NASA Awards $500,000 To Hispanic Scholars

Gretchen Cook-Anderson
Headquarters, Washington October 21, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-0836)

Idalia Fernandez
Hispanic College Fund, Washington
(Phone: 202/296-5400)

RELEASE: 03-337

NASA AWARDS $500,000 TO HISPANIC SCHOLARS

NASA will present an inaugural award of $500,000 in
scholarship funds to recipients of the 2003 NASA Hispanic
Explorers Scholarship at the 10th annual Hispanic College
Fund (HCF) Scholarship Awards Banquet tomorrow in
Washington.

During the gala at the Washington Convention Center, Dr.
Clifford W. Houston, NASA's Deputy Associate Administrator
for Education Programs, will present awards to 10
outstanding students from several universities representing
the 127 national awardees competitively selected by HCF.
More than 600 corporate and congressional leaders are
expected at the event to honor the students.

"These students represent the next generation of scientists,
engineers, mathematicians and technologists, and their
dreams of exploring new worlds should not go unrealized,"
Houston said. "By partnering with the Hispanic College Fund,
NASA is reaching students who could very well become the
next Ellen Ochoa or Franklin Chang-Diaz, astronauts who make
our nation proud," he said.

The 2003 NASA Hispanic Explorers Scholars invited to attend
the awards gala a Susan Cabello and Jorge Perez, both
seniors at Texas A&M University, Kingsville; Angela
Campbell, a junior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-
Champaign; Deborah Cassanova, a freshman at the University
of Wisconsin, Madison; Barry Barrios, a freshman at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Adriana
Rico, a junior at the University of Georgia, Athens; Adrian
Solis, a freshman at the University of California, San
Diego; Roel Huerta, a freshman at the University of Houston;
and Michelle Albanes, a sophomore at California State
Polytechnic University, Pomona.

On Thursday, the 10 NASA Hispanic Explorers Scholars will
meet with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Director
Al Diaz. The students will receive a tour of the Greenbelt,
Md., facility and then round off their day of exploration at
the agency at a luncheon with Millie Mateu, University
Program Manager for NASA's Hispanic Education Programs; Dan
Krieger, Hispanic Employment Program Manager; and other
officials of Hispanic descent.

Since 1993, HCF has awarded more than $3.5 million in
scholarships to more than 1,600 Hispanic students in
science, engineering, technology and business-related
disciplines, 36 of whom attended Ivy League universities,
from across the United States and Puerto Rico. HCF's mission
is to develop the next generation of Hispanic leaders in
America by awarding scholarships to deserving students who
seek, but cannot afford, higher education. HCF administers
the NASA Hispanic Explorers Scholarship on behalf of the
agency.

The 2003 Hispanic College Fund recipients, Hispanic College
Fund alumni, Corporation of the Year, and Trustee of the
Year will also receive their awards and be recognized at the
awards event.

For information about NASA on the Internet, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

For information about HCF and the NASA Explorers Scholars
Program on the Internet, visit:

www.hispanicfund.org

For information about NASA Education programs on the
Internet, visit:

http://education.nasa.gov


-end-