Jacob Payne, a graduate research assistant in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, has received an Iowa Space Grant Consortium (ISGC) Graduate Fellowship.

This program is designed to support outstanding graduate students pursuing NASA-aligned research opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) disciplines. Program goals include alignment with the NASA Mission Directorates, encouragement of qualified individuals to continue in a space science or aerospace-related field, support of research infrastructure at our member institutions, and retention of U.S. graduates.

Payne’s research focuses on developing instruments for small satellites and developing novel methods of space-based navigation. His research is directly responsive to the stated needs of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), which is charged with making strategic investments in technologies that form a basis for continued national success in space/aerospace. He was selected for this honor supporting his work through a competitive application to the ISGC.