The National Aeronautics and Space Administration recently named UTRGV’s Associate Vice President of Research Operations Thomas Spencer as a Solar System Ambassador.
Spencer was selected as an ambassador after a rigorous selection process that serves to determine an individual’s qualifications and public speaking skills necessary for the ambassadorship.
The Rider asked Spencer how he felt after being selected as an ambassador.
“Space and space sciences was so meaningful to me as a child growing up,” Spencer said. “Being able to share that with another generation of students at UTRGV and an entire community of UTRGV of the Rio Grande Valley, this is just a wonderful opportunity for me.”
His colleagues, including Can Saygin, senior vice president for Research and dean of the Graduate College, were ecstatic about Spencer’s selection by NASA.
“Well, Dr. Spencer has shown great leadership in terms of how much value he adds to research operations,” Saygin said. “He oversees a very fairly large group of staff members, and so I’m glad to see him being recognized at this level, and I know he’s gonna keep doing what he does best for the institution.”
The Solar System Ambassador program is a public engagement effort by NASA to bring the latest advancements in science and space exploration to the public. There are about 1,100 Ambassadors across the United States, all of whom are volunteers.
Volunteers are not selected often, either. The application to become a Solar System Ambassador only opens once a year in September.
The selection process is rigorous, as volunteers not only need to be knowledgeable in the areas of science and space, but also need to have good public speaking skills, as ambassadors travel to several locations including schools and libraries to engage with the public on matters of space exploration and scientific advancement.
Spencer was named as one of only five Solar System Ambassadors in the Rio Grande Valley, and the only one in Edinburg. The other four work in Brownsville.
The Rider asked Spencer how the ambassadorship will impact the university and the Rio Grande Valley.
“Our College of Science has some fantastic researchers that are doing amazing work,” he replied. “What I think this will be able to do is call attention to that. We have some people who have done some amazing work and are doing some amazing work.
“And there might be students or potential students for UTRGV that might be able to get to work in one of those labs, that might be able to work directly hand in hand with some leaders in space science and this program. And my support of the program and of UTRGV might make some of those connections and [it] might be able to change the life of a student who might go into space sciences because of this, and it’s just an amazing opportunity.”
Saygin elaborated on the positive impact that Spencer’s latest achievement will have on UTRGV.
“As we’re trying to add a new label on who we are as an institution, research and research recognition is really important,” Saygin said. “So anything that helps with research recognition is gonna help build institutional brand.
“So his recognition at the personal level adds a lot to the institution, so it’s great that he was able to take UTRGV’s name out there and make it visible.”
The Rider asked Spencer what he looks forward to most as an ambassador.
“Well, what I’m looking forward to is being able to share,” he replied. “I might read an article about something cool that’s being done with the Webb [Space] Telescope, but that’s just for me. But with my hat as an ambassador, sharing that and making sure that other people see it, too, and getting that kind of opportunity and information in front of people is why I did this.”
He hopes to inspire students, whether at UTRGV or at a local school.
“That’s why I do it, and that’s what I wanna get out of it,” Spencer said. “It’s an opportunity to give back some of the cool things that I learned as a kid and being able to, like I said, pass that on to the next generation.”
The Rider reached out to NASA for comment on Spencer’s selection as a Solar System Ambassador. As of press time Friday, NASA had not replied.
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