Dr. Ana Diaz Artiles, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University, is chairing the Human Performance in Space (HPS) Department at this year’s Space Studies Program (SSP).
Hosted by the International Space University (ISU), SSP is an annual nine-week professional development course for postgraduate students and professionals interested in furthering their space-related education. The program is highly visible in the international space community.
“Teaching is one of my passions, and teaching about human performance in space motivates me even more,” said Diaz Artiles. “The Space Studies Program provides a great opportunity to teach and learn from really smart people in their professions as well as interact with other lecturers that come to the program.”
SSP gathers over 100 space professionals from more than 30 countries to learn from and network with more than 200 faculty and visiting lecturers. Comprised of lecture series, workshops and projects, SSP creates a diverse and collaborative learning environment for its participants to develop new perspectives on the world’s space activities.
Diaz Artiles has been consistently involved with the program throughout her career, first participating in it 10 years ago. She was then selected to serve as a teaching associate in 2013 in the HPS department and has returned to the program every year since, either as a visiting lecturer or as department chair. She is also an adjunct faculty member at ISU.
“At SSP I discovered other fields related to the space sector, for example, bioastronautics and human performance, which is what I am focusing most of my research on now in my lab at Texas A&M,” said Diaz Artiles. “The SSP represents an incredible experience that definitely changed my professional career, and it’s extremely rewarding to contribute now in the HPS chair capacity.”
This year, Diaz Artiles has the opportunity to share her expertise in her home country as the program is being held at the University of Granada in Spain.