Welcome to the Virginia Tech SuperDARN Student Interest Page. Here you will find information important to prospective, current, and future VT SuperDARN students, as well students with a general interest in Space Science. This includes information about the lab, news items of interest to students, and important training and policy information. If you have interest in SuperDARN or space related studies, please contact either Dr. Mike Ruohoniemi or Dr. Jo Baker.
The Virginia Tech SuperDARN radar group conducts research on Earth’s space environment using HF radars and allied instrumentation and operates the U.S. component of the international SuperDARN collaboration as an Upper Atmosphere Facility for the National Science Foundation. The activities of the group are student-centered and involve all facets of research, including hardware design, operations, data analysis, and collaborative support for the scientific community. The group is a component of the Space@VT research center within the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Virginia Tech.
Current student research activities include analysis of ionospheric irregularities observed with the new mid-latitude chain of SuperDARN radars, study of ultra low frequency pulsations in the magnetosphere and ionosphere, intercomparison of GPS/TEC data with radar observations of ionospheric stucture, and studies of ionospheric plasma convection and the impacts of space weather disturbance on the ionosphere. Students are closely involved with the operation of the radars including travel to the sites and hardware development and testing. Students also develop new data products and software tools for analysis. They assist members of the scientific community in accessing and utilizing the SuperDARN data set, develop scientific collaborations with colleagues, and represent the group at meetings and conferences. The Virginia Tech SuperDARN radar group is headed by Drs. J. Michael Ruohoniemi (miker@vt.edu) and Joseph B. H. Baker (bakerjb@vt.edu).
Please visit our Archive of Student Items page for important information such as research ethics training and other important information all SuperDARN students need to know.
News Items of Student Interest
Many of the news items below represent excellent opportunities for interested students at both the undergraduate and graduate level. If you would like to talk to a Virginia Tech student who has participated in a number of these types of programs, please feel free to contact our student representative, Nathaniel Frissell.
By: Nathaniel Frissell
on: Fri., Feb. 28, 2014 10:24 AM EST
(86 Reads)
21-26 July 2014 Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico
Open to: Graduate and advanced undergraduate students. Extended Application Deadline: 7 March 2014 Apply Through:http://amisr.com/workshop Funding: Travel, housing, and meals for most US-based students. Funding for post-docs and students outside of the US is considered on a case-by-case basis.
The 2014 ISR Summer School will be held at the Arecibo Observatory July 21 – July 26, inclusive. The school provides students with hands-on experience in designing and running experiments at incoherent scatter radar facilities. During this summer school, students will have the opportunity to run experiments with the Arecibo incoherent scatter radar (ISR) and use data from multiple ISR observatories, such as EISCAT, Poker Flat (PFISR), Millstone Hill, Resolute Bay (RISR), Sondrestrom, and Jicamarca. The school will be structured to provide presentations in the morning and hands-on experience in experiment design and analysis in the afternoons. The morning lectures will include an introduction to the theory of incoherent scatter, radar operations, ISR analysis techniques, and the Madrigal database. The afternoon exercises will involve working closely with ISR facility staff in the topic areas of: proposal design, experiment execution, and data analysis. All students will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with experienced scientists from multiple institutions.
By: Nathaniel Frissell
on: Fri., Feb. 21, 2014 12:17 PM EST
(124 Reads)
Location: Various NASA Campuses across the United States, including NASA Goddard in Greenbelt, MD and JPL in Pasadena, CA. Time: Summer 2014 (May/June - August) Apply:https://intern.nasa.gov/ Eligibility: Varies with position. NASA has opportunities from high school through postdoctoral, as well as for US Citizens and International Students. Field: Engineering, Science, Technology, and Administrative Internships exist. Financial: Varies with position. In addition to salary, travel and lodging assistance is often provided. Summer Internship Application Deadline: March 1, 2014 Apply:https://intern.nasa.gov/
NASA internships are still available for summer of 2014 at the Goddard Space Flight Facility in Greenbelt, MD, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, and other NASA campuses. The goal of NASA's internship program is to further students' pursuit of careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Research projects are offered in areas such as computer science, robotics, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, astrophysics, electrical engineering, as well as planetary, geological, and biological sciences. NASA's work reaches many fields and is conducted at numerous campuses across the United States. This internship program gives students of many levels an opportunity to explore the frontiers of human space knowledge.
How it works: You register to participate (by April 4, 2014 for a discount) and, when selected, you are invited to stay in scenic Chincoteague, Virginia (next to the Wallops Island Flight Facility) for the duration of the program, assembling and then flying a rocket payload as part of a team of rocketeers. Registration will cover all your on-site expenses but you must make your own hotel arrangements (easy).
During the RockOn workshop, teams will learn through hands-on activities, how to build a sounding rocket payload or RocketSat. Teams of 3 will build their RocketSat from a kit in four days and launch it on sounding rocket to ~73 miles on the sixth day. The hardware in the kit could be used on future RocketSat and possibly CubeSat flights. Wallops will be providing the rocket and launch operations for the workshop. Wallops will also provide a tour and briefings on sounding rocket environments for future flights. We will also present their concept for standardized flight opportunities for future experiments called RockSat-C and RockSat-X. This workshop is not about building rockets. It is about learning to build sounding rocket payloads. This workshop is organized by the Colorado and Virginia Space Grant Consortium. RockOn is funded by you, the participant, and NASA Education. A significant amount of cost sharing from Wallops and the Colorado and Virginia Space Grant programs also make RockOn possible.
By: Nathaniel Frissell
on: Fri., Jan. 10, 2014 01:47 PM EST
(258 Reads)
Duration:June 2, 2014 – August 8, 2014 Location:Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA Open to: U.S. Citizen or permanent resident. Completion of Junior year as of spring term 2014. Students completing their sophomore year may be considered. Application Deadline: February 14, 2014 Official Information:http://www.space.vt.edu/REU/ Support: $5000 stipend, travel, room, and board Contacts: Dr. Robert Clauer (rclauer@vt.edu) or Dr. Scott Bailey (baileys@vt.edu)
Space@VT is looking for enthusiastic students to join us for a ten-week summer program opportunity to learn about space science and engineering and to participate in cutting-edge research. Students will be assisted by faculty mentors and will join their research teams for the duration of the program. Projects are available in the modeling of atmospheric and plasma processes; atmospheric science; space weather, small spacecraft engineering; instrument design & characterization; sounding rocket experiment testing; and remote sensing from space and ground platforms.
For further information see the Space@VT REU web page or email the primary contacts (both listed above) or inquire with any member of Space@VT.
By: Nathaniel Frissell
on: Tue., Dec. 17, 2013 02:17 PM EST
(263 Reads)
10 Week Duration starting anytime between May 12 and June 20, 2014 Jicamarca and Lima, Peru
Open to: Junior/Senior Undergraduates and 1st/2nd year Grad Students Application Deadline: January 24, 2014 Apply Through:http://jro.igp.gob.pe/jirep/ Support: Travel expenses and a reasonable stipend
A large radar system known as the Jicamarca Radio Observatory (JRO) is located under Earth’s magnetic equator in Peru, not far from the national capital, Lima. It makes scientific observations of the atmosphere and ionosphere and is also a laboratory for developing new radar instrumentation and software. Since 2006 the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has sponsored a summer Research Experience Program for U.S. students at JRO. Students gain experience on different aspects of radar systems and are welcome to propose and run their own experiments. The program is open to junior/senior undergraduate and first/second year graduate students. It provides travel expenses and a reasonable stipend for a period of ten weeks. For 2014 a student can begin any time between May 12 and June 20. More information on the Jicamarca International Research Experience Program (JIREP 2014) can be found at http://jro.igp.gob.pe/jirep/
June - August 2014 Various Locations in China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand
Open to: U.S. Citizens or permanent residents enrolled in STEM/STEM Education Masters or Ph.D. Programs at U.S. Institutions Application Deadline: 25 November 2013 Apply Through/Official Information:http://www.nsf.gov/eapsi Support: $5000 stipend, travel, room, and board is provided.
Undergraduate students are hereby invited to spend the fall term 2013 (August-December) at The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS). Extended admission is open on a first come, first served basis for the course combination:
AGF 210 – The Middle Polar Atmosphere (15 ECTS)
AGF 213 – Polar Meteorology and Climate (15 ECTS)
There are also places available on the graduate course
AGF 345/845 – Polar Magnetospheric Substorms (10 ECTS) which is an intensive Master-/PhD-level course that runs from October 21-November 22 2013. The course includes fieldwork at the Kjell Henriksen Observatory and the EISCAT Svalbard radar.
By: Nathaniel Frissell
on: Wed., May 15, 2013 03:09 PM EDT
(317 Reads)
Summer or Autumn, Flexible Dates, Minimum of 10 Weeks Washington, DC
Open to: Graduate and undergraduate (completed junior year) at US Institution majoring physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology, or geology Application Deadline: Rolling Apply Through:http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/ssb_052239 Salary: $14.50 - $18.00/hour
As part of its celebration of the 50th anniversary of its founding, the Space Studies Board (SSB) has expanded the scope of the Space Policy Intern program it has operated since 1992 by initiating the Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships. The goal of the program is to provide promising undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to work in the area of civil space research policy in the Nation's capital, under the aegis of the SSB. The Lloyd V. Berkner Space Policy Internships are offered twice annually.
By: Nathaniel Frissell
on: Mon., Feb. 25, 2013 02:46 PM EST
(550 Reads)
July 29 – August 2, 2013 MIT Haystack Observatory in Westford, MA
Open to: Graduate and advanced undergraduate students. Application Deadline: 15 March 2013 Apply Through:http://www.amisr.com/workshop Funding: Travel, housing, and meals for most US-based students. Funding for post-docs and students outside of the US is considered on a case-by-case basis.
The 2013 ISR Summer School will be held at the MIT Haystack Observatory July 29 – August 2. The school provides students with hands-on experience in designing and running experiments at incoherent scatter radar facilities. During this summer school, students will have the opportunity to run experiments and use data from multiple incoherent scatter radar observatories, such as Poker Flat (PFISR), Millstone Hill, Resolute Bay (RISR), Sondrestrom, Jicamarca and Arecibo. The school will be structured to provide presentations in the morning and hands-on experience in experiment design and analysis in the afternoons. The morning lectures will include an introduction to the theory of incoherent scatter, radar operations, ISR analysis techniques, and the Madrigal database. The afternoon exercises will involve working closely with ISR facility staff in the topic areas of: proposal design, experiment execution, and data analysis. All students will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with experienced scientists from multiple institutions.
By: Nathaniel Frissell
on: Sun., Jan. 20, 2013 10:45 PM EST
(552 Reads)
Job location: San Antonio, TX Eligibility: Electrical, Computer, or Mechanical Engineering or Science BS or MS students graduating anytime in 2013. Minimum 3.3 GPA and should be eligible for obtaining a US Security Clearance On Campus Interview Date: February 22, 2013 More Infomation: Career fair booth on February 21, 2013 or contact Amanda Nugent at Web Site:http://www.swri.jobs
The Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, TX is currently looking for students graduating in May, August or December 2013 to fill its employment needs. SwRI will be interviewing students at Virginia Tech on Friday, February 22nd. SwRI is looking for Electrical and Computer Engineering students pursuing a BS or MS degree with a minimum 3.3 GPA. Students must also be eligible to obtain a U.S. Government Security Clearance. Students can sign up for interviews at the SwRI Career Fair booth on February 21st.
