NASA Goddard’s Innovation Lab: Creating a Future

“Interns at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center are an extraordinary group. Their eyes brighten at the mention of an informative lecture, they eagerly ask questions as you pass by in the hallways, and they talk about their projects with unbounded enthusiasm. Could these high school and college students be the secret to infusing our workforce with renewed passion? Matthew Showalter, associate branch head in the Advanced Manufacturing Branch (AMB), at NASA Goddard in Greenbelt, Md., believes so. For several years he has utilized the unique talent and fresh thinking of interns from around the country to collaborate on a project he calls the Innovation Lab. When complete, the Innovation Lab will support Goddard research and development at low or no cost, while simultaneously recruiting the next generation of engineers and scientists for the center’s workforce.” More.