Vardo Mckenzie, age 17, from Barraterre Exuma, was awarded the first Alf Thompson Memorial Scholarship by the Bahamas Marine EcoCentre. This scholarship was created to honour the passing of a great Bahamian engineer and scientist – John Alfred Thompson. Vardo McKenzie interned for eight weeks at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Under the guidance of Dr. Jamie Foster, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida, Vardo participated in many projects in the fields of engineering and science. Some of these include the building of payloads, or instruments for small satellites, the construction and launching of weather balloons as part of a student-led research initiative as well as being mentored in astronomy by Dr. Jaydeep Mukherjee. Vardo was able to conduct research using an optical telescope that was a replica of the original one invented by Galileo.
Vardo commented “This internship assisted me in achieving my educational goals and allowed me to try many different types of engineering projects. This internship has reinforced the idea that pursuing an education is a great way to advance my career goals and improve one’s quality of life. Not only have I had the opportunity to participate as an intern, but I have been able to build relationships with top level scientists and researchers in the field of space sciences and engineering”.
Media: Article on Tribune 242
Nasa Gives A Chance To Bahamians, Feb 2012
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