About the Alabama - Marshall DEVELOP Office: The Marshall Space Flight Center node was founded in 2008. It initially was located in Birmingham, AL with a project focus on health and air quality due to its proximity to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, which has a large medicinal research community. However, the office was later moved to Huntsville, AL to be closer to the NASA node and University of Alabama in Huntsville, where there are a strong GIS and remote sensing science community and resources. DEVELOP participants have the opportunity to utilize a plethora of resources and mentoring from advisors with diverse backgrounds. Historically, the Marshall DEVELOP office has specialized in projects in ecological forecasting and water resources , with more recent focuses in disasters and health & air quality. The offices Lead Science Advisors have backgrounds in forest ecology, micro-climate, and anthropology. The office is located off-base from NASA-Marshall/Redstone Army Arsenal. This allows for the unique opportunity for foreign nationals to participate in working at a NASA Center.
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center History: Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is one of NASA DEVELOP's NASA center locations. This node was established in 2008 within the National Space and Science Technology Center (NSSTC) by the University of Alabama in Huntsville. MSFC resides in Huntsville, Alabama, also known as The Rocket City, where the first American satellite launched in 1958. The NSSTC conducts a variety of research, including Earth and atmospheric sciences, space science, and engineering. Prominent organizations located in the building include the National Weather Service and NASA's GHRC DAAC. DEVELOP participants have access to the remote sensing and GIS technologies to help strengthen their skills.