Since its inception in 1959, the NRAO Summer Student Research Program has engaged nearly 1,000 young people in scientific research, and many NRAO summer students have gone on to distinguished careers in astronomy and other physical sciences. The list of former NRAO summer students includes women and men who represent a wide range of careers, research interests, geographic locations, and ethnic backgrounds.
In 2009, to mark the 50th anniversary of this program, we are featuring the stories of former NRAO summer students at our web site, http://www.nrao.edu/5050. We are grateful to those who have generously given of their time to provide their stories, and we plan to periodically add new people and stories to our web site throughout this anniversary year.
Our goal is to convey the diversity of careers and experiences that NRAO summer students have enjoyed. We hope that prospective students will be able to connect their ambitions to the achievements of NRAO summer student alumni. We also seek to humanize radio astronomy and help the public better understand the people and paths of those who choose a science career.