The NASA Missouri Space Grant Consortium continues to make significant contributions through education, research, public education and outreach programs. These programs are aimed at nurturing, engaging, advising, and ultimately producing a competent workforce. A workforce capable of assuming positions in the design and development of aerospace and related systems, as well as the in-depth study of terrestrial, planetary and cosmological sciences. In the past few years, the Executive Board of the Missouri Space Grant Consortium worked diligently on strengthening the Consortium programs as well as launching several new initiatives. Among them

• Strengthening the Fellowship & Scholarship Programs in areas related to NASA's Mission Directorates. In the past year, 26 undergraduate scholarships and 11 graduate fellowships were awarded to candidates enrolled in space sciences and aerospace engineering.
• Strengthening the Consortium Undergraduate Research Internship Programs by supporting, nurturing, and advising undergraduate students through challenging research projects. In the past year, 33 on-campus undergraduate internships were funded by the consortium affiliate institutions.
• Recruiting and Training Students at NASA Centers And Academies by supporting the participation of outstanding Missouri students in graduate and undergraduate research programs at NASA Field Centers and Academies. During the past year, the consortium recruited and funded three students to work with NASA mentors on various projects.
• Establishing New Higher Education Initiatives by supporting several multidisciplinary student teams to nurture student's abilities to apply knowledge, solve problems, communicate, and collaborate. During the past year over 75 students were supported in various teams throughout the state.
• Establishing more Collaborative Efforts among Consortium Affiliates by launching a new initiative to stimulate the development of new programs and network collaborations through our Affiliates' Award Competition Program.
• Establishing New Affiliate Members The Consortium Executive Board has been exploring various possibilities to include non-affiliate state institutions in the Consortium's activities through our Associates' Award competition.

The outcomes of the above efforts were reported by students and faculty at the Consortium's Annual Spring Meeting, which was held in April of this year at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. 44 research papers written by graduate, undergraduate, and high school students were presented during the meeting. These students were from several institutions in the State of Missouri: Missouri State University, Washington University in St. Louis, University of Missouri-Columbia, University of Missouri-St. Louis, Missouri University of Science and Technology, University of Missouri in Kansas City, St. Louis University, Lincoln University of Missouri (HBCU), and Truman State University.

Included in this website are more details about the Consortium annual meeting, as well as many other events and programs that the Consortium is currently involved in. I hope you will find the reading informative and enjoyable. The Missouri Space Grant Programs will continue to focus on attracting and exciting young students through its research, higher education, and public education, and outreach programs. Our goal is to help prepare a workforce that will be part of NASA's mission. A workforce that is excited about future possibilities and challenges and is capable of solving them.

Sincerely,
S.N. Balakrishnan
Director