MCC becomes only community college to earn top honors in NASA competition

WACO, Texas (FOX 44) – Science projects at a community college aren’t always expected to reach beyond the classroom, but that’s not the case at McLennan Community College (MCC).

The college says students from various majors concluded a year-long collaborative research project which developed ideas to influence the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) future research and advance our understanding of the possibility of life beyond Earth. The group worked on developing strategies aimed at mitigating the damaging effects of the toxic lunar sediment known as regolith. Tackling these challenges were critical for building long-lasting infrastructure and ensuring safe habitats on both the Moon, and eventually Mars.

The MCC team, Team Pleiades, placed second overall in the prestigious NASA Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Innovative New Designs for Space (MINDS) competition, going head-to-head with four-year universities from across the country. MCC is the only two-year college among the winners, and walked away with first place in the Research Poster category, third place for Technical Paper, and second place in Overall Design, Build, and Demonstration.

MCC says its teamconsisted of students Mike Baker (Team Lead, Electrical Engineering), Kandace Brown (Mechanical Engineering), Vince Iwuze (Biomedical Engineering), Peter Newcomer (Electrical Engineering), Jordyn Winter (Mechanical Engineering), Brady Vanek (Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering), and Mason Vanek (Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering), under the guidance of professors April Andreas and Larry Benton. Participating students gained experience in applied research and design, while also sharpening the teamwork and critical thinking skills necessary for success in their respective fields.

Team Pleiades member works through engineering equations during preparation for the 2025 NASA Minds competition. (Courtesy: McLennan Community College)From left, April Andreas, Jordyn WInters, Kandace Brown, Mike Baker, Mason Vanek, Brady Vanek, Vince Iwuze and Peter Newcomer. (Courtesy: McLennan Community College)

MCC joined this competition in 2021, and teams have consistently ranked among the top contenders. Past projects included the development and refinement of an anchoring device designed for microgravity environments, which earned the College multiple first-place awards in both 2022 and 2023. This year’s regolith mitigation system continued that tradition of excellence.

The college says NASA MINDSis designed to engage undergraduates from minority-serving institutions in real-world NASA mission objectives. MCC participates in the underclassman category, where any interested student, regardless of major, can join the team.

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