Harley School Students Selected for Prestigious NASA HUNCH Program Workshop

The Harley School announced that three of its students were selected to attend NASA’s Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop (HRP IWS) in Galveston, Texas, from January 28 to January 31, 2025, as part of the NASA HUNCH program.

The Harley team, named “Biofilm Eradication,” was one of only 25 teams nationwide chosen to participate in the HRP program. The HRP IWS serves as the primary venue for reporting progress and results of research on safe, productive, and efficient human spaceflight. During the conference, the Harley team presented their work twice during different poster sessions.

Their project focused on “Eliminating Biofilms on the International Space Station (ISS) Using Non-Toxic Products.” Students were tasked with developing solutions to eliminate biofilms in the International Space Station’s piping systems using environmentally safe products.

The NASA HUNCH mission aims to empower and inspire students through a Project-Based Learning program, enabling high school students to develop 21st-century skills and launch their careers by designing and fabricating real-world products for NASA.

The Harley School’s Biofilm Eradication team members were Grade 11 students Margo K., Brynn M., and Sybille M.. Dr. Fritz Kass served as the NASA HUNCH project leader at Harley. The team received mentorship from two Rochester Institute of Technology professors: Dr. Lea Michel, Professor in the School of Chemistry and Materials Science, College of Science; and Dr. Robert Osgood, Associate Professor in the Biomedical Sciences Program, College of Health Sciences and Technology.