1. We will continue to strengthen collaborations with two Italian aerospace companies (Thales Alenia Spazio-Italy (TAS-I) in Torino (3 years), and Aero-Sekur, S.p.A. in Aprilia (7 years), as well as with one USA small business (Sadler Machine Co, Arizona)(14 years), and a University of Naples Federico II researcher. Thales Alenia Space-Italia (TAS-I) is the premier aerospace manufacturer in Italy and has designed and manufactured 50% of the structural modules of the International Space Station (ISS). They supported TAS-I aerospace engineer, Giorgio Boscheri, who worked at UA-CEAC onthe LGH BLSS for a two-monthperiod (in2010),and hiscolleaguesinItaly supported the energyflow(MEC) modeling withthe data obtained fromthe closure experiments.
2. Our collaborative efforts to date have included 13 professional science or technical investigators (one each, female, Hispanic, Asian, Black), also 7 students in research (one each Asian, Hispanic, Black), 3 USA and 1 Italian faculty, 7 international collaborators from 2 aeropsace companies and 1 USA small business, and one government research facility. Our project received vast amount of media attention during the Phase I including those from TV and Radio channels National Geographic, ABC Network, NPR KUAT Tucson, BBC, and The Martha Stewart Show; as well as periodicals American Scientist, Popular Science, Popular Mechanics, Arizona Alumni Magazine, and TechNews Arizona. We have also communicated to researchers, students and general public with our research results and activities during workshops and conferences at AgroSpace Workshop 2010 (Italy), ICES (International Controlled Environment Systems), and American Societyof Agricultural and Biological Engineers(ASABE).
3. Two lectures were presented by NASA Steckler grant and CEAC staff in the 2009-2010 fall semesters through the Distance Education Network (DEN) at USC. Besides presenting slides depicting progress relating to space agriculture, the CEAC team was able to pan the camera so participants could view the experiments underway. Seeing and discussing advances in real-time without the need for expensive transport and room and board to CEAC site, made an impression on participants that was further supported by exchange of literature between CEAC staff and studio participants. Space agriculture aboard the International Space Station became the topic of choice for a studentproject that wasfurther developed and presented bythe student at the AIAA Space 2010 Conference inLong Beach CA.41The student used this work as part of her portfolio to gain admission to Stanford Graduate School where she is currently pursuing her doctoral studies while employed part-time at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountainview, CA. Thisfruitful educational relationship will continue and will provide studentsinboththe schools of Engineering and Architecture at USC with "live" interactive lectures and discussions that seem to have a unique inspirationalimpact on student bodybesides the educational and state-of-the-art researchcomponent.
4. Middle school educator Maria Catalina is founder of the Astronaut Teacher Alliance (ATA) which is a professional development program that provides access to expeditionary learning through virtual journeys to a global network of middle school educators. We are collaborating with ATA in several ways, including on the development of differentiated curriculum and a set of protocols related to the implementation of the Lunar Greenhouse- Outreach and Teaching Module (LGH-OTM), a portable education module of the Lunar Greenhouse for grades 6-12; anexhibit of the LGH Educational Module for the San Diego CountyDel Mar Fair, incollaboration with AgPALS, a science based education nonprofit focusing on sustainable agriculture, to showcase the module, for 24 days in June 2012 before 1.5 million visitors; and, with the San Diego Science Alliance on the 2012 High Tech Fair inDel Mar California withthe Del Mar Fair Student Showcase and AgPALS to bring the "Call fromthe End of Earth" for a `question and answer' session with Lane Peterson, South Pole Food Growth Chamber technical support ofoperations, `live'fromthe SouthPole.