Arkansas Tech University and the City of Russellville welcomed an outreach team from NASA and a group of astronomers from the Paris Observatory in France during a reception at ATU’s Hull Building Student Union on Wednesday, April 3.
The guests are at Arkansas Tech and in Russellville to observe the total solar eclipse that will take place on Monday, April 8.
“I’m so proud of the people of Russellville…they’ve really come together and done a lot of planning,” said Dr. Russell Jones, ATU interim president. “I don’t know of another city that’s more prepared for the eclipse than Russellville, Arkansas. The whole city is abuzz. Regardless of how many guests we have, all the people here are going to have a good time.”
The NASA team and the French astronomers are staying on campus at Arkansas Tech and have access to resources such as ATU’s Chambers Cafeteria throughout their stay.
“We’re honored that you’re here and we’re glad to have you on campus,” said Jones. “We welcome you because you bring so much to the children and adults of Russellville. You’re going to be in our schools, our classes and you’re going to expose them to things they normally wouldn’t be exposed to. You’re making this special for us. You’re going to have support in the city of Russellville and you’ll be glad you chose to base your operations here. ATU will do anything we can to make your stay more enjoyable.”
Pope County Judge Ben Cross and Russellville Mayor Fred Teague were also among the welcoming party that gathered at the Hull Building Student Union.
“It’s super exciting for us to have you in our hometown,” said Teague. “Arkansas Tech’s campus is absolutely amazing and we’re so grateful for them. Welcome and thank you for choosing Russellville. We love it. It’s a great place to grow up, a great place to grow old and we’re genuinely thankful you chose Russellville. We hope when you leave here next week you’ll think it’s an awesome place and you’ll have some great memories.”
The NASA team’s arrival in Russellville was the culmination of a process that began with a phone call to Christie Graham, executive director of the Russellville Tourism and Visitor Center.
“Everybody’s excited, but not surprised,” said Christopher Blair, public affairs officer with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., when asked about the warm welcome to Russellville. “We knew months ago that Russellville was well prepared. It was one of the reasons we picked it. I started researching multiple cities throughout Missouri and Arkansas last year so we could figure out where we were going to go. Some cities had a little bit of a plan. Some cities had zero plan. I called and talked to Christie Graham, and as soon as I hung up the phone, I knew that Russellville got it. They were months ahead of the curve.
“Russellville understands the scope, the scale and the impact on infrastructure, traffic, emergency services and communication,” continued Blair. “It was about safety. I knew that I could bring 20 people here and we could get 20 people back safe and sound. I knew from that first phone call that Russellville had it figured out, and as we went along it was only confirmed.”
The NASA team is visiting local K-12 schools, conducting programs at ATU and generally reaching out to as many people as possible while its representatives are in Russellville for the eclipse. The NASA group in Russellville will also be part of a live broadcast that will be available on www.nasa.gov/nasatv during the eclipse.
“The No. 1 thing is public engagement, education and awareness of what we do as an agency,” said Blair. “Whether it’s a solar eclipse, a spacecraft launch, a comet or whatever scientific element it is that’s providing data and research opportunities, it’s a leverage opportunity to relay that science, technology, engineering and mathematics information back to the general public, families, college students, high school students…the full gamut. We don’t do NASA commercials. We don’t do advertising on our rockets. This is our advertising. We’re a boots on the ground agency. We would rather spend our educational outreach funds on face-to-face experiences. That has more value for us than a 30-second spot on television.”
Robert Loper, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center research astrophysicist, said the eclipse will make learning about the solar system that surrounds us more accessible.
“The reason this is a big deal is because it opens up the ability to do science and solar physics to a wide range of the population,” said Loper. “You don’t have to have a billion-dollar spacecraft to block out the sun. We have an eclipse naturally coming on Monday. It’s going to sweep through about half of Arkansas. This will be my first total eclipse, so this is a special event for me.”
Learn more about ATU’s preparations at www.atu.edu/eclipse.
Learn more about the community’s preparations at https://eclipserussellville.com.
