Mars research garners UA grad student national recogniton
Profile
Mary Robbins
Issue date: 8/27/07 Section: News
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"We're among the first ones to actually do experiments that show what not just ice, but also what liquid water does, when it interacts with wind and soil," Chittenden said according to a UA press release.
Two Dwornik awards are given each year. One is given for an oral presentation and one for a poster presentation. Chittenden entered the poster competition and went to Houston to present it. Her poster was just shy of 4 feet by 4 feet and included an explanation of the experiment and how the research was done, she said. It also included graphs of the results and what those results mean for Mars, Chittenden said.
At the conference, Chittenden was not nervous to present her work, she said. Attendees of the conference were able to ask questions about the research, which gave Chittenden time to talk individually with people.
"It's a great way to talk to people who are interested in the same kind of research," she said.
Although Chittenden was confident in her research and her results, she wasn't convinced she would win the award, she said.
"There was a lot of good work going on," she said. "I hoped we would win, but I tried not to obsess over it."
Late one night, after the conference was over, Chittenden checked her e-mail and found out she had been named the winner. She immediately forwarded the e-mail to her professor and called her friend in Arizona to share the good news, she said.
Chittenden isn't certain what winning the award will mean for her future.
"I hope it helps me get a job," she said.
Chittenden will be formally awarded with the honor at the next conference, she said.
In early August, NASA launched the Phoenix Mars Lander, which is directed toward the polar regions of the planet. The mission has many objectives, but a few goals correlate with Chittenden's research, she said. The lander is to expose a layer of ice and discover how wind could affect water stability, and it will also look into ice and soil interactions, Chittenden said. The lander should arrive on Mars in about nine months, Chittenden said.
For now, Chittenden still goes outside at night to watch the stars whenever she gets the chance, she said.
"You have very introspective moments when you do that," she said.
Two Dwornik awards are given each year. One is given for an oral presentation and one for a poster presentation. Chittenden entered the poster competition and went to Houston to present it. Her poster was just shy of 4 feet by 4 feet and included an explanation of the experiment and how the research was done, she said. It also included graphs of the results and what those results mean for Mars, Chittenden said.
At the conference, Chittenden was not nervous to present her work, she said. Attendees of the conference were able to ask questions about the research, which gave Chittenden time to talk individually with people.
"It's a great way to talk to people who are interested in the same kind of research," she said.
Although Chittenden was confident in her research and her results, she wasn't convinced she would win the award, she said.
"There was a lot of good work going on," she said. "I hoped we would win, but I tried not to obsess over it."
Late one night, after the conference was over, Chittenden checked her e-mail and found out she had been named the winner. She immediately forwarded the e-mail to her professor and called her friend in Arizona to share the good news, she said.
Chittenden isn't certain what winning the award will mean for her future.
"I hope it helps me get a job," she said.
Chittenden will be formally awarded with the honor at the next conference, she said.
In early August, NASA launched the Phoenix Mars Lander, which is directed toward the polar regions of the planet. The mission has many objectives, but a few goals correlate with Chittenden's research, she said. The lander is to expose a layer of ice and discover how wind could affect water stability, and it will also look into ice and soil interactions, Chittenden said. The lander should arrive on Mars in about nine months, Chittenden said.
For now, Chittenden still goes outside at night to watch the stars whenever she gets the chance, she said.
"You have very introspective moments when you do that," she said.
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