My name is Alec Lindman, and I am a Physics major and rising senior at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. I grew up near Albany, New York, and I've always been curious about how our world works. That inquisitiveness led me to study physics and plan for a research career. I’m especially interested in everything related to space: Earth satellites and space-based observation, interplanetary and interstellar probes, and human spaceflight. The images from Hubble and the other great observatories, as well as the plethora of smaller Earth-observing and outward-looking missions have always entranced me, and the optics and engineering behind them have captivated the technical side of my mind. I’m incredibly excited to make my own contributions to the development of new instruments for future missions this summer at Goddard Space Flight Center, both for what we will learn about our universe and for what I will learn from my mentors about conducting research.

Outside of class, I’m likely to be found rock climbing, sailing or skiing – if, that is, I’m not working on our vehicle for the NASA Great Moonbuggy Race. The Rhodes College team took home the rookie award our first year, and moved up in the rankings this year. I've enjoyed playing a central role in the design and construction process, and even now, three weeks after the race, my head is full of ideas – both practical and fanciful – for next year. I am Communications Officer for the Rhodes College Society of Physics Students chapter, and served as Outreach Officer in 2012-13. Through this work I have gained a broad understanding of how to communicate the value and excitement of science to the public; I hope to hone and put to use these skills over the summer, since I know they will be invaluable to me as an aspiring researcher. NASA Goddard is home to an astounding variety of compelling projects, and there’s nowhere I’d rather spend my summer. Science and knowledge, here I come!