Weightless Wolverines

Weightless Wolverines

Ed Van Cise, BS’00, NASA Flight Director

I never expected the extent to which my experiences at U-M Aero would affect my life and career. By co-oping at NASA Johnson Space Center though the Aero Department, I got to realize my dream of working at NASA.Through my experiences leading a team of UMich undergraduates to build and fly an experiment in NASA’s Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program, I not only got to lead a team that created the first single walled carbon nanotubes in reduced gravity but I also gained invaluable teamwork and leadership skills. Those skills and experiences directly affected my career growth and career path and set the stage for my selection as a Flight Director in 2009. When I got certified, I took the call sign “Carbon Flight” in part as tribute to the extent of impact my Aero experiences helped me prepare for becoming a NASA Flight Director.

Photo: “Weightless Wolverines” making nanotubes in 0g in March 2000. I’m on the left, holding the leg of classmate Erik Waldorff.