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CORVALLIS - Jack Higginbotham, an Oregon State University professor of nuclear engineering and radiation health physics, has been named director of the Oregon Space Grant Consortium, which supports education, research, and careers in aeronautics, space and related fields.

NASA funds a consortium in each state, as a part of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. One major effort of this network of universities and community colleges is the recruitment and training of professionals for careers in aerospace-related science and engineering - especially women, underrepresented minorities, and persons with disabilities.

Oregon Space Grant supports an array of programs to benefit Oregon students and faculty from middle through graduate school. SMILE's Challenge Weekend and Saturday Academy's Apprenticeships in Science and Engineering program provide aerospace-related opportunities for K-12 students. Through the Native Americans in Space Science program, undergraduate students gain research experience. And Oregon Space Grant offers undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships at affiliate campuses across the state.

Higginbotham has served as associate director of the Oregon Space Grant Consortium since 2000. "I am excited about expanding our successful programs," Higginbotham said. "With an increased staff and a new office at OSU - our lead institution - we will be better able to promote solar system, Earth, and life sciences related to space exploration."