Prof selected for NASA visit
Adam Earnheardt, associate professor and chair of Communication at Youngstown State University, is among a select pool of social media “influencers” invited by NASA to visit the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland on Friday, Nov. 3.
"I was selected to participate in this event, in part, because of my ability to reach a broad audience on social media,” Earnheardt said.
“Of course, I'm the furthest thing from a NASA scientist, but I am passionate about space exploration, which is exactly what NASA is looking for in events like this - people who can help translate what they do into social media content that helps build public support for future missions.”
The group will tour the facility, where the laser instrument on NASA's ICESat-2 satellite – called ATLAS, for Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System – is undergoing testing before its 2018 launch. The tour will also include seeing the Global Ecosystem and Dynamics Investigation instrument as it is being built. GEDI launches in 2019 to the International Space Station, where it will obtain NASA’s first high-resolution laser ranging observations of the 3D structure of Earth.
The daylong visit will also allow Earnheardt to experience one of NASA’s current communications networks in 360 degrees using virtual reality glasses. The group will also visit Goddard's laser ranging facility at night to see a ground laser measure the paths of Earth-orbiting satellites, supporting both Earth science and missions
Earnheardt said he is honored and excited to be selected. He also said that he has asked Patrick Durrell, professor of Astronomy and director of the YSU Ward Beecher Planetarium, to help him with some of the information.
"I'm sure I'll be a little lost when it comes to some of this,” he said. “Pat is a big help and incredibly smart."
Earnheardt, who earned his Ph.D. from Kent State University in 2007, has authored several books on sports fandom and more than a dozen peer-reviewed journal articles, encyclopedia entries and book chapters. He served as executive director of the Ohio Communication Association and as chair of the National Communication Association's Mass Communication Division. In 2014, Earnheardt presented at the inaugural TEDxYoungstown event, where he spoke about the power of social media and sports to create social change. He is the recipients of the YSU Diversity Award, the National Communication Association Mass Communication Division's Service Award, the YSU Mentor of the Year for his creation of Rookery Radio, the YSU Distinguished Professor Award, and the YSU Advisor of the Year Award. In 2009, he was recognized as one of the top 40 professionals under the age of 40 by the MVP 20/30 Club in northeast Ohio.