Teacher/Aviator Wins Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award

Cynthia D. Waters, Ed.D., has been selected by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation (AMF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Space Foundation as the winner of the 2012 Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award. Named for Mercury Astronaut Alan Shepard, the award will be presented during the opening ceremony of the 28th National Space Symposium on April 16 at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo.

The Alan Shepard Technology in Education Award is given annually in recognition of outstanding contributions to creative and innovative use of technology in education by K-12 educators or district-level education personnel.

About Waters
Waters is director of aviation for The Aviation Academy at T.W. Andrews High School in High Point, N.C. As an educator, FAA commercial pilot, flight instructor and member of the North Carolina Airport Economic Development Alliance, Waters uses her experience and contacts to provide the Academy’s 140 students with career development opportunities in aviation, engineering and aerospace. The high school is a low-socioeconomic-status school, with 95 percent of students considered to be economically disadvantaged. Waters leverages partnerships with local businesses to help develop the Academy’s curriculum, including offering students the opportunity to earn college credits through a partnership with local Guilford Technical Community College.

“Many of these students would not otherwise be aware of the diverse aeronautical career opportunities available to them,” said Waters. “No matter which career they choose, The Aviation Academy provides a pipeline of talented students with ‘the right stuff.’”

About the Award
Alan Shepard, one of the nation’s original seven Mercury astronauts, was the first American to fly in space, one of only 12 humans who have walked on the moon, and a former AMF board member. The award named after him recognizes excellence, quality and innovation in the development and application of technology in the classroom or to the professional development of teachers. More information about the award is available at here.

About the Astronaut Memorial Foundation
AMF, based at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, honors and memorializes astronauts who have sacrificed their lives for the nation and the space program by sponsoring the national Space Mirror Memorial, and by implementing innovative educational technology programs. AMF partners with NASA to provide technology training to educators throughout the nation with emphasis on space-related technology. In addition, at The Center for Space Education, AMF offers space-related educational opportunities for individuals to improve the quality of the workforce in the space industry. For more information, click here.

About the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation’s civilian space program and aeronautics and aerospace research. Operational since 1958, NASA’s mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautics research. It has led U.S. space exploration including the Mercury and Gemini space programs, the Apollo missions to the Moon, the Space Shuttle, U.S. involvement in the International Space Station, the Hubble Telescope and robotic interplanetary and distant space missions. NASA is also responsible for long-term civilian and military aerospace research and research focused on better understanding Earth, the solar systems, and the universe beyond. For more information, click here.

For information about the 28th National Space Symposium, click here.

This article is part of Space Watch: April 2012 (Volume: 11, Issue: 4).