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Biology Origins

July 24, 2012 msummers — No Comments

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Evolution

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South Korean High School Students Learn about Astrobiology in Specially Designed Workshop

July 24, 2012 sjoy — No Comments

Mason News July 23, 2012

By Colleen N. Wilson

South Korea takes science programs and education very seriously, and for young high school students, scientists are like rock stars, according to Mike Summers, director of the School of Physics, Astronomy and Computational Sciences.

For 25 gifted and talented 10th-graders from Daegu Science High School in South Korea, their week-long trip to Mason this summer provided a chance to meet some of their science idols, tour NASA facilities and work on a project to design a mission to space.

Professor Michael Summers discusses a concept with visiting South Korean students. During the week-long program, the students were tasked to design and propose a mission to search for life beyond Earth. Photo courtesy of Michael Summers 

Summers, who has worked with NASA to help plan and design space missions, is teaching a workshop in astrobiology to the high school students based on the ASTR 301 Astrobiology class he teaches to Mason students during the academic year.

“What’s special about astrobiology is that it’s approached much differently than how we usually teach science,” says Summers. “Traditional education artificially breaks science up into subcategories like chemistry, physics and math. Astrobiology is a natural integration of …

Summary Profile

July 19, 2012 sjoy — No Comments

Mike Summers


Professor, Planetary Science

Director, School of Physics, Astronomy, & Computational Sciences
Affiliate, Space Weather Lab 

Email: msummers@gmu.edu

 

 

 

 

 

Website:  My SPACS Public site (Mike’s site)
Office: 301 Planetary Hall  Fairfax, Va. 22030
Phone: 703.993.3971
Fax: 703.993.1269 

 

Current Research Interests
Michael E. Summers is a planetary scientist who pecializes in the study of structure and evolution of planetary atmospheres. His planetary research has dealt with the chemistry and thermal structure of the atmospheres of Io (one of the Galilean moons of Jupiter), Titan (largest of Saturn’s moons), Uranus, Neptune, Triton (largest moon of Neptune), Pluto, and Mars. Dr. Summers’ research on the Earth’s atmosphere has focused on understanding middle atmospheric ozone chemistry, coupled chemical-dynamical-radiative modeling of active trace gases, heterogeneous chemistry on meteor dust, the influence of solar variability on the state of the stratosphere and mesosphere, and polar mesospheric clouds and their connection to climate. 

Teaching Interests

 

PHYS 111 Introduction ot the Fundamentals of Atmosphere Science

ASTR 401 Astrobiology
ASTR 403  Planetary Sciences
ASTR 710 Planetary Sciences and Astrobiology
PHYS 676/CSI 755    Atmospheric Physics II: Atmospheric Dynamics

TEDx Presentation

July 19, 2012 sjoy — No Comments

New Observatory Cover

July 7, 2012 gelkins — No Comments