The Mars 2020 Perseverance mission has recently joined the NASA Here to Observe (H2O) program, where NASA planetary missions are partnered with universities to encourage undergraduate students from historically marginalized groups to pursue STEM careers. As part of this program, the Perseverance mission has been paired with Kutztown University, located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Selected undergraduate students at the university will be able to observe and interact with Perseverance mission team members throughout this academic year to learn about the individuals who are part of the team and what it means to work on the rover mission.

To help kick off the program and our new partnership, I traveled to Kutztown with the Perseverance Deputy Project Scientist, Katie Stack Morgan. We met several members of the Kutztown faculty and staff, toured their beautiful campus, and got to know the students participating in the H2O program this year. Katie and I were impressed by the enthusiasm and engagement exhibited by the students during our visit. We presented an introduction to the Perseverance mission including the recent discoveries, upcoming plans, and who comprises the mission team. There was also ample time to answer the many thoughtful questions about both the mission and the career paths of both me and Katie.

As part of this program, the students will observe select Perseverance mission meetings and activities. We kicked this off in October when the students observed a Geologic Context Working Group meeting to learn how scientists work together to understand the data gathered by the rover and make decisions about what the rover should do next. The students will also be paired with mentors from the Perseverance mission team throughout this academic year where they’ll have the chance to learn about the various career paths our team members have taken, read scientific papers, and prepare for a trip to the Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conference.

Overall, we have a great plan for our H2O partnership and are looking forward to welcoming Kutztown University to the Perseverance mission.

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