ÃÛÌÒTV

Professor Agrimson uses high altitude weather balloons (HABs) as a delivery method to send up payload boxes with varied instrumentation to study near space. St. Kate’s has had balloons reach altitudes of up to 35,000 meters (~115,000 feet) depending on the size of balloon used and payload mass. Research projects involving collaborative undergraduate researchers have looked at the Regener-Pfotzer (R-P) maxima as a way to study galactic cosmic ray showers, use of HAB's in the classroom to teach physics content and solar eclipse effects using HAB's as a research platform. Agrimson holds a BS (with a concentration in space physics) from Augsburg College, an MS from the University of Iowa and has completed advanced coursework toward a PhD in plasma physics. He currently is serving as affiliate director for ÃÛÌÒTV’s portion of the Minnesota Space Grant Consortium(MSGC), a NASA outreach program since 2009. St. Kate's has received funding through MSGC for scholarships, collaborative undergraduate research, program development and outreach. Agrimson has taught the physics for the health sciences course, conceptual physics, ultrasound physics, medical physics, atmospheric physics, the physics of sound  as well as modern physics at St. Kate’s.