Two University of Tennessee
Space Institute graduate students have received
NASA Space Grants of more than $40,000, Callie
Taylor, coordinator of student affairs, has
confirmed.
Recipients are Daniel Lehman, a doctoral
candidate in Aerospace Engineering from
Watertown, S.D., and Ashley Owens from Martin,
who is seeking a master’s degree in Mechanical
Engineering.
“These are prestigious fellowships that cover
tuition and educational expenses as well as
travel, equipment, and other costs associated
with their projects,” Taylor said. Lehman’s
grant includes a personal stipend of $18,816,
which can increase during his course of study,
and a stipend of $16,934 is included in Owens’
grant.
“We are very proud of these students,” said Dr.
John E. Caruthers, UT associate vice president
and UTSI’s chief operating officer. “In the last
12 years 18 other of our graduate students have
received NASA Space Grants.” These include three
other current students: Mark Olles of Holley,
N.Y., Catherine Kelly of Springdale, Md., and
Steve Stasko of Philadelphia, Pa.
Lehman, son of Floyd and Sylvia Lehman of
Watertown and graduate of The University of
Minnesota, received his master’s degree at UTSI
in Aerospace Engineering in December. With Dr.
Basil Antar, his major professor, he is
continuing microgravity research. He was
involved in UT’s first experiment to be
performed on the Space Station – a test of
Antar’s theory of a new, more accurate method of
measuring the thickness or viscosity of fluids.
He witnessed the tests from the Telescience
Center at Marshall Space Flight Center.
This spring, Lehman will go to Houston for
another flight on NASA’s “Weightless Wonder”
KC-135 (also dubbed the “Vomit Comet”) that
simulates zero-gravity conditions. In 2004, the
student spent three days of boisterous,
stomach-turning flights on board the aircraft,
testing at zero-gravity a life support system
experiment prepared by Antar and Dr. Donald
Reiss, a microgravity scientist from the
Marshall Center.
Owens, a graduate of South Fulton High School
and UT Martin, is involved in testing of a
General Electric J-85 afterburning turbojet
engine supervised by her major professor, Dr.
Roy Schulz. Owens’ focus is analyzing the
chemistry of the jet exhaust. Her parents are
Phil and Dawn Owens of Martin.
Dr. Alfonso Pujol, professor of Electrical
Engineering at UTSI, is UT’s representative and
UTSI’s director of the Space Grant Consortium,
which is affiliated with five Tennessee
universities.
Dan Lehman and Ashley Owens, recipients of NASA Space Grants,
stand with their major professors, Dr. Basil Antar, left,
and Dr. Roy J. Schulz, right, in front of UTSI’s lobby.
--UTSI Photo
Writer: Weldon Payne (931) 393 - 7222
wpayne@utsi.edu
