LaSPACE Director Greg Guzik wearing a red LaSPACE shirt and smiling at the camera.

Greg Guzik

LaSPACE Director

Dr. Guzik received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Chicago in 1980, has been with Louisiana State University (LSU) for 40 years, and is now a Professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy as well as Director of the Louisiana Space Grant and NASA EPSCoR programs. Dr. Guzik’s scientific research has focused on various aspects of Cosmic Ray particle astrophysics, and he is currently involved with the CALET (CALorimetric Electron Telescope) experiment on-board the International Space Station, including serving as the Principal Investigator for the U.S. CALET collaboration. He has been involved with scientific ballooning since the early 1990’s and was the Flight Operations Lead for the LSU Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) balloon experiment during Long Duration Balloon flight campaigns in Antarctica. Dr. Guzik led the development of the Louisiana Aerospace Catalyst Experiences for Students (LaACES) sounding balloon program for entry level undergraduates which now includes eight other Louisiana institutions and has been adapted to teacher training, minority institution and community college programs. He also led the development and is the current director of the High Altitude Student Platform (HASP) program that provides high altitude balloon flight opportunities for student teams across the nation. In 2020, Dr. Guzik received the NASA Outstanding Public Leadership Medal for his efforts with student ballooning programs. Dr. Guzik has served on various NASA advisory committees in the past, is the LSU representative to the University Space Research Association, is the Chair of the NASA EPSCoR Caucus, and is a member of the Southeastern University Research Association (SURA) Space Science and Technology Committee.

Headshot of Colleen H Fava. She is wearing a blue shirt with a while laspace logo and is smiling at the camera.

Colleen H. Fava

LaSPACE Assistant Director

Colleen H. Fava is the Assistant Director of the Louisiana Space Grant and NASA EPSCoR programs (LaSPACE) headquartered at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA. She joined the LaSPACE team as Program Manager in 2012 and was promoted to Assistant Director in 2018. Colleen's degrees and professional experience are primarily in writing and communications. She has taught composition, creative writing, and literature at the college level, served as editor of two magazines, has worked in business development, proposal writing, and marketing in private industry, and has developed and run discipline-driven communications curriculum with university faculty members in STEM disciplines. Colleen's twin passions are effective communications and social justice. She channels these passions into the work she does with NASA Space Grant and EPSCoR as member of the national network and in her program development work in Louisiana. As the LaSPACE Assistant Director, Colleen works closely with the Director to manage all aspects of the Space Grant and NASA EPSCoR programs in Louisiana and leads all communications efforts for our programs. Colleen has primary responsibility for developing and implementing program opportunities for the LA NASA Space Grant portfolio and under the NASA EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Development (RID) award. Recently developed Space Grant programs include an undergraduate research program funded in partnership with Louisiana Sea Grant, a scholarship program for undergraduate student retention in STEM with a focus on professional development activities, and an under-development research fellowship for graduate students jointly funded by LA Sea Grant and in partnership with the Space and Sea Grant programs in North Carolina. A new program is also in development under the NASA EPSCoR RID award for summer support of Faculty and undergraduate researchers from Louisiana Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). On the national level, Colleen serves as co-chair of the National Space Grant Directors' Communications Working Group, runs a monthly webinar series for the national space grant community, and helps facilitate national online discussions and workshops for NASA EPSCoR researchers throughout the country. When she’s not at work, Colleen is a voracious reader, reluctant runner, and compulsive helper. She’s highly committed to her community and is usually on at least one volunteer committee or board. Colleen is married to her best friend, Jerry Peck; adores her stepchildren, Abby and Owen; and is a devoted pet-mom to two cats, Mr. Smartypants and Sophia Belle Babypants, and the world’s best doggy, Chuckleberry Hound.

Meaghin Woolie

LaSPACE Program Manager

Meaghin Woolie joined the LaSPACE fam as the Program Manager in October of 2018. She earned her BA in International Studies and Spanish before pursuing her MA in International Education. Meaghin has a passion for providing access to education and support for underserved communities. Her ultimate goal is to found an organization dedicated to assisting adult refugees and immigrants integrate into their new communities. When not working as a muggle at Hogwarts (aka the Phys. & Astr. Department), Meaghin loves living her best life as a plant mom (too many “children” to count), cooking/eating delicious food (let’s be honest, emphasis on eating), and traveling around the world (when not in a pandemic). She speaks English, Spanish, and French (rustily) and is learning German. She is terrible with pop culture knowledge, regularly mishears song lyrics, and enjoys feeding the neighborhood squirrels.

Doug Granger

Student Flight Programs Manager & IT Lead

Bio Coming Soon dgrang2@lsu.edu

Aaron Ryan

Student Flight Programs Instructor & Outreach Coordinator

Bio Coming Soon aryan21@lsu.edu