NEWS
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April 25, 2008
Christina Harbaugh Receives Appointment as NASA Summer Intern 
Christina Harbaugh’s academic path has taken her from the piano studio to places simply out of this world.
A native of Emporia, Kan., Harbaugh has been selected to participate in the Student Internship Program (SIP) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, Md. The mission of GSFC is to expand knowledge of the earth and its environment, the solar system, and the universe through observations from space.
What is unusual about the appointment is Harbaugh has been teaching in Augustana’s Piano Preparatory Program since 2000.
“I had students in the mornings and evenings, so I looked into taking classes in the afternoons,” Harbaugh said. In 2004, she began studying computer science and last year decided to complete a degree in the discipline. She competed in a national internship pool prior to selection for SIP.
Harbaugh earned a bachelor's degree in Music (Piano Performance) from Emporia State University in 1997, and a master's degree in Music (Piano Pedagogy) from Wichita State University in 2000.
SIP is a research intensive program that allows students to explore various career opportunities within NASA. The program is designed to allow a student to spend their workday at GSFC, the Wallops Flight Facility laboratory, or NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., conducting research for various projects and missions. At the conclusion of the program a student has completed almost 400 hours of research, preparation and presentation on a project related to NASA's goals. Each student is expected to present their research efforts to NASA personnel and fellow interns.
"This is a wonderful experience for a student," said Dr. Vigdor Teplitz, chief of Higher Education for Goddard Space Flight Center. "NASA's space program is just about the greatest show on Earth if you are a technical person and having these young eager people with fresh points-of-view and questions are good for NASA. It makes a productive summer for all."
With this program, NASA continues the agency's tradition of investing in the nation's education programs. It is directly linked to the agency's major educational goal of strengthening NASA's and the nation's future workforce. Agency programs such as SIP assists NASA in identifying and developing the critical skills and capabilities needed for the agency to achieve the Vision for Space Exploration.
Contact: Bruce Conley
Director of News Information
Phone: (605) 274-5526
Fax: (605) 274-4903
www.augie.edu