Campus Currents

March 9, 2026

A gavel representing an auction


Sustainability Auction

Wednesday, March 11, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Center for Inclusive Excellence

This spring, Framingham State University’s Campus Sustainability and the Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE) are launching From Communities to Communities, a series of connected activities that invite faculty, staff, and students to support one another through shared resources, creativity, and everyday action.

At the heart of this initiative are two events: a Sustainability Auction and a Student Sustainability Logo Design Competition that work together to connect campus contributions with student learning and recognition.

A Sustainability Auction That Gives Back

On Wednesday, March 11, 2026, FSU will host a one-day Sustainability Auction at the Center for Inclusive Excellence (CIE). Faculty and staff are invited to donate items that reflect culture, creativity, or personal meaning. These may include handcrafted objects, textiles, artwork, items collected during travel, or other unique pieces that tell a story.

The goal of the auction is not to raise funds, but to encourage participation through shared meaning and generosity. All proceeds from the auction will be used to support student awards for the Sustainability Logo Design Competition. Contributions from faculty and staff directly support student creativity and engagement. We keep resources circulating within the FSU community.

Spring and Summer Internships with Congresswoman Katherine Clark

Are you interested in learning more about Spring &Summer Internships with Congresswoman Katherine Clark of Massachusetts Fifth District? Join us in welcoming her staff on Wednesday, March 11th from 1:30-2:30 pm in 322 O'Connor Hall. Her staff will provide an info session on their internship openings.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis in the order that they are received. Internships run in Spring, Summer, and Fall, and are intended for current undergraduate students, graduate students, and recent graduates. Candidates who do not fit these categories are encouraged to apply and to reach out to the appropriate office. All interns will work in person. To apply, please go to https://katherineclark.house.gov/internships, fill out the form, and email a cover letter, resume, and brief writing sample to RepClarkInternships [at] mail.house.gov (RepClarkInternships[at]mail[dot]house[dot]gov) with subject line "Last Name, First Name - Semester YYYY" (e.g., Doe, Jane - Spring 2026). Incomplete applications will not be considered.

For more information, please contact Dr. Coelho (jcoelho2 [at] framingham.edu)

The Great Data Expedition: Chart Your Route

Thursday, March 12, 9 a.m., Microsoft Teams

Scoping & Requesting Reports

This session focuses on crafting clear, actionable reporting requests. Learn how to define your purpose, scope, filters, and requirements so your report request follows the right trail. Being as clear as possible helps reduce wait times and confusion - for you and your trail guide!

Month 2 Objectives:

  • Learn what makes a useful reporting request
     
  • Practice defining scope, requirements, filters, and frequency
     
  • Understand the difference between data questions vs. report requests
     
  • Learn how report creators evaluate feasibility


Games & Prizes

Route Planner | Vague → Valuable | Build-a-Brief

Route Architect Badge | Pens | 5 Questions to Improve Your Requests

NASA astronaut Robert Hines shares his journey at FSU

By Francisco Omar Fernandez Rodriguez, Publications Intern

Robert Hines, a NASA astronaut, said visiting Framingham State University's McAuliffe Center is special for him because he was inspired by Christa McAuliffe when he was young.

“Getting to do something at the Christa McAuliffe Center is pretty special for me. I’m of the generation that was sitting in the school rooms watching that event when it happened,” Hines told an audience of students, faculty and staff during a recent event in the McCarthy Center Forum.

He eventually joined the Air Force and took part in several combat deployments in the Middle East before ending up as a research pilot at NASA, he said. In 2017 he was selected to join NASA Astronaut Group 22 , which became known as the Turtles, he said. The other members included people from many backgrounds, such as engineers, Navy SEAL, microbiologists, and more, he said.

They went through two years of training to become astronauts, he said. The training included learning microbiology, biology, geology, how to operate the space station systems, and flight training, which was second nature to him at that point, he said. But for him, the hardest part of the curriculum was learning Russian, he said. The International Space Station has two major segments, and one of them is the Russian segment, he said.

“The two main languages are Russian and English… What we actually speak on orbit, we call ‘Runglish.’ We meet somewhere in the middle,” Hines said.

It takes a while for everyone in a class to get assigned to a flight though, as usually only three to four US astronauts get launched every year, he said. Hines was assigned not long after graduation, which began another two years of training, he added.

After that, he was sent to the International Space Station alongside three other astronauts, he said.

Most of their day-to-day activities consist of science, he said.

“Probably 60-70% of your time is spent doing the science, and the rest is just kind of maintenance and upkeep,” Hines said.

The station is a national laboratory, he said.

“There are several national laboratories around the United States. Just turns out that we’ve got one orbiting the planet,” Hines said.
 

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