Drs. Dave Cornelison, professor of physics, and Tiglet Besara, assistant professor of physics, took 20 students on a trip of a lifetime.

In April, they went to the NASA Johnson Facilities in Houston, Texas, for an insider tour.

Yadira Gaibor, a physics major, says she enjoyed learning more about her chosen field.

“I enjoyed meeting other people in our field,” Gaibor said.  “We got a glimpse of the various paths our career may take. These trips give students a perspective of what physics can lead to.”

About the trip

Charlie Armstrong, a Missouri State alumnus, retired from NASA Johnson after 35 years there. He arranged the tour for the current students.

Students met with the Anna Fisher, the first mother in space. They also went to mission control, saw moon rocks and went into a mock spacecraft.

Students also visited the Rice Center for Quantum Materials at Rice University. They met scientists and toured labs.

Listen to Kali Shoaf talk about the trip on STEM Spots

“We take these trips to show students the best work in the field,” Cornelison said.

In addition to career advances, Gaibor liked meeting new people.

“The trip was a great opportunity to get to know other MSU physics undergrads and make friends,” Gaibor said. “It is important to create connections and find that group of people that can help you along the way.”

In previous years, Cornelison has taken students to:

• Argonne National Lab
• Fermi Lab
• The Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics (JILA)
• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Bolder Laboratories