Students from The Honors College at Lone Star College-Kingwood are reflecting on their recent trip to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where they explored the intersection of science, religion, and technology.
On February 5, twenty students from Honors Humanities II: History of Science and Religion visited NASA, courtesy of a mini grant secured by History Professor Dr. John Barr.
Dr. Barr and LSC-Kingwood Honors College Director Dr. Mari Nicholson-Preuss attended with the students. They toured the restored Mission Control, the main central museum, and Rocket Park.
“Prior to this trip, I had visited JSC before but not with an academic perspective,” shared Science student Muhammad Ali. “This trip allowed me to view NASA through a new lens. I was able to connect the trip with my interests and research, and being accompanied by our professors also helped a lot.”
Following the trip to NASA, students were tasked with creating projects featuring their research findings and key takeaways. On April 30, they presented them in a poster session on the LSC-Kingwood campus.
Roberto Portillo Osorio chose to examine the religious and ethical perspective of space travel.
“My research topic was inspired by my interest in ethics and how faith can shape the way we look at real-world decisions,” Osorio remarked. “I was influenced by the ideas of Thomas Merton, especially his focus on human dignity and moral responsibility. That made me question whether investing large amounts of money into space exploration is justified when there are still major human needs that are not being met.”
Ali focused his research on the Saturn V rocket. It was titled “The Cathedral and Ruins of Faith: Saturn V at Rocket Park.” He said the NASA Field Experience is a great example of how Honors undergraduate research works.
“Experiences like these provide one with the ability to connect one’s interests to certain topics or subjects. Academic excellence is reached at the intersection of science and humanities. As a student, one must be able to accomplish this. This is why undergrad research is so fun; you are not limited as you were in high school and have total control over how your project is developed, portrayed, and understood.”
The Honors College offers a wide range of opportunities for high achieving students, from incoming freshman seeking to graduate with an Honors AA or Honors AS degree, to pursuing Honors distinction upon graduation, to students simply interested in earning individual honors course credit.
Please visit the Honors College website to learn more about the overall program or if you wish to apply to the Honors College.
Lone Star College System enrolls over 90,000 students each semester providing high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education. LSCS is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Mario K. Castillo, J.D. serves as Chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area. LSC has been named a 2025 Great Colleges to Work For® institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education. LSCS consists of eight colleges, seven centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence and Lone Star Corporate College. To learn more, visit Lonestar.edu.
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