The N麻豆原创 payload featured an ejector and robotic arm designed to track and capture objects in space. The experiment, developed over months of design, testing and assembly, provided students with the rare opportunity to apply classroom learning to a real-world aerospace challenge in partnership with NASA engineers.听

鈥淥pportunities like this are transformational for our students,鈥� said Dan Lawrence, Professor of Physics and Engineering and ABET Program Director. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not just studying engineering鈥攖hey鈥檙e practicing it at the highest level. From concept to launch, our students worked through the same rigorous process that professional aerospace engineers use, and they did it with excellence.鈥�听

Through RockSat-X, students were involved in every stage of the mission: designing the experiment, preparing it for spaceflight, integrating it into the rocket and analyzing post-flight data. The launch reached an altitude of approximately 90 miles, providing valuable microgravity time for testing the payload.听

鈥淭his is exactly the kind of experience that prepares our graduates to innovate in their careers from day one,鈥� Lawrence added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also a reminder that big ideas can come from a small university in Idaho鈥攁nd make an impact on a national stage.鈥�听

The RockSat-X program is a collaboration between NASA鈥檚 Wallops Flight Facility and universities across the nation, designed to give students a comprehensive, hands-on spaceflight experience.听

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Northwest Nazarene University (N麻豆原创) senior Kieran Kranzow has been honored with the prestigious John Van Zytveld Award in the Life Sciences for his outstanding research presentation at the 2024 Murdock College Science Research Conference. His presentation, titled “Sound of a New Species: Using Bioacoustics to Assess a Unique Population of Poison Frog,” captivated judges with its scientific rigor, creativity and poise when answering questions.

The award, which recognizes excellence in communication skills, knowledge and innovative analysis, highlights Kranzow鈥檚 exceptional work in the field of wildlife biology. His research focused on using bioacoustics to investigate the possibility of a new species of poison dart frog in Panama, employing genetic analysis, field recordings and physical measurements.

Dr. Jamee Nixon, Dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences at N麻豆原创, expressed pride in Kranzow’s achievement. “Winning the top award at a prestigious conference like Murdock is a phenomenal accomplishment. This is the first time an N麻豆原创 student has achieved this recognition following nearly twenty-five years of participation. Kieran鈥檚 dedication and the mentorship of Dr. John Cossel bear witness to the strength of N麻豆原创鈥檚 biology program.”

The Murdock Charitable Trust, sponsor of the annual conference, awarded $1,500 as part of the recognition. Of this, $500 will support Kranzow鈥檚 educational expenses, including graduate school applications, and $1,000 will be allocated to N麻豆原创鈥檚 science department to promote undergraduate research. The award is named in honor of Dr. John Van Zytveld, longtime Senior Program Director at the Murdock Trust and a champion for undergraduate research and science education.

In a congratulatory letter, Dr. Moses Lee, Vice President of Scientific Research Grants & Programming at Murdock Charitable Trust, commended Kranzow鈥檚 work: 鈥淜ieran excelled in all aspects, from communication skills, knowledge and analysis of the material and creativity of the project, and significantly contributed to this year鈥檚 conference theme, 鈥楽aving Our Planet Through Scientific Research.鈥欌��

Kranzow, a wildlife biology and philosophy double major, looks forward to continuing research that integrates fieldwork and laboratory analysis in graduate school. His accomplishment stands as an inspiration for current and future N麻豆原创 students and highlights the University鈥檚 commitment to excellence in undergraduate research.

For more information about N麻豆原创鈥檚 biology programs, visit .

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Each issue of the听, we provide a profile for one N麻豆原创 faculty member, one staff member, one undergraduate student and one graduate student. Meet Ben Wikoff, our undergraduate student profile for Summer 2024.

MAJOR: Engineering

FUTURE PLANS: I plan to pursue a job as an engineer in the aerospace or medical field. I hope my job will keep me living in the northwest so I can continue to spend a lot of time outside.

GRAD YEAR: 2025

HOMETOWN: Sandpoint, Idaho

Favorite N麻豆原创 Memory: One of my favorite memories at N麻豆原创 was participating in the humorous men鈥檚 pageant event, Mr. N麻豆原创. Being able to laugh along with the student body and a lot of my friends was such a great experience.听听

Favorite Thing About N麻豆原创: My favorite thing about N麻豆原创 is the dedication to thriving student life. There is almost always some kind of event for students going on here. Whether that鈥檚 a worship service, dorm event, sports game or school-wide event from SGA, there is something going on and a place to feel welcome.听听

Something Valuable You Learned at N麻豆原创: Something valuable I have learned at N麻豆原创 is that balancing hard work with good friendship is really important. Spending eight hours studying is hard work and being able to relax at the end of the day with people that care about you really makes it all worth it.听听

N麻豆原创 students frequently express that we do college different. How do you believe N麻豆原创 does college different? N麻豆原创 does college different by investing not only in students鈥� educational success, but also their social and spiritual growth. By encouraging community and spiritual thriving, N麻豆原创 is also urging students to love each other. This loving environment, which is no doubt a result and representation of God鈥檚 love, creates an atmosphere at N麻豆原创 that is just different.听听

How do you see/experience N麻豆原创鈥檚 motto of 鈥淪eek Ye First the Kingdom of God鈥� lived out on campus? One of the ways I see this motto lived out is through our Monday chapel services. On Mondays we get to hear the chaplain team interview staff and faculty members at N麻豆原创. Whether they teach psychology, finance or are school administration, we hear about how they are pursuing God. It is easy to see God in the songs that we sing in services throughout the week and in times of prayer that are built in, but seeing how God is active in the classroom on top of that shows that we are seeking first and foremost the Kingdom of God.听

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Each issue of the听, we provide a profile for one N麻豆原创 faculty member, one staff member, one undergraduate student and one graduate student. Meet Sara Harrison, our graduate student profile for Summer 2024.

MAJOR: Ph.D. in Educational Leadership

FUTURE PLANS: I plan to contribute influencing the next generation of teachers in the U.S. and abroad.

GRAD YEAR: 2024

HOMETOWN: New Wilmington, Pennsylvania

Fun Fact About You: I鈥檝e visited more than 25 countries and hope to see more in the future. I鈥檝e also spent a significant portion of my professional career living and working in the Middle East.听听

Favorite N麻豆原创 Memory: The on-campus residency during my doctoral program was an amazing time of connecting with colleagues and professors while taking on fulfilling academic challenges. By the end of our time together, my cohort had developed deep friendships and a network of support for one another that continues to this day.听听

Favorite Thing About N麻豆原创: N麻豆原创 offers excellent programs run by faculty who are not only experts in their fields but who also truly care about students. It鈥檚 rare to find institutions that can do both well, but N麻豆原创 does.听听

Something Valuable You Learned at N麻豆原创: The educational leadership courses I took at N麻豆原创 were extremely valuable. Early in my Ed.S. program, I had to develop and articulate my leadership guiding principles, which helped me crystallize what was important to me as a leader. I reference those principles regularly.听听

Proudest Accomplishment From Your Time at N麻豆原创: Finishing my dissertation was both a personal and professional milestone, especially as a mother of three. I wanted my children and my students to see that it is possible to achieve your goals successfully.听听

How do you see/experience N麻豆原创鈥檚 motto of 鈥淪eek Ye First the Kingdom of God鈥� lived out on campus? Seeking God鈥檚 Kingdom first is about putting God鈥檚 priorities first: loving people. I have seen this modeled at N麻豆原创 through a genuine community that holistically cares for its students. Loving people well will always create an eternal impact.

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What made you decide to do your internship with NASA and how did you find it?

I actually had zero intention of doing it. I was really hoping to get an on-campus job this year and I was super excited about that. In the meantime, I was talking to a professor at N麻豆原创 and he told me about the internship at NASA. So I applied to it in February, super last minute. I had to ask for my letters of recommendation to be returned in two days and I did not think I was going to get them at all. I really wanted the on-campus job, but when I had the interview, I didn鈥檛 get it. I was really bummed because I thought that was what I was supposed to do. Three days later, though, I got a call from my NASA point of contact and she told me that they had a spot for me. It was not a plan I had in mind but it just showed up at my feet and was like a door God had opened.

What did your typical day look like when you were there?

I worked at the Langley Research Center in Virginia, which was about an hour south of Washington D.C. and an hour from North Carolina. I would wake up and commute to work where I would get scanned in with my badge. Then I went in and was on the computer most of the day doing research; I also had a lot of meetings in different areas of research at the facility to work on our project. Our project team had seven people on it and there were seventeen of us in the program in total.

What things did you learn at N麻豆原创 that helped you during your internship?

I took a physics class last semester for engineers but I am actually a math major. The class itself was so hard but it really prepared me for this project. And honestly, the community here at N麻豆原创鈥攚e always talk about community鈥攂ut it’s true; when I was at my NASA internship, I didn鈥檛 really have that community. I was the only one on my team that loved Jesus, but because I knew I had a community at N麻豆原创 it helped me to know what I got to come back to.

What was your favorite part of the internship?

The project itself was amazing. I didn鈥檛 work on any space stuff but I did work on wildfire research. It was not a traditional internship where you work underneath a mentor on their project, we could literally do whatever we wanted. So, our team developed this technology to improve communications for firefighters as they are fighting wildfires in the mountains. We are working on this way to help increase their communication capabilities because when you’re up on a mountainside, you know there’s limited communication. Just the fire science itself was the most fascinating thing, and the math and science behind it was awesome. We were really just trying to help firefighters and small towns. I am from a small town in California that is in a pretty wooded area so it kind of felt like I was fighting for that.

Tucker was recently informed that his group project from last summer was approved by NASA as a new technology. In the next few months, they will find out if NASA will pursue a patent on it. If you see Tucker, make sure to congratulate him on this exciting project!

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