April 28, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 16)
Article by
Bobby Springer
Bobby Springer, back row at left, is pictured with GEAR UP students at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Students in Grand Rapids who participate in Grand Valley's GEAR UP program have been engaged in a year-long project with scientists involved in space engineering and exploration.
Kazimer Prince, Denny Hernandez, Joshua Beamon, Malachi Autry, Kenneth Hood and Antwan Redmon, all from Innovation Central High School, are completing hands-on research with the Galaxy Frontier Project (GFP).
GFP is a global multi-year research project sponsored by NASA, Ecotek Lab and various space engineering companies. Each student team member has been assigned a specific scope of work, from reviewing rocket engineering project deliverables to designing simulations to improving the rocket's performance.
The group traveled to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston in January with students from the GEAR UP program at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. After tours of the facility, the students met with NASA engineers and administrators to continue working on their projects.
They next travel to Florida on May 8 to meet with scientists from organizations such as NASA, Exolith Labs, SpaceX and Blue Origin.
— Bobby Springer is the director of the GEAR UP program.
This article was last edited on April 25, 2026 at 10:24 a.m.
Participants spent 10 weeks in an accelerator program offered by the DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, in partnership with GVSU's Northern Michigan Region.
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July 14, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 19)
Article by
Shannon Owen
The vice president for Enrollment Development and College Futures discusses the successful launch of "The Pathways Project Podcast."
July 14, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 19)
Messages during the keynote presentations and breakout sessions focused on authentic communication and practical ways to tell the GVSU story.
July 14, 2026 (Volume 49, Number 19)
Article by
Michele Coffill
