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Tennessee State University

The Tennessee State University (TSU) Center of Excellence Information Systems (COE) is collaborating with NAI on the NAI-MIRS program. This collaboration includes marketing, recruiting, selecting, and managing the faculty sabbaticals and the travel. This collaboration is the result of the success and growth of the NAI-MIRS program, which NAI began in 2002.

TSU is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) located in Nashville, Tennessee with active astrobiology research and educational programs. Greg Henry, a TSU astronomer in the COE, made the first direct detection of an extrasolar planet, an extrasolar planet with a large dense core, and has more than 200 refereed publications. Two TSU scientists, Drs. Todd Gary and Lewis Myles, have participated in the NAI-MIRS program. The support and experience gained from this program has helped develop, fund, and grow astrobiology program at TSU. Both of these scientists have received funding to support astrobiology from NSF, NASA, and TSU. As a result of this funding, the Center of Excellence Information Systems hired a Coordinator of Educational Outreach, Judy Butler. Mrs. Butler is involved in developing the Astrobiology for Secondary Schools (ASC) curriculum as part of the NASA Goddard Center for Astrobiology (NAI Team). She coordinated the publication of 10,000 copies of a 16-page astrobiology newspaper for middle school students in partnership with the local Newspapers In Education program. Together, Drs. Gary and Myles and Mrs. Butler have seven abstracts in Astrobiology and the International Journal of Astrobiology. One of the students involved in astrobiology research at TSU is now in the Graduate Certificate Program in Astrobiology at the University of Washington.

Minority Institute Astrobiology Collaborative

The Minority Institute Astrobiology Collaborative (MIAC) is a virtual organization modeled after NAI Central and is focused on expanding the astrobiology educational and research infrastructure within the minority community. Drs. Todd Gary (TSU) and Benita Bell (Bennett College) are co-directors for the MIAC.

This is an Equal Employment Opportunity. In accordance with Federal statutes and regulations and NASA policies, no person on the grounds of race, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance from NASA.