I presented my research poster at Marshall Space Flight Center this afternoon with over 100 other students. It went very well! My poster looked great. I wrote and memorized a short spiel about my work. I explained my research to the MSFC Center Director, which was a neat interaction. I'm pleased I was able to communicate my work to people who may not have even heard of gamma-ray bursts before.

After the poster session, I was sent a questionnaire by one of the poster session organizers. I enjoy surveys such as these because I'm allowed to express my idealism and enthusiasm through my writing. I've reprinted the questions and my responses below.

Write out your full name, age and hometown:
Laura Seward, 24, Media, Pennsylvania

Where do you currently go to school? What year? Major?
University of Alabama in Huntsville
I am about to begin my 3rd year as a graduate student in the doctoral program. My degree is Physics with a concentration in Astrophysics.

Which summer internship program are you part of (MSGR, GSRP, etc)?
Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP)

What compelled you to seek out this internship?
My first MSFC internship was during the summer of 2005 when I was a Research Assistant in the NASA Academy program. Pursuing a career in NASA has aways been my goal, and I had learned from two previous summers of researching at a university that I really enjoyed astrophysics research. I applied to NASA Academy because of the exciting research opportunities and because of the leadership training and "One NASA" experiences unique to NASA Academy. I was not disappointed; NASA Academy was everything I expected and more. The program reshaped my career outlook and goals.

I loved my research and mentors that summer so much that I decided to apply to UAH for grad school with the intent of continuing my work in the Gamma-ray Astrophysics Group at MSFC. I received my B.S. in 2006 and moved to Huntsville to continue my research and to start grad school in the fall. The GSRP, one of the top NASA programs available to graduate students, was my first choice over all other graduate fellowship programs. I am dedicated to pursuing a career in NASA, so gaining a GSRP keeps me in the NASA education and training "pipeline."

Has your summer been rewarding? How/why?
My summer has been very rewarding. I am a space enthusiast and NASA geek, and being able to say "I work at NASA" is a great personal achievement. It instills a sense of pride yet is also humbling to know that I'm doing my small part to contribute to the scientific community, NASA's missions and goals, and humanity's understanding of the Universe. The scientists I work with are fantastic and are willing to take time to teach me how to become a scientist. My growth is rewarding not only to me, but to them as well.

At the start of the summer, it became clear that I had hit a roadblock with my research. I did not know how to program, and I could not continue my work without acquiring that skill. I dedicated much of my time this summer working with my mentor and others in our group to learn how to program, and by the end of the summer, I am proud to report that I have overcome that hurdle. To learn something that I thought was impossible for me to learn, to be able to take that skill and create a program that is entirely my own, and to apply my program to produce good scientific results is highly rewarding.

Will you pursue a career with NASA, or in the "STEM" fields?
Absolutely. My passion is space, and I will do whatever it takes to develop a career that benefits the space program and science in general. After I obtain my Ph.D., I intend to gain full-time employment within NASA. My career interests are astrophysics, space policy, manned space-flight, and public outreach. My ideal job is astronaut under the Constellation program.