ALVA, Okla. — Northwestern Oklahoma State University will welcome directors and teams from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth and NASA Acres to the Alva campus for a presentation in the Student Center Ballroom on Thursday, Aug. 27, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to arrive at 1 p.m.
Event Details
- What: A lecture on the NASA Acres program, part of the NASA Acres Space for Ag Listening Tour
- When: Thursday, Aug. 27, from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
- Arrival: Attendees are encouraged to arrive at 1 p.m.
- Where: Student Center Ballroom, Northwestern Oklahoma State University, Alva, Oklahoma
- Audience: Northwestern students and employees; all regional FFA chapters are invited
- Public session: 3 p.m. at the Bush farm on Skyline Drive in Alva; attendees are encouraged to arrive at 2:30 p.m.
- Contact: Dr. Kent Martin, assistant professor of agriculture, at klmartin@nwosu.edu or 580-327-8485.
Who Will Present
Dr. Karen St. Germain, NASA Earth Science Division director, and Dr. Alyssa Whitcraft, founding executive director of NASA Acres and research professor at the University of Maryland, will present the lecture.
Members of the NASA Acres Farm Innovation Ambassador Team and the NASA Earth and NASA Acres teams will join them. The lecture will explain the NASA Acres program to Northwestern students and employees.
About the NASA Acres Space for Ag Listening Tour
NASA Acres aims to connect with the agricultural community by sharing methods, data and technology to enhance agricultural practices and resilience as part of its Space for Ag Listening Tour.
The federal government shutdown in October 2025 postponed this visit.
The tour brings Earth-observation tools such as Landsat and Sentinel directly to the agricultural community. The NASA Acres team is seeking interaction with producers, agricultural leaders, researchers and students to co-design decision supports for agricultural crop management.
Student and Faculty Interaction
The team desires a dialogue with students and faculty to develop a relationship with the student body and to establish an understanding of the technology NASA has available for agriculture.
NASA Acres invites all regional FFA chapters to attend. Time for interaction between students and the NASA team will follow the lecture.
Public Session at the Bush Farm
The tour will then continue through Northwest Oklahoma so the team can see and better understand the agriculture of the region, with hopes of partnering with producers to develop tools for future use.
The public is invited to attend an interactive session at the Bush farm on Skyline Drive in Alva at 3 p.m. Visitors can view equipment with the latest technology and interact with the NASA Earth and NASA Acres team. Attendees are encouraged to arrive at 2:30 p.m.
NASA Acres leadership will also meet with Northwestern administration to discuss further cooperative activities between the university and NASA.
More Information
For more information about the visit, contact Dr. Kent Martin, assistant professor of agriculture, at klmartin@nwosu.edu or 580-327-8485.
For more information about the department, visit the Northwestern Department of Agriculture website, or contact Dr. Dean Scarbrough, chair of the agriculture department and professor of agriculture, at dascarbrough@nwosu.edu or 580-327-8487.
Media Contact:
Sean J. Doherty, University Relations Specialist
Email: sjdoherty@nwosu.edu
Phone: 580-327-8480