Students working towards a minor in Space Sciences at Bemidji State University (BSU) must complete a final research project in this area before graduation. This project is completed under the direction of John Annexstad, Associate Director of the consortium. Students play a role in Dr. Annexstad's research program and utilize the vast database that he brings to the department. The research under study at BSU being pursued by these students is related to meteorite finds in Antarctica. One focus of this research involves determining the geographical distribution of meteorites within the context of glacial flow dynamics using GIS.

Tom Greenlee at Bethel University has been involving undergraduates in developing that institution's upper-division physics laboratory curriculum. Students are assembling and testing the apparatus for future lab experiments. Some of the projects in this program include the construction of a diode laser, temperature measurement by fiber interferometry, holography of transient gas flows and the characterization of photomultiplier tube performance. The students will also be involved in finalizing and writing the experiments for use in future lab courses at Bethel and eventually for nationwide distribution. It is a wonderful learning experience for these students.

Greg Ojakangas at UMD has several undergraduate students assisting in his research efforts. Students perform theoretical analyses, take measurements and review literature regarding current research programs. Research is being conducted on polar wander of synchronous moons as a result of emplacement of an anomalous mass on the surface, the development of a new numerical model of the evolving orbital debris environment as produced by spacecraft breakup, the relationship between cyclic pattern records in tidal sediments, the earth-moon separation distance in the geologic past and the study of the thermal and orbital evolution of Saturn's icy moon, Enceladus, and the origin of Saturn's E-ring. Results of some of this work will be presented at conferences in the near future.

The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (UM-TC) continues to support the research projects of graduate students within the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics and the Physics Department. Most of these students are being advised by junior faculty members of the AEM Department who have limited research funding at the time. Support of this type is temporary and allows junior faculty members to obtain help from graduate assistants while setting up their research labs. Research being conducted by graduate students in the past school year include: turbulent boundary layers, computational fluid dynamics of a combustor, optimal control of a helicopter and the measurement of vortex/free surface interaction.