2017 CCMC Student Research Contest Results
We are pleased to announce the results of the fifth CCMC Student Research Contest.
Thanks to all participating students and their mentors! Stay tuned for the 2018 Contest Announcement in the fall of 2017 (you can read about the contest rules here).
Contest winners
CEDAR - Ionosphere Category:
First Prize:
Agnit Mukhopadhyay, University of Michigan, MSc in Aerospace Engineering,
"Statistical Comparison of the Magnetopause Distance and CPCP for Global MHD Models".
Agnit received his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, India in May 2016. He is currently pursuing a Master in Science in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He completed this research as a class project under the supervision of Dr. Xianzhe Jia. He is currently investigating the effect of conductance in ionospheric models with Dr. Daniel T Welling. He is also using the AWSoM/BATS-R-US solar model to research into the dynamics of the lower corona using eclipse observations with Drs. Enrico Landi and Bart van der Holst. Agnit plans to pursue doctoral research on similar topics in Space Sciences. He would like to thank the entire CCMC staff for their extensive support in this project.
GEM - Magnetosphere Category
First Prize (Joint):
Shreeya Khurana, Montgomery Blair High School,
"Geomagnetic Storms: A Study of the Relationship between Geomagnetic Storms and the Interplanetary Magnetic Field, and Monitoring Geomagnetic Storms in the Ionosphere with GPS Errors"
Shreeya is a freshman in the science, math, and computer science magnet program at Montgomery Blair High School, Silver Spring, MD. Selected twice as a semifinalist in the national Broadcom MASTERS competition of 2015 and 2016, Shreeya loves conducting research studies in science. She is interested in pursuing her career in engineering. Shreeya completed this research as a Capstone project for her 8th grade science class. She won several accolades for this project at the Montgomery Science Fair, including those from Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Association of Women Geoscientists, Rockville Science Center, National Capital Astronomers, and a “Young Scientist Rising Star” award from KJW Young Scientists Association for her research. Shreeya enjoys ice skating, and has won several medals for her performances at synchronized skating competitions. She also coaches skating to the kids with special needs and prepares them for Special Olympics and other competitions. Recently, Shreeya started a MATHgirls program to empower the underprivileged and underserved girls and prepare them for competitive and standardized tests for getting into the STEM fields. She is currently teaching competitive math to seven middle school girls under this MATHgirls program.
Shreeya would like to thank her mentors and the entire CCMC staff. This project wouldn’t have been possible without their extensive support.
First Prize: (Joint):
Miles Bengtson, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, M.S. Engineering Physics,
"Solar Wind-Magnetosphere Coupling: A Global Perspective of Substorm Onset"
Miles graduated with distinction from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Physics in May 2016 and an Master of Science in Engineering Physics in May 2017. He completed this research as part of his master's thesis under the direction of Dr. Katariina Nykyri. Miles has received NDSEG and SMART fellowships to pursue a doctorate in Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder beginning this fall.
SHINE - Solar and Heliosphere Category:
Second Prize: (Joint)
Christy Lentz, University of Colorado at Boulder, BSc in Computer Science,
"Statistical Similarities between WSA-ENLIL+Cone model and MAVEN in situ observations"
Christy is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s of Arts in Astrophysics and Computer Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Working at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, Christy is as an undergraduate research assistant for Professor Daniel Baker and Dr. Allison Jaynes. Her research focuses on using in situ measurements of solar wind parameters at Mars’ orbital location from NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft and comparing these measurements with the physics-based magnetohydrodynamic WSA-ENLIL+Cone model provided at the CCMC. Christy would like to thank the CCMC for their support and collaboration on this research topic.
Second Prize: (Joint)
Gesesew Reta, Debre Berhan University, M.Sc. Degrees in Atomic physics and Mathematical Science
Gesesew was born in North Shewa, Ethiopia, in 1988. He received a B.Sc. Degree in physics from Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia, in 2009, and a M.Sc. Degrees in Atomic physics and Mathematical Science( research on Space Physics) from Dilla university, Dilla, Ethiopia, and African Institute for Mathematical Science (AIMS), Ghana, in 2011 and 2015, respectively. In the late 2011, Gesesew joined department of physics, Bule Hora University as a lecturer, and after serving there for nearly four years, transferred to Debre Berhan University in September of 2016. He is engaged in lecturing and supervising undergraduate students in addition to being actively involved in different research and community service works.
Honorable Mention:
Soojeong Jang, Kyung Hee University, PhD,
"Two Distinct Types of CME-Flare Relationships based on SOHO and STEREO observations"
Soojeong is a PhD student at Kyung Hee University in Korea. This research was completed as a part of her doctoral degree thesis project and prepared a paper. Her advisor is Yong-Jae Moon. Soojeong presented her research at the Solar Heliospheric, and Interplanetary Environment (SHINE) workshop in Stowe, VT June 2015 and at the Asia Oceania Geosciences Society (AOGS) meeting in Singapore in August 2015. Soojeong is currently a research assistant with at the Korean Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).
Thanks to all students who participated and their mentors! Stay tuned for the 2018 Contest Announcement in the fall of 2017 or read about the contest rules.
Past Contest winners: 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012
Contest contacts
- Karin Muglach Yihua.Zheng@nasa.gov
- Masha Kuznetsova, CCMC, Maria.M.Kuznetsova@nasa.gov
Students are encouraged to learn more about research opportunities using CCMC tools and services during yearly Space Weather Bootcamps, community workshops or by directly contacting CCMC staff and other scientists familiar with CCMC tools and services.