Space Science & Engineering Forum
Explore Your Place in Space
Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026
9:00 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Diboll Gallery | Malkin Sacks Commons
Discover Tulane’s new Space Science and Engineering Minor, learn about undergraduate spaceflight research, explore science and engineering research and career opportunities, and network with faculty and industry members of the broader space community.
Whether space is already part of your plan or you are still discovering where science and engineering could take you, come explore the possibilities.
Boxed lunch will be provided to those who pre-register by September 15th. Space is limited, so register now!
Schedule of Events
Time | Event |
|---|---|
9:00 a.m. | Coffee and Undergraduate Research Poster Session |
9:30 a.m. | Kickoff Address with Dean Rajan and SSE Start-Up Research Project Presentations (See below for detailed schedule of presentations) |
11:00 a.m. | Undergraduate Research Poster Session |
12:00 p.m. | Lunch for attendees who R.S.V.P.! |
12:15 p.m. | Keynote by Tia Ferguson, Senior Executive (retired), NASA Marshall SFC, "Opportunities for Discovery and Careers in Space Science and Engineering" |
12:45 p.m. | Josh Nguyen ('27) presents the NASA-supported project, “Coacervate Protocells in Microgravity: Stability, Function, and Implications for the Origins of Life Beyond Earth,” which was selected through the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program and will investigate how microscopic droplets known as coacervate protocells behave in microgravity. |
1:00 p.m. | Overview of New Space Science and Engineering Minor by Dr. Cindy Ebinger |
1:15 p.m. | Dr. Matt Barrios presents Go TU Space! - How to gain space-related experience as a Tulane student in science and engineering |
1:30 p.m. | Networking with Industry attendees and SSE Faculty |
Keynote Speaker
Tia Ferguson
Opportunities for Discovery and Careers in Space Science and Engineering
Cynthia "Tia" Kaiser Ferguson served as Director of the Space Systems Department in the Engineering Directorate at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, where she oversaw a $110+ million budget and about 560 employees across six divisions. She began her NASA career in 1990 at Kennedy Space Center, transferred to Marshall in 1995, and rose through technical leadership roles, including acting chief technologist and SERVIR project manager, before her 2017 promotion to the Senior Executive Service as she stepped into this department director role.
Additional Featured Speakers
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Introduction to the New Space Science and Engineering Minor
Physics and Engineering Physics
Engineering Project Opportunities
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Tulane's NASA-Supported Microgravity Experiment
Forum Posters - Undergraduate Researchers
Nonlinear PDEs and the Solar Wind
Carly Chandler
Advisor: Ken McLaughlin
AI-Empowered Multispectral Scanning for Mineral Identification
Jake Massett, jmassett@tulane.edu
Advisors: Zhengming Ding and Cindy Ebinger
Robust Rover Navigation and Control
Connor Benoit, connorpaulbenoit@gmail.com
Northwestern State University
Advisors: Zhengming Ding and Cindy Ebinger
Space Solar Power from 2D Nanomaterials
Josh Sasson, jsasson@tulane.edu
Advisor: Matt Escarra
Quantum Black Hole Analogs
Ben Milton, bmilton@tulane.edu
Advisor: Denys Bondar
Benchmarking Geospatial Foundation Models for Rapid Disaster Response
Zachary Soumen Mitra, zmitra@tulane.edu,
Advisor: Ibrahim Demir
Benchmarking Geospatial Foundation Models for Rapid Disaster Response
Mary Boult, mboult@tulane.edu,
Advisor: Ibrahim Demir
SSE Start-Up Research Project Presentations
In order of presentation:
Two-Dimensional Superconductor-Based Single-Photon Detectors for Quantum Space Applications
Jiang Wei, Physics and Engineering Physics
2D Photovoltaics for Space Solar Power
Matt Escarra, Physics and Engineering Physics
Transforming Satellite Remote Sensing Analysis with Geospatial Foundation AI Models for Disaster Resilience
Ibrahim Demir, River-Coastal Science and Engineering
Harnessing AI for Autonomous Lunar Exploration: Intelligent Rover Navigation and Regolith Resource Extraction
Zhengming (Allan) Ding, Zizhan Zheng, Cindy Ebinger, Computer Science and Earth & Environmental Science
Direct Synthesis of Janus Metal Dichalcogenides via Mixed Chalcogenide Small Molecule Precursors
Jim Donahue, Chemistry
Aluminum Aerosol Injection from Satellite Megaconstellation Reentry: Emissions, Transport, and Atmospheric Fate
Yanxu Zhang, Earth & Environmental Science & Daniel Straus, Chemistry