By Kyle Egan
Student engineering and computer science projects from Texas and Oklahoma colleges will be showcased Saturday when MSU hosts the 16th annual North Texas Area Student Conference (NTASC).
The one-day conference in Bolin Hall will feature computer and engineering projects by undergraduate and graduate students.
Dr. Steven Carpenter, chairman of MSU’s computer science department, was at the first event 15 years ago.
“Our first event only had 50 attendees,” he recalled. Carpenter said the conference gives students an opportunity to see one another’s potential. Participation and attendance jump each year, he said. Last year 130 students attended the conference. This year more than 150 students are expected.
“It’s a unique opportunity to observe the latest technology and current advances,” Carpenter said.
Keynote speaker for the event will be Thomas Morrow, external agreements manager for NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston and engineering directorate. Morrow attended the University of Maryland in College Park for aerospace engineering. He received his master’s of business administration at Pepperdine University and earned a law degree from the University of Houston.
“My speech will uplifting to the students,” he said in a phone interview. “I want students to walk away pumped up.”
Morrow has designed many tools that astronauts use in space today, as well as one design currently orbiting the earth. Morrow has worked for NASA for six years. Prior to that he worked for Boeing for 18 years in conjunction with NASA projects.
Morrow said he will tell about overcoming obstacles, a subject he feels everyone can relate to.
“For instance, suppose you’re in mission evaluation room at NASA’s training center and your computer tells you six lives will be in danger if you don’t handle the problem correctly.”
Morrow and his colleagues have been confronted with just these kinds of situations.
“When you have a problem, what do you do to reach that Zen state to solve it?” he asked.
Morrow said he decided to get into aerospace technology in 1969.
“I remember waking up and my parents saying, ‘look, son, they’ve landed on the moon.’ Ever since then I have changed.”
In college, Morrow worked as a cook but after graduation was hired by Boeing.
The reward for good work is more work, Morrow said. Keep a positive attitude. It sounds cliché but is very valuable.
His advice to young people: Find a mentor and keep a mentor. Don’t be lazy. Take advantage. Hell you’re in college. Find yourself.
Students will make 15-minute presentations followed by a five-minute question and answer session. Participating institutions are Abilene Christian University, Cameron University, Texas Christian University, Texas Woman’s University, University of North Texas, University of Texas at Arlington and students from Rider, Hirschi and Iowa Park high schools.