By: Emily Delgado  

Students from across the country traveled to Iowa City for two weeks this past summer to participate in the third year of the Edge of Space Academy, an immersive summer research experience focused on space-based instrumentation for observing Earth and space. 

The hands-on, paid experience is designed for all students who have an interest in Earth, atmospheric, solar, and space science. The program is a collaboration between two College of Liberal Arts and Sciences departments: Physics and Astronomy and Geographical and Sustainability Sciences.  

The program is led by faculty members Allison Jaynes, Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Susan Meerdink, Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences. 

“We want to spread the word nationally and internationally that Iowa is one of the destination universities for this kind of research,” Jaynes previously said in an article detailing the program.   

The Edge of Space program is unique as it builds off the strengths of students and of the faculty leads to allow students to gain knowledge on tools and skills they need to take on challenges in earth and space observation science, Meerdink said.  

This year’s cohort included 14 students from across the country and range from different areas of study and backgrounds. Two students in this year’s group were from the University of Iowa.  

"This program is designed to give students experience in space-based mission and hardware research and boost their confidence in valuable skills that will hopefully impact their career trajectories." 

Jae Dancer, a fourth-year student studying geoscience at Iowa, said this year's program allowed her to see how she works under pressure and the importance of teamwork. Out of the three teams, two focused on geography and environmental sensing, this work allowed students to get an inside look into research outside of college.  

Students worked in teams to build instrument payloads and integrate them on an aerial platform, while also collecting data. Students presented their findings to an audience, which allowed them to practice their public presentation skills. 

“I think I've gained a deeper appreciation for the process, the significance of teamwork, and the ability to navigate ambiguity, as well as taking away a mindset of more confidence in tackling real-world challenges later,” Dancer said. 

The program also exposed students to the reality of working in the science world.  

“I don’t think they wanted to hand us a perfected project coming into it, which I think differed from when taking classes where the data is laid out, clean, and the path is clear. But that’s not real life,” Dancer said. “I think this program is kind of like training wheels for research and science in the real world.”