USM Alumnae Makes Presentation as Part of NASA Webinar Series

Wed, 10/07/2020 - 02:58pm | By: Van Arnold

University of Southern Mississippi alumnae Dr. Veshell Lewis had the unique opportunity to serve as a panel expert during NASA’s Science is Better Together: 2020 Community Cloud Challenge held July 15 – August 15.

Lewis, who earned her undergraduate degree in biology and doctorate in science education at USM, participated in a one of several webinars associated with NASA’s The GLOBE Program, an international science and education program that engages students and the public in data collection and the scientific process.

The weekly videos were designed to showcase the research of a NASA cloud expert, including a demonstration that viewers could try at home. Science mission experts and GLOBE team members held live Q&A sessions following each webinar.

After earning her Ph.D., Lewis served as a teacher intern at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., working alongside various NASA scientists and educators. One of those scientists, Marilé Colón Robles, contacted Lewis about participating in the webinar series.

A Jackson, Miss., native, Lewis currently serves as interventionist in the Jackson Public School District. In preparation for her presentation, Lewis' Canton Middle School classes collected soil temperature data to be used to help ground truth the data collected by NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite that was released a few years ago. She also highlighted the GLOBE activity, Cloud Fun, and introduced Elementary GLOBE books. Another component involved explaining the benefits of nature journaling.

“I really enjoyed presenting the activity,” said Lewis. “I hope the video provided a great learning experience for teachers and parents.”

Lewis called the time she spent in graduate school at USM “life changing.”

“As a graduate student, I was introduced to numerous opportunities that enhanced my professional and personal life,” she said. “The faculty’s passion for education has made a profound impact on how I have grown as an educator.”

To view Lewis’ NASA webinar presentation, visit: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=215645733211260&id=57242657138