The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has selected Harvey Mudd College junior Daniel Voyles as one of 40 undergraduate students who will participate in the inaugural year of its Europa ICONS (Inspiring Clipper: Opportunities for Next-generation Scientists) internship program, supporting the agency\u2019s Europa Clipper mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Voyles will be matched with a mentor from the mission\u2019s science team for a 10-week program to conduct original scientific research on topics related to the mission to Jupiter\u2019s moon Europa, one of the most promising locations in our solar system for potential habitability. ICONS internships may be in-person at the mentor\u2019s institution, virtual or hybrid, depending on the research project and needs of the mentor and intern. As part of the program, students and mentors will convene for a two-day meeting at NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWorking for NASA is really exciting because it\u2019s such a well-known and well-respected organization that a lot of people dream of working for,\u201d says Voyles, a physics major. \u201cThis specific internship interests me because I believe there is a lot that can be learned from Europa about the potential for life outside of Earth, and I\u2019m thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to this learning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Voyles was a high school class valedictorian, National Merit Finalist and talented cross country and All-American track and field athlete. He\u2019s continued this interest as a member of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps cross country and track and field teams. He\u2019s utilizing perseverance and teamwork\u2014valuable skills he says he\u2019s learned through athletics\u2014in his academic life and in his pursuit of a PhD in astrophysics and a career in research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Europa ICONS program is part of a larger effort known as Clipper Next Gen, a decade-long strategy to utilize Europa Clipper to train and diversify the next generation of planetary scientists. The Europa Clipper mission\u2019s three main science objectives are to determine the thickness of the moon\u2019s icy shell and its surface interactions with the ocean below, to investigate its composition, and to characterize its geology. The mission\u2019s detailed exploration of Europa will help scientists better understand the astrobiological potential for habitable worlds beyond our planet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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