Mojgan Matloob Haghanikar, PhD
2024 seed grant awardee
Project description
Leveraging NASA Astronomical Data with SciAct for Community Colleges
This project aims to enhance the use of NASA data in community college astronomy courses by developing step-by-step lab manuals and capstone research projects. In collaboration with the NASA Community College Network (NCCN), the project will provide educators with structured guides that integrate NASA resources such as AstroPix, MicroObservatory, DIY Planet Search, SolarTrek, and NASA Eyes.
The deliverables include three 90-minute lab modules that allow students to analyze exoplanet transit data, create HR diagrams, and explore planetary landscapes. Additionally, two capstone projects will offer in-depth research opportunities where students can measure star brightness, construct transit graphs, and apply Kepler’s laws. These resources will be shared with instructors through the NCCN network, including Slack channels and monthly meetings, as well as through workshops at AAPT, AAS, or APS conferences.
This initiative will eliminate the need for costly laboratory equipment, making astronomy research more accessible to low-income students and those at minority-serving institutions. By showcasing students’ projects at local symposiums and the Adler Planetarium, the project aims to inspire broader community engagement with astronomy and foster networking opportunities for future scientists.
Target audience age
| 0-4 | 5-10 | 11-14 | 14-18 | 19-22 | 23-26 | 27-99 |
NASA division
Astrophysics
Grant status
Learning context
Digital Learning
Neighborhood /
Community
Informal /
Out of School
Home / Family
Citizen Science
Formal Education
SME bio
I am genuinely excited about the opportunities this initiative presents such as mastering the use of NASA data and working with subject matter experts will broaden my knowledge of astronomy. I look forward to making research experiences accessible to learners which previously were only available to astronomers.
Mojgan Matloob Haghanikar, PhD
Dr. Mojgan Matloob Haghanikar, PI
Leveraging NASA Astronomical Data with SciAct for Community Colleges
Physics and Astronomy Lecturer, City Colleges of Chicago; Independent Curriculum Developer and Consultant
Astronomy, Physics, STEM Education, Curriculum Development
Dr. Mojgan Matloob Haghanikar is a Physics and Astronomy Lecturer at the City Colleges of Chicago, an independent curriculum developer, and a Science Education Research Affiliate at the SETI Institute. With 15 years of experience in curriculum development and instructional design, she has led national workshops, collaborated with subject matter experts, and developed innovative courses for students and educators. Her work in grant writing has secured over $7 million in funding from organizations such as NSF and IES. She specializes in making astronomical research accessible to community college students through online course design and hands-on lab experiences.
SciAct team
NCCN description
The NASA Community College Network (NCCN) at the SETI Institute proposes an initiative to bring NASA science subject matter experts (SMEs) and NASA science resources into the classrooms of the nation’s community college system. There are over 1000 U.S. public, accredited, degree-granting two-year institutions in the U.S. and of these, over 700 offer courses in astronomy, often to students from under-served populations, many of them the first in their families to go to college at all.
Surveys of community college instructors indicate that readily accessible lab activities is top of the wish list when it comes to NASA resources. Getting labs into a format that are suitable for community college students and off-the-shelf ready for overworked instructors will be an invaluable contribution to the NCCN network and our Resource Database.