NASA Grant Awarded To Manahawkin College Student

LAKEWOOD, NJ — The sky isn't the limit for a psychology major from Manahawkin, who was recently awarded a NASA NJ Space Grant for her undergraduate research project.

Madeline Mayhew, currently a senior, was one of five students at Georgian Court University who received a $2,000 stipend from NASA for space-related research projects.

Mayhew, a student in the Psychology Scholars program, has been studying how the "bathroom ban" affects non-binary and transgender people, and how inclusivity can minimize harm caused by the ban.

Her research project is titled Inclusivity of Human Exploration, which she has conducted under the guidance of Susan E. O. Field, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology.

"NASA is interested in this research because someone is currently trying to become the first transgender astronaut," Mayhew said. "We want to know if others will accept their identity. Will there be all-gender restrooms available for this person or other transgender astronauts? This fight for human rights is very important to me."

Her research can be applied to future astronauts in long-term living conditions, such as space stations, rocket flights, and settlements on different planets such as Mars.

Mayhew presented her initial research results last spring at GCU's Academic Excellence Night along with two other students, Miranda Wells and Jana Borković. They won third place.

Now, Mayhew is moving forward to present at the Association for Psychological Science (APS) 2023 annual convention in Washington, D.C. following the NASA New Jersey Space Consortium presentation. She and Field are also on track to publish their research in a database.

"When I found out about the grant, I was thrilled, and I texted my family right away to tell them the good news," Mayhew said. "This experience will greatly benefit me when I am applying to graduate school this May and when I apply to jobs in the future. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity."