James Benbrook Field Research Experience
The James Benbrook Field Research Experience, also known as the Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP), is a two-year classroom and field experience that teaches undergraduate students how to build a spacecraft or ground instrument for use in geospace or atmospheric science investigations. The program promotes inquiry- and project-based learning, teaching students critical thinking, collaboration, leadership skills, communication techniques, time management, and troubleshooting. In year one, students plan and develop their instrument designs, and in year two, students test their designs by traveling to Alaska to demonstrate their effectiveness.
Professor James R. Benbrook was a friend and educator. For 40 years, he served the University of Houston and its students with a devotion, enthusiasm, and attention to detail that is rarely replicated. In addition to his decades-long role as a professor, Benbrook chaired the Department of Physics for two three-year terms, conducted extensive research in a slew of subjects, and participated actively on a number of university committees. His involvement in the Undergraduate Student Instrument Project was pivotal and enduring, which is why the program has been renamed in his honor. You can read more about the life and legacy of James Benbrook by visiting In Memoriam - Professor James R. Benbrook or UH Physics Department Bids Farewell to Longtime Colleague James Benbrook.
