Students from around the world had the opportunity to "chat" with NASA’s African-American scientists, engineers and others over the Internet during February, Black History Month. During these chats, students with access to computers typed their questions and received answers from the experts.

The chat sessions began February 2, with Dr. Aprille Ericsson-Jackson, an aerospace engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. During the chats, Ericsson-Jackson and the other African-American professionals described their contributions to the space program. "I feel obligated to help spur the interest of minorities and females in the math, science and engineering disciplines," said Ericsson-Jackson. She received the "Women in Science and Engineering" award as the best female engineer in the federal government in 1998.

Representing diverse careers, scheduled participants included a NASA nutritionist, an aerospace engineer, and an operations specialist from mission control at NASA’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. These chats will enable students to meet mentors via the Internet in a very personal way.

The Black History Month chats are sponsored by NASA’s Quest Project based at Ames. Chat sessions can be accessed at quest.arc.nasa.gov/ltc/special/mlk99