USU Get Away Special Team

05/06/2026

Congratulations to Professor Jan Sojka, long-time USU Department of Physics Head and GAS Team Mentor, is retiring from Utah State University this month. If you wish to send a note, card, photos, best wishes, you can send them directly to Jan at [email protected].

For more information, contact Vanessa Chambers at [email protected]

04/11/2026

THANK YOU, USU Get Away Special Team, for providing GREAT learning activities at Science Unwrapped at USU! We appreciate your STEM outreach efforts! 💙

03/26/2026

Meet Dr. Reyhan Baktur, associate professor in USU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who is the faculty mentor for the USU Get Away Special Team's GASRATS cubesat project.

Dr. Baktur created and submitted the winning design for Utah Public Radio's 2026 Art Mug Design Contest. The annual competition is an important fundraiser for the nonprofit public radio station at Utah State University, as well as a community-building activity.

Congratulations, Dr. Baktur! ☕️🏆

Learn more at upr.org

03/06/2026

WOW! 🤩 Congrats to Dr. Reyhan Baktur, whose art design was chosen as the #1 design for Utah Public Radio's 2026 Art Mug Contest! ☕

Dr. Baktur and undergrad researcher Ethan Wayland, student coordinator of the USU Get Away Special Team, were featured speakers at Science Unwrapped during the Fall 2025 "Celebrate Undergrad Research" series.

Dr. Baktur is an associate professor in USU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Her winning mug design, titled "UPR: Morning to Night" will be featured on UPR's 2026 mugs, starting March 21.

The Art Mug design contest is a long-running, Utah Public Radio annual event, which fosters community engagement and is an important fundraiser for the public radio station, which is part of USU's College of Arts & Sciences.

Learn more at upr.org

USU College of Arts & Sciences
Utah State University College of Engineering

03/05/2026

Congratulations to USU Department of Physics Head, Professor and long-time GAS Team faculty mentor Jan Sojka:

Physics Service Recognition: Jan Sojka

Jan Sojka earned a degree in natural philosophy from Edinburgh University and a Ph.D. in space physics from University College London. His honors include the D. Wynne Thorne research award, Utah Professor of the Year, and the Buonsanto Memorial lecture. He has served as president of NSF CEDAR and AGU’s space physics and aeronomy section.

02/09/2026

The USU Get Away Special Team was among projects highlighted at Utah State University's "Beneath the Surface: Celebrating 50 Years of Undergraduate Research" held Feb. 6 at the Loveland The Living Planet Aquarium in Draper, Utah. Special thanks to GAS Team members Ethan Wayland (Coordinator), Callie Kubesh and Jaret Riggs, who did an outstanding job of sharing the team's research and their current GASRATS CubeSat project: https://artsci.usu.edu/physics/gas/projects/gasrats

The GAS Team is among USU's most renowned undergraduate research projects.

01/27/2026

Launching any payload into space requires lots of energy. Every ounce and inch counts as scientists and engineers strive to pack as much function as possible...

01/17/2026

KUDOS to the USU Office of Research's Undergraduate Research Program on an outstanding celebratory "Year of Undergraduate Research" highlighting 50 years of Aggie excellence. An installation highlighting milestones and '50 Faces of Research' graces the Merrill-Cazier Library Atrium through Feb. 6. A notable display is the USU Get Away Special Team's primary control system for STS-418. 💙

12/04/2025

GAS Team member Lorenzo High, left, was among USU scholars presenting today at the 2025 Fall Student Research Symposium. The annual gathering, organized by USU's Office of Research, is an opportunity for student researchers to share poster and oral presentations. Lorenzo discussed the novel antenna the team is developing for the GASRATS CubeSat: https://artsci.usu.edu/physics/gas/projects/gasrats

12/01/2025

USU GAS Team alum Jack Danos has something to say about cold feet! 🤩🦶🥶

A Utah State University graduate's feet were dangling from a ski lift when he got a bright idea: reinvent the heated sock.