Three PCC Students Earn NASA Scholarships

Friday, October 23, 2015

GoLocalPDX News Team

Tanner Hageman; courtesy PCC

Three Portland Community College students got a boost to their dreams of a career in science after receiving scholarships from NASA.

Andrew Jozwiak, Abram Morphew and Tanner Hageman were each awarded one of 160 national NASA Community College Aerospace Scholars scholarships.

"Having three NASA aerospace scholars from PCC out of a total of 160 from every other university and college in America is a huge testament to the quality and reputation of physical science and math here at PCC," said Toby Dittrich, physics instructor and associate director of the Oregon NASA Space Grant Consortium. "Think of schools like MIT, Caltech, Harvard, Cornell, Berkeley, University of Colorado-Boulder and the like. Our students stand proudly with NASA Aerospace scholars from these schools."

Tanner Hageman

Hageman, who has lived in Virginia, Nebraska, Germany, Switzerland, Washington D.C. and Portland, will travel to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas to take part in a Mars-related robotics project.

He said his work as a medic and in a pharmacy inspired and interest in chemistry, pushing him to study chemistry at PCC. He hopes to eventually transfer to Portland State University to receive a master’s degree in materials science and aerospace.

Hageman said the scholarship from NASA is a dream come true.

"I'd like to ultimately work for NASA," Hageman said. "The idea of exploring and getting out there and seeing stuff that people haven't seen before and working in a capacity with them on the ground is an idea that makes my teeth itch. To actually be making strides toward a scientific career has been vindicating."

Andrew Jozwiak; courtesy PCC

Andrew Jozwiak

Jozwiak began studying at PCC after battling addiction, depression and multiple job layoffs. After being laid off for the second time in a year, he rode his bike six miles from his for employer’s office to the PCC campus to enroll.

Jozwiak is now a member of the Phi Theta Kappa and the President’s List. He hopes to eventually graduate from Caltech in Los Angeles with a master’s degree in aerospace engineering, and go on to a career as a researcher in astrophysics and interstellar travel.

“The study of astrophysics and mathematics is now everything to me, I can't imagine doing anything else,” Joswiak said. He credited his parents and a PCC professor as being instrumental in his journey.

"I can't thank them enough and I'm very blessed to have incredibly caring and devoted parents who've supported me," Jozwiak said. "Rod Lee is a superb science educator and is a blessing for PCC."

Abram Morphew; courtesy PCC

Abram Morphew

Morphew and his wife decided to settle in Portland after arriving from New York City as part of a concert tour. He enrolled in PCC in 2013 to explore his love of electrical engineering and planetary science.

Morphew first found a love for engineering after earning his amateur radio license from the FCC and learning more about radio-frequency engineering. He now performs amateur spacecraft operations experimentally.

He thanked Dittrich, a physics instructor at PCC and associate director of the Oregon NASA Space Grant Consortium, for helping to open doors for him.

“He was encouraging,” Morphew said. "He put things in a way that makes you want to know more. I've always enjoyed community colleges because it seems there's a wider variety of folks who are going to school at the same time. It's not like you're just around people your same age all the time. It's varied and enjoyable, which is a richer experience overall."

Three PCC Students Earn NASA Scholarships

Tanner Hageman

Andrew Jozwiak; courtesy PCC Andrew Jozwiak

Abram Morphew; courtesy PCC Abram Morphew

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Andrew Jozwiak; courtesy PCC

Andrew Jozwiak

Abram Morphew; courtesy PCC

Abram Morphew