As far back as she can remember, Utah State University student Ivana Molina has always been curious and loved science.

It was not until her college years, studying in America after growing up in her native Argentina, that she got the bug to study science specifically, heliophysics, the study of the effects of the sun on the solar system.

I think it is fascinating and it presents us with difficult and challenging problems to solve, Molina wrote in an email.

Story continues below video

These days, Molina, 29, is studying for her Ph.D., and now she has the chance to research heliophysics with a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship supporting her. According to information provided by USU, Molina was one of only nine students nationwide to receive this opportunity.

I was surprised because I know its very competitive, Molina said, laughing. It was super exciting to find out.

According to NASAs website, the agencys Earth and space science three-year fellowship is tailored toward graduate students, supporting basic and applied research in Earth and space science.

The fellowship provides Molina with up to $45,000 per year to cover tuition, fees, student expenses and travel, according to USU.

As a NASA fellow, Molina will study geomagnetic storms from the sun and its effect on the Earths upper atmosphere, where many satellites and the International Space Station reside.

Much research has been done already by universities throughout the world on the suns rays and how it can impact the Earths upper atmosphere.

But Molina said such studies still fall short in reliably specifying the storm response in the thermosphere.

For my study I will use a novel technique to model the thermospheric winds similar to what people do for the weather forecast on the ground, she said. We hope that we will gain a reliable global perspective of the dramatic changes that occur in the upper atmosphere during solar storms.

Molina heard about the NASA fellowship through other graduate students and thought it would be the right opportunity for her.

In academia, its good to get fellowships. Its the way you build up your career, she said.

Ludger Scherliess, USU professor of physics and Molinas adviser, called the NASA fellowship prestigious and extremely competitive.

She felt pretty strongly about what she wanted to do, she wrote the entire proposal herself, he said. To go from A to Z, through that entire process, was an invaluable learning experience.

Scherliess called Molina thorough, smart and an excellent worker.

If you tell her something, she doesnt just take it she goes back and does her homework, he said.

Those traits served Molina well, Scherliess said, when she applied for the same NASA fellowship last year and did not make the cut. But after reviewing feedback from NASA on her proposal, Molina applied again this year and earned the fellowship.

That was a good learning experience for her, he said. You take criticism and you learn from it. Your work becomes better. Thats how it should be, thats how we write papers.

Scherliess said the three-year fellowship will be very positive for Molina and may give her the edge over other candidates for a job once she graduates with a Ph.D.

Molina first came to do research in the United States as a college student in Rochester, New York, with support from the National Science Foundation.

I felt like it made me realize I could stay in the U.S. and study, she said. Because this is a whole change. I come from a super different culture. You have to adapt. I realized I could do it if I wanted to.

But it was at a conference in Argentina when she first heard about USU just that its world-renowned institution for this type of research, and I wanted to research the upper atmosphere, Molina said.

Looking back on her decision to come to Utah, Molina has no regrets.

I really like the United States and Utah in particular, she said. I come from a city. Being here, you have the mountains and everything. Its just beautiful.

{div}{span style=font-family: tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;}{span style=font-size: 12px;}

kopsahl@hjnews.com

{/span}{/span}{/div}{div}{span style=font-family: tahoma,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;}{span style=font-size: 12px;}

Twitter: KevJourno

{/span}{/span}{/div}

Read more here:

USU student gets prestigious NASA fellowship - The Herald Journal