Since 1945, NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility has launched more than 16,000 rockets, playing a critical role in space exploration. ASRC Federal’s is proud to have played a part in a number of Wallops projects since 2014, including the Scientific Balloon program and the Global Precipitation Measurement mission, and continues to support the local Wallops community by investing in workforce development programs.
As part of the company’s commitment to “living our values”, earlier this month, ASRC Federal made a donation of $10,000 each to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) and Eastern Shore Community College (ESCC) in support of the schools’ science, engineering and technology programs.
“One of our core values is stewardship, so it’s important for us to be a positive influence in the communities where our employees live and work,” said Jennifer Felix, ASRC Federal president and CEO. “Our hope is that this investment helps enable the next generation of leaders in the greater Wallops community.”
UMES President Heidi M. Anderson added, “the University values its relationship with private sector partners and we are delighted to count ASRC Federal among them. We anticipate that future UMES graduates will further enhance the company’s important work.”
UMES is one of 15 historically black institutions with Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology credentials and is the state of Maryland’s only university with an aviation program that includes pilot training. The university plans to use the funds for aviation science scholarships.
Dr. Jim Shaeffer, president of ESCC, also commented on the donation. “The support we receive from the ASRC Federal team, NASA and others at Wallops goes well beyond the generous gift of $10,000. With their help we are creating programs that provide a path from ESCC to careers at Wallops.”
ESCC is a community college in Melfa, Virginia. ESCC plans to use the funds for trade and technology scholarships which develop skills needed to support Wallops as a premier launch facility.
