employers on campus from all facets of the aviation industry as well as other industries all recruiting for interns and full time opportunities. I’ve been busy polishing my shoes, ironing my suit, and cleaning up the resume as I have a feeling that it will be a great experience. More on this soon!

Well, I have to run to Statistics. Until next time,

Jack

Getting Involved 101

The biggest piece of advice that people tell you when you get to college is “get involved.” Anyone can tell you to get involved, but the real questions are ‘why?’ and ‘how?’ When you go out to get a job, any job at all, they will look at your education and what your skills are, but one question every company wants to know is “What did you do outside of class/school?” If you have nothing to demonstrate, you are less likely to get hired. Reason being is that there may be hundreds of people applying for that same position. Some will have more qualifications then the next person, but those qualifications will set them apart from you. “What makes you unique?” Getting involved and being able to say that you worked on ‘this’ and did ‘that’ sets you apart from everyone else.

How do you get involved? Here at Embry-Riddle, we have more than 130 clubs and organizations that will help you do just that. Even professors and students can help you get involved in research and final senior design projects. It sounds that simple and it is that simple. The only thing standing in your way is you. If you say every day that you want to get involved and you are going to get involved, but then you don’t, you are the one not letting yourself get involved. ERAU just had its Student Activities Fair where all the clubs and organizations lined up all the way from the library and down Legacy walk to show what they were all about. Students were able to learn about the club/organization and join if they pleased.

As a freshman coming in the Summer A term, I was already involved on the NASA NEEMO project and the MEERS project before I became an official ‘student’; but there was more I wanted to get involved in. Talking to some of the professors and graduate students on both the HF and ME side, I found out about some interesting research projects. Just by putting myself out there and showing that I am interested, a hard worker, and willing to work, they welcomed me in with open arms. Now I am in multiple clubs, organizations, and research projects…Human Factors & Ergonomics Society, Human Performance in Extreme Environments, Society 4 S.P.A.C.E, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and more!

Getting involved is great! You get to learn and experience new things as well as meet new people. It is great to put your involvement on your resume. However, a couple mistakes that people are likely to make are getting too involved, and getting involved just to get involved. Although college is known to be the best time of your life, you still have to focus in academics. Getting involved too much can cause you to pay less attention to academics and put them on the back burner. Academics come first. Also, when you get involved in something, make sure that you want to get involved. Don’t just get involved because you think it will look good on your résumé, get involved because you are truly passionate about it. There are plenty of things to get involved with on campus.

People ask me all the time, “how do you do it?” “How do you balance, academics, involvement, and socialization?” Honestly, academics come first. Whenever I get a homework assignment, I don’t procrastinate; I get it done. Every day I lay out what I need to do. Homework and studying comes first. Then I move on the clubs and organizations and then finally everything involving “Astro Skye.” It is all about balance. Some people have a higher tolerance than others, it depends on the person. So whether you are at ERAU now, or are a future student, get involved!

Year Two is Cleared for Take Off

It’s been a long and semi-eventful summer, but I am ready for my second year at Embry-Riddle to take off.

A week after returning back home to Texas, I attended the Phoenix International Aviation Symposium on behalf of Airways in Phoenix, AZ. At the symposium, more than a hundred aviation professionals from all different facets of the commercial airline industry listen to several different panels over two days in which the status of the industry, trends, and the future are all discussed (and sometimes even debated). It was a fascinating two days to hear from the different professionals, and it was really cool to meet several folks in the industry I had been pen pals with.

After Phoenix, it was off to Cleveland, Ohio for the annual Regional Airline Association convention. The Regional Airline Association (RAA) was founded in 1975, and it is a North America business association that represents regional airlines and their employees, regional airline aircraft manufacturers, and all of the suppliers. The association represents, lobbies, and supports its members before many government organizations such as the FAA, U.S. Congress, and the Department of Transportation.

CLE

The view of Cleveland while on approach.

RAA has more than two dozen airline members and about 150 other members. It’s a large undertaking to represent these companies, especially when more than 13,000 regional flights a day. To say the least, I was quite excited to attend as this would be my first real exposure to the regional side of the airline industry.

During the first day of the convention, we heard from Bombardier, Embrear, and Mitsubushi; each manufacturer provided program updates and talked to the media on the future. The next day, several regional airline executives spoke to the media about the current state of their respective airlines and dug a little into the pilot shortage. If you want to read more of a re-cap of the event, you can check out my story on the Embry-Riddle Career Services Blog here. It was also really inspiring to meet several executives such as Ryan Gumm (the CEO of Endeavor Air) who are alumni taking their education and passion to the regional side of the airline industry.

The Airways Magazine team at Airliners International

The Airways Magazine team at Airliners International

In June, I traveled to Atlanta, Georgia for the annual world’s largest airline collectible show to help represent Airways magazine. It was two days filled with catching up with lots of friends that I’ve met at the other shows, meeting a few folks at Delta, and shopping till I dropped. It was a great way to end three years working as an airline journalist.

After these three events, the rest of the summer was fairly uneventful as I had to take some time off for health reasons, but now, I’m back in Daytona and all settled into an apartment off campus with two of my friends. It is nice to live off campus and have my own room, a full kitchen, and a lot more space. Although, I’m already missing my seven minute walk to class!

Now, the semester is in full swing, and I have a good feeling that it’s going to be a good semester! More coming soon.

Until next time,

Jack

NASA NEEMO 20

Preparing astronauts for space is no easy task. With thousands of hours of training and little rest for the busy, NASA makes sure that astronauts are fully prepared in each and every way possible. One way NASA trains astronauts* is through the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO. The NASA NEEMO missions are based in Key Largo, FL. 6.2 miles (5.4 nautical miles) out and 62 feet (19 meters) deep stands Aquarius. The world’s ONLY underwater laboratory in existence.

Astronauts will call Aquarius their home anywhere from one to two weeks. Once inside, the astronauts – now referred to as aquanauts – will conduct science experiments, research, testing, and even some extravehicular activities, or EVAs. The closest simulation to actual microgravity is being underwater. Conducting EVAs underwater allows rookie astronauts to somewhat experience the feeling of weightlessness without actually being weightless. That’s why the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, or NBL, comes in handy. EVAs conducted during the NASA NEEMO missions test out new equipment, team work, and even EVAs that might be conducted on Mars.

The commander of the NEEMO 20 mission is ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano. Parmitano is a veteran spaceflyer spending a total of 166 days living and working on board the International Space Station (ISS) during Expedition 36 and 37. Parmitano is no rookie when it comes to EVAs. He conducted two during his visit to the space station. Parmitano will be joined by NASA astronaut Serena Aunon, NASA EVA Management Office engineer David Coan, and JAXA astronaut Norishige “Nemo” Kanai.

This mission in particular will focus on “evaluating tools and techniques being tested for future spacewalks on a variety of surfaces and gravity levels ranging from asteroids to the moons of Mars and the Martian surface.” 1The mission will also “test time delays in communications due to the distance of potential mission destinations. The crew also will assess hardware sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA) that allows crew members to read the next step in a procedure without taking their hands or eyes away from the task using a tablet, a smartphone and a head-mounted interface.” 2

Going into an extreme environment is no easy task and safety is key. Precautions are always taken and certified divers are always around just in case of an emergency, but the astronauts are well trained. Training for a NASA NEEMO mission starts about a month in advance, but the actual heavy duty training begins one week before splashdown. As I mentioned before, mission length varies but for the NEEMO 20 mission, it will last 2 weeks.

I was lucky enough to take part in the NASA NEEMO 20 mission. Embry-Riddle students and faculty were invited to be a part of the Mission Support Team. (Clearly an offer I could NOT turn down) I went down to Key Largo, FL Monday July 13th, 2015 through Wednesday July 15th, 2015. On Tuesday July 14th, 2015 I spent the whole day at the FIU Aquarius Reef Base. I met the NEEMO 20 crew along with the mission director Marc Reagan, and members of the mission support team: Barbara Janoiko, Jason Poffenberger, NEEMO 19 aquanaut Herve Stevenin, and a lot more! I also got the chance to meet the developer of NEEMO and NEEMO 1 aquanaut, Bill Todd, once again. I helped with the training of the astronauts as well as being an extra hand on base.

The NASA NEEMO missions are another way that NASA prepares astronauts and mission support teams for future space exploration missions. The outreach of the astronauts and everyone involved is absolutely incredible.

To Luca Parmitano: enjoy your vampire slaying tool 😉

Special thanks to…

  • Nye & Robert Schwartz for their continued love and support.
  • Jason Kring & Bill Todd for the opportunity to take part in the NASA NEEMO 20 mission.
  • Kati Anglin for guiding me through the process and teaching me new things.
  • The NEEMO 20 crew for taking the time to talk to everyone including myself
  • The NEEMO 20 crew for answering all my questions, especially Luca.
  • The NEEMO 20 mission support team.

*Not every astronaut participates in these missions and some astronauts who do are already space veterans.

For more information on the NASA NEEMO program, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/NEEMO/index.html

And We’re Back!

Hello, hello! After a much needed 4-5 month hiatus, we’re back! And I’m not just talking about me being back on the blogging scene, but rather everyone coming back to Embry-Riddle. So on that note, welcome back returning students and faculty, and hello to the new students and faculty getting their start at Embry-Riddle this semester!

This summer has been a jam-packed one for sure. With things ranging from collegiate visits and parades to work and traveling, Summer 2015 may have been my most productive summer to date.

IMG_3012

Summer 2015 also marked the time where I started taking “artsy” pictures.

With victory and triumph in my veins after conquering the spring semester, I boarded my flight bound from Orlando, Florida (MCO) to Newark, New Jersey (EWR) and rode the train home once I got to New Jersey. It was probably 1AM when I finally got to my house on May 1st. Unfortunately for me, most of my friends were still in school/college. Needless to say, I did not spend May wisely and spent most of my time at home. (Whoops.) I did however, visit my high school to catch up with some teachers and friends. I even spoke to a few freshmen classes about college and how to prepare for the next 4-5 years of their lives.

Suddenly June came barreling in, and I suddenly found myself in a chaotic ballet of commitments and unexpected events. My sister’s orientation for Penn State University was during the first week of June so I had to put off working in New York City until the week after. Despite the logistics, 4-hour drive, and uncomfortable hotel beds, it was a fun time. Most importantly, my sister enjoyed the school which is what really mattered.

IMG_3089

I guess Penn State ran out of rock climbing walls.

With Penn State’s orientation over and my sister finishing high school in 2 weeks, I went back to work in New York City. Not much has changed since I left last summer, but it was still nice to go back to work in place that was familiar to me. The atmosphere and pacing is so different from life here in Daytona Beach, and that’s the lifestyle I was accustomed to.

Sometime in the middle of July, the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team defeated Japan during the Women’s FIFA Cup and to celebrate, there was a ticker tape parade in New York City. Conveniently, my office was on Broadway and I managed to get some really nice pictures. It was my first ever ticker tape parade and it was really special considering the last one was in 2012 after the Giants won the Superbowl.

_MG_4021

ERMERGERD. ERMERGERD.

_MG_3952

I saw people just dump entire packets of paper outside their windows. It was crazy.

Annoyingly, August rolled around signalling the end of my summer vacation a few weeks later. By that time, I finished my internship and spent my time at home preparing for the fall semester. I managed to go out and photograph a few sunrises, the Perseid Meteor Shower, and sunsets. It was nice and a fitting salute to my home state before leaving for Riddle.

_MG_4777

I saw the Milky Way in person for the first time ever!

_MG_4786

The last sunrise I saw in New Jersey. *sheds tear*

_MG_4689

Oooo.

_MG_4910

On my flight back to Orlando, I ran into William Stirna who was a graduate of Embry-Riddle’s class of 1994!

_MG_4917

With things at Embry-Riddle in full swing now, nothing’s really changed since I left last spring. My classes are very interesting with SIM 200 being the most “technical” class I’ve taken to date. My professors are wonderful and they make class enjoyable, and I’m honestly glad things worked out the way they did. So, on that bombshell, thank you for reading, and I’ll talk to you all soon!

_MG_5224

This isn’t Daytona Beach, but this was taken in Florida…that counts right?

_MG_5237

“Oh so artsy.”

August Overview

What a whirlwind month it has been! August flew by faster than I would have liked, but it was filled with activities. On August 1st, I left Washington for Florida. We started off my time back in Florida with a trip to Universal Orlando. Of course, I had to take my family to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to experience a butter beer. Later that week, we also spent time in St. Augustine. Although it was pouring rain the entire time, we still managed to explore the city, and enjoy some gourmet popsicles. Later, we drove up to Jacksonville, to visit the oldest standing plantation in Florida. Since we are in Florida, we had to spend some time at the beach. One day, we drove down to Cocoa Beach to visit Ron Jon’s Surf Shop and eat on the pier.

Lauren, Myself, and David at Islands of Adventure

Lauren, Myself, and David at Islands of Adventure

Eating gourmet popsicles in St. Augustine

Eating gourmet popsicles in St. Augustine

At the oldest plantation in Florida

At the oldest plantation in Florida

Hanging out on the pier at Cocoa Beach

Hanging out on the pier at Cocoa Beach

After my family left, I moved in to my residence hall just in time to begin Resident Advisor training. This year I will be a RA in McKay Hall. Training was a week long and I really enjoyed getting to know all of the other Residence Life staff members. After RA training, next up was Orientation Team training. We went on a retreat to Camp Ocala, where we learned all about how to be successful Orientation Leaders, as well as bonded as a team. I have never had that much fun camping before.

Once Orientation Week started, my life was crazy. We spent countless hours setting up, attending, and tearing down events. The O-Team became my family for the week. We were all together from about 7:30AM-11PM, so there was plenty of time to spend with each other. During the week, I learned how to dance, since O-Team dances ALL the time!! It was so awesome to get out of my comfort zone, while encouraging incoming freshmen to get out of theirs, as well. One of my favorite events of Orientation Week was the Silent Disco. Everyone gets a wireless headset with flashing colors, corresponding to what music station you are listening to. It becomes a huge party with a lot of dancing, but the funny thing is that there is no music being played aloud. After Orientation Week ended, I was completely exhausted, but also sad that it was over. I had so much fun welcoming the new freshmen class to ERAU.

Waiting for Convocation to start with the O-Team

Waiting for Convocation to start with the O-Team

Orientation in the ICI

Orientation in the ICI

O-Team after Orientation

O-Team after Orientation

Now that classes have started, it is back to my everyday routine. Classes and meetings will begin to consume my life soon, but I will make sure to make some time for myself. A weekend trip to Disney World might be a necessity…

Until next time,

Lindsey

What is Human Factors?

On a daily basis, I always get asked questions about Human Factors. What is Human Factors? According to Tech Target, “human factors (also known as ergonomics) is the study of how humans behave physically and psychologically in relation to particular environments, products, or services.” Many large manufactures and businesses hire Human Factors specialists to get involved of the process of production of a certain product. Human factors is also commonly known as the ‘common sense’ major. Here’s why: As a student, you use the computer a lot. Let’s say you bought a new computer and you sit down to use it. You start typing and you realize that you’re having trouble typing due to the letters being extremely close together. You, the user, is having a problem physically with the product, the computer and you’re not the only one. Turns out 97% of those who bought the computer had to return it and get a refund because of how close the keys were. Now let’s pause. This whole situation could have been avoided if the company had a human factors specialist. Had they had one, the specialist would have tested the product before mass production and found out that the keys were in fact too close together. Since the company did not do this, they are sitting there with thousands of computers that no one wants to buy and they ended up losing millions of dollars. See where the common sense comes in? Common sense would dictate that the computer would have already been tested before it even got to the user’s hands, but a lot of times, more than not, it isn’t.

Being a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Human Factors, I like to say that I get the best of both worlds. Human factors teaches me that you have to think before you do more than anything. However, human factors is not just the ‘common sense’ major, human factors is the backbone behind many research projects. One of which, was the NASA NEEMO 20 project. As mentioned in my previous blog, NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) is a project that focuses on underwater research to train astronauts for missions to the space station, an asteroid, and even Mars. In July 2015 the engineering & human factors departments took part in the project. The engineering side built a tower called ‘CORAL II’ and the purpose was for the aquanauts1 to build it underwater as well as have a test bed to conduct experiments. The human factors side took the part of training the astronauts. A human factors doctorate student, Kati Anglin, wrote up all the procedures step by step, line by line to build the CORAL II Tower. From a human factors perspective, we looked at how the astronauts coped with the procedures and how well they followed them. If there were any problems, we made sure to take note and change it during the pre-runs. It was a learning experience for both the human factors and engineering side.

The human factors department at Embry-Riddle is very invested in doing research. Some of the research projects being conducted include leadership training, social media use, team interaction and more. Human factors is a great way to get involved and learn about the simple and the most complex things just in one sweep! If you’re skeptical of human factors, I will tell you this: I was too. I actually didn’t know anything about human factors. I was coming to Embry-Riddle for engineering and engineering only. I ended up meeting Dr. Jason Kring2 by chance and he took me under his wing and showed me what human factors was all about. There was no pressure at all. I took my time and soaked up all the information I could about human factors. Now, I find myself at ERAU studying human factors and mechanical engineering, getting the best of both worlds.

No matter what major you are or what you plan to study, keep an open mind. You can pick it up as a major or minor or neither of those at all. The good thing is, you can participate in research regardless of your major. Even if you have ideas for research involving human factors, don’t be afraid to speak up! The Human Factors Department would love to hear you out and possibly take on the research study. It is a great way to receive grants and funding and also add it onto your résumé. Don’t be afraid! Come to the Human Factors Department today on the 4th floor of the College of Arts and Sciences!

1 – ‘Aquanauts’ is the name for astronauts and researchers who take part in the NASA NEEMO missions as the crew.

2 – Dr. Jason Kring is an Associate Professor for Human Factors and Systems at ERAU.

MED Club @ ERAU

Medical Emergency & Disaster Relief or MED Club at ERAU provides 24/7 emergency Medical Services to the ERAU Daytona Beach campus. With equipment in hand and kubota fueled up and ready to go, the MED club is ready for any disaster or emergency that comes their way. Founded May 6th, 2005 with operations starting in October 2005, MED club worked it’s way to the top of Tomcat Annex overseeing all operations of emergency medicine on campus.

 

I interviewed the Assistant Chief of MED Club, Doug Rybczynski. 

Skye: “What got you interested in the MED Club?”

Doug: “Since I was already an EMT in New Jersey, I wanted to be able to continue giving back to my community through emergency medicine.”

Skye: “How did you find emergency medicine or should I say how did emergency medicine find you?”

Doug: “I was in the civil air patrol and really wanted to do community service and give back to the people, but when we weren’t getting enough mission in civil air patrol I really wanted to make sure I was doing enough for the community not just training.”

Skye: “What is your title and job in MED Club?”

Doug: “I am the Assistant Chief and also an EMT & Crew Chief so essentially I am in charge of all operations that go on as well as running the crew that is on duty working with me.”

Skye: “How long have you been a part of MED Club?”

Doug: “2 years. I joined the first week of school my freshman year.”

Skye: “How many people are in MED Club and what are the different positions?”

Doug: “We have 8 officers, 15 CFRs (certified first responders), and currently 3 EMTs. So a total of 18-20 active members.”

Skye: “What would you say is the duty and responsibility of MED Club?”

Doug: “To provide the highest quality emergency medical care to the students and staff at ERAU.”

Skye: “What would you say to future members who would want to join MED Club?”

Doug: “Come in with an open mind and a willingness to put yourself out there for someone else. Stranger or not.”

Skye: “Thanks so much Doug.”

Doug: “No problem.”


 

Thank you to Doug for taking part and allowing me to interview you.