Student winners announced from Montana Space Grant Consortium symposium

BOZEMAN – Students from Montana State University, Montana Tech and Salish Kootenai College won awards for the best talks and posters at this year’s Montana Space Grant Consortium research symposium, held April 20 at MSU.

Brian Redman of MSU won the award for best undergraduate talk from a research institution. He spoke about testing a low-cost all-sky infrared cloud imager. Award sponsor was eComponents Technology.
Eric Hjelvik of MSU won the award for best undergraduate poster from a research institution. His poster featured “Determination of manganese-cobalt coating thickness of ferritic stainless steel substrate via CALOTEST.” Award sponsor was Anasphere Inc.

Katy Steiner of Montana Tech won the award for best undergraduate talk from a small institution. She presented an analysis of gas phase carbine and amino acid reactions using labeling electrospray deposition. Award sponsor was AdvR.

Judy Hudgins of Salish Kootenai College won the award for best undergraduate poster from a small institution. The poster featured the SKC CubeSat. Award sponsor was MSU’s Museum of the Rockies.
Meredith Rainey of MSU won the award for best graduate student talk. She spoke about the use of MODIS habitat data and MODIS- derived phenology metrics to improve models of wildlife corridors. Award sponsor was Montana Aviation Research Company.

Kathryn Williamson of MSU won the award for the best graduate student poster. It focused on student understanding of gravity in introductory college astronomy. Award sponsor was Sciential Consulting, LLC.

The best group talk was given by Elizabeth Clem, Laurie Smoot, Tiffany Heetderks, Kathryn Schipf, Stephani Schielke and Rachael Luhr, all of MSU. They spoke about designing a high-altitude balloon payload to carry an ionizing radiation sensor. Award sponsor was the Montana Space Grant Consortium.
Evelyn Boswell, (406) 994-5135 or evelynb@montana.edu