TEN YEARS ago, Franklin County native Meghan Morris began her first day of work in the dining hall of the University of Tennessee Space Institute (UTSI). After earning an associate degree, she began working under the executive administrative assistant. Then Morris obtained her bachelor’s in human services, her boss retired, and she stepped seamlessly into the position.
Two years ago, her role changed when she became the communication and marketing special events coordinator for UTSI. In this position, Morris landed her dream job. She can cater to the community and encourage an early love for learning by visiting local schools with a mobile planetarium. She ignites minds by hosting STEM competitions, where wide-eyed students launch homemade water rockets. She also offers tours to prospective high schoolers, government officials, and industrial visitors.
“We offer a variety of STEM activities, including hobby rocket and water rocket building, hands-on STEM crafts, mechanical engineering building sets, Van de Graaff demonstrations, and a mobile planetarium,” said Morris.
“UTSI’s mission is to provide education and research that benefits the people of Tennessee and promotes the economic growth and well-being of our region. Our STEM outreach is directly tied to that objective as we try to support our local school systems in the preparation and inspiration of kids who will eventually play a vital role in science-and-technology-related careers — hopefully in our area — that contribute to both their individual and our region’s economic security.”
During the summer, UTSI offers weeklong STEM day camps for eighth through 11th graders, funded by the Office of Naval Research. According to Morris, participants learn rocketry, hypersonics, additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, 3D printing exercises, wind tunnel exercises, and take part in a paper airplane challenge.
Throughout the week, campers receive instruction from students enrolled at UTSI and Alabama A&M University, and on the final two days of the camp, go on field trips to tour the campuses of their instructors.
UTSI, with the help of Morris, also hosts two days of professional development for local junior and high school teachers. The focus is on STEM activities easily implemented in classrooms. These personal development classes focus on hypersonics and rocketry, the importance of aerospace and defense in our community, and offer grant writing resources, guest speakers, and tours. There are also panel discussions with current graduate students, all funded by the Office of Naval Research.
“For students studying undergraduate degrees in engineering and relevant science majors, we also offer a summer internship program that has drawn students from all over the country. It’s very competitive. We have around 200 applications annually, and approximately 25 positions, but we try to ensure that qualified local students who can commute from home and not take a place in our dorms have a chance to participate first.”
Teachers in and around Coffee County can take advantage of these wonderful programs offered by Morris, including the mobile planetarium geared toward elementary students. As a single mother of two, Morris believes that hands-on activities, such as those offered through their partnership with the Hands-On Science Center, are a great way to immerse children in STEM naturally and nourish a love for learning that continues into adulthood.
“STEM is important because it is such a huge and growing field, and it’s only going to continue to grow and change. These kids need this kind of exposure so they can see all the awesome possibilities of careers in the STEM field, and the exposure needs to start when they are young. Developing and supporting great STEM education gives back to the community in terms of drawing high-paying technology-intensive industries. When those types of jobs are created, they also bring the additional benefits of supporting jobs in the supply chain and services.”
Morris also schedules an annual Star Party each fall on the campus of UTSI, which is free and open to the public.
“We open the observatory to view the starry sky and any other celestial bodies visible. We have STEM activities set up in the lobby, movies playing in the auditorium, and provide refreshments. This is always a favorite for the community.”
Morris is thankful to be able to touch lives through STEM.
“Working for UTSI has truly changed my life and given me opportunities to grow professionally. I never thought I’d be working with such brilliant people or working with the community like I do. In my opinion, I have the most fun and rewarding job here. Being a part of an organization that encourages community involvement to educate young minds is priceless.” GN
