BALTIMORE,
Coppin State University students will work with NASA to bring African-American history to life during a year-long geographical research project, federal and university officials announced yesterday.
Six Coppin students along with Dr. Douglas Reardon, an associate history professor, will work on The Middle Passage Project, which includes using NASA satellites to explore the influence of the trans-Atlantic slave trade on current environmental issues.
The study is supported by an $186,000 grant awarded by the NASA Applied Sciences Program and administered by the Geosciences Interoperability Office at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. The project works in conjunction with NASA’s four national priorities: ecological forecast, carbon management, agricultural efficiency, and managing the coast.
The one-year grant will support Coppin research teams conducting 10-day fieldwork and studies in Ghana, St. Kitts and Barbados.
“Too often and for too long, African-American history has been boxed up and delivered in February like a Christmas ornament,” said Reardon, who is the principal investigator for the project. “I think the African-American experience has broader value than is appreciated.”
The project means a lot to Coppin and the community. It’s a chance to show that we can contribute in meaningful ways to NASA missions. This project helps our students as they go on to graduate schools and work on other projects,” Reardon told a group gathered at Coppin for the project’s launch.
