AFRL STEM Team Wins National Recognition Published June 12, 2013 By Jeanne Dailey Directed Energy KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, New Mexico -- The STEM team from the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy and Space Vehicles Directorates are this year's top national award-winner, taking home the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer's 2013 STEM Team Award. This honor is is one of the FLC's top recognitions, with nominations open to more than 300 federal laboratories. It recognizes a laboratory team that has demonstrated outstanding work in support of STEM -- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics -- education. The AFRL team was recognized for its innovative and wide-spread outreach programs that impact thousands of students and teachers annually. Team members are Ms. Casey DeRaad, Dr. David 'Tony' Hostutler, Dr. David Voss, Ms. Ronda Cole, Dr. Stacie Williams and Mr. Mitch Thierry. In bestowing this award, FLC recognized several dynamic programs in a variety of outreach endeavors that benefit students from fifth grade through the doctoral level. The University Nanosat Program reaches over 500 university students each year to competitively design, build, launch and track a small satellite. The AFRL Scholars - Space, Directed Energy, and Phillips Scholars -- programs create summer internships for top university students from across the nation. Strategic Educational Partnership Agreements with University of New Mexico, New Mexico State University, and New Mexico Tech were formed to facilitate collaborative research opportunities. The AFRL La Luz Academy outreach program for students in the fifth grade to high school impacts 3,000 students annually. The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum in McMinnville, OR and Explora Science Center in Albuquerque, NM use AFRL research and development artifacts in creative STEM exhibits.