NASA-Supported Fellowship Program Brings International Students to Present Climate Impact Studies

WASHINGTON, March 31, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Fourteen students from Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Himalayas will discuss their efforts to use satellite data and mapping technologies to address climate change issues in their regions, Thursday, April 3.

The public event at NASA Headquarters begins at 9 a.m. EDT in the James E. Webb Auditorium at 300 E St. SW, Washington. Presentations will be broadcast live on NASA Television.

The students are part of a global fellowship program sponsored by NASA, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Association of American Geographers. The My Community, Our Earth/SERVIR program supports long-term training of young, emerging scholars in the use of Earth observations, geography, and geospatial technologies to address climate change issues in developing regions.

The My Community, Our Earth program is a public-private partnership administered by the Association of American Geographers to provide the mentorship, networking, and professional development necessary to transform innovators into scholars with the skills to connect their science results to the public and decision makers.

SERVIR, an acronym meaning "to serve" in Spanish, is a joint venture between NASA and USAID. SERVIR works in partnership with leading regional organizations around the globe to help developing countries use information provided by Earth-observing satellites and geospatial technologies to better manage climate risks and sustainability of natural resources.

The student-led projects address a range of issues including agricultural productivity, water resources, sea level change, food safety, forest conservation, and natural disaster planning. During the hour of short presentations, students will be taking questions via Twitter using the hashtag #askNASA. Presentations also will be streamed live online.

For NASA TV streaming video, downlink and scheduling information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/nasatv

After the presentations, students and program sponsors will be available from 10-11 a.m. in the auditorium lobby to discuss their projects.

For more information on the fellowship program, visit:

http://www.aag.org/mycoe.servir  

For more information about the SERVIR program, visit:

https://www.servirglobal.net/

and

http://www.nasa.gov/servir

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SOURCE NASA