This year’s NASA Means Business competition has come to a close, with the team from University of Wisconsin - Madison taking home grand prize honors after the final judging event at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Also participating in the final round of competition were teams from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide of Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.; Bentley College of Waltham, Mass.; and Miami International University of Art & Design – Miami, Fla.

These students demonstrated an amazing depth of knowledge in digital media and the internet, and they brought their perspective into their projects – incorporating new aspects of the online world into promoting the space program.

The diversity and range of ideas presented were really amazing. This truly reflects the unique Gen Y culture and how they view communications and messaging in today’s world.

All the teams were quite different in their approaches, but all their ideas were rooted in some very thorough research of NASA, its programs, its audiences and all the benefits space exploration has brought to our world and our culture.

It was truly exciting to see how a younger generation views the U.S. space program and see what initiatives they would infuse into NASA and its outreach efforts. Their thinking was innovative and productive.

The NASA Means Business competition is unique in that the teams are comprised of advertising, public relations, marketing, business and even other majors. They are applying their skills, talents, and knowledge of communications and business to the aerospace industry with powerful ideas and innovative solutions.

University of Wisconsin - Madison:

Cutline: Gary Kitmacher (second from right) of NASA's Johnson Space Center presents the University of Wisconsin - Madison team members with a U.S. flag that had been flown on a space shuttle mission. Burke Fort (far left), director of the NASA Means Business program, joins team members (from left to right) Damon Alexander, Luke Hillman and Scott Delly after announcing the team had won the national competition.

To view the University of Wisconsin - Madison team’s final presentation, click here.

To view the team's video, click here.


Embry Riddle Aeronautical University:

Cutline: Gary Kitmacher (third from right) of NASA's Johnson Space Center presents the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide team members with a U.S. flag that had been flown on a space shuttle mission. Burke Fort (second from left), director of the NASA Means Business program, joins team members (from left to right) Darren Marshall, Cristian Martinez, John Bradley Hall, Aaron Griswold and faculty advisor Joseph Caruth.

To view the Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide team's final presentation, click here.

To view the team's video, click here.

To view the team's detailed marketing plan, click here.

Miami International University of Art & Design:

Cutline: Gary Kitmacher (second from right) of NASA's Johnson Space Center presents the Miami International University of Art & Design team members with a U.S. flag that had been flown on a space shuttle mission. Burke Fort (second from left), director of the NASA Means Business program, joins team members (from left to right) Michael Smeal, Jessica Scheeler, Michael Pringle, Jonathan Whetsell and faculty advisor Birago Jones.

To view the Miami International University of Art & Design team’s final presentation, click here.


Bentley College:

Cutline: Gary Kitmacher (third from right) of NASA's Johnson Space Center presents the Bentley College team members with a U.S. flag that had been flown on a space shuttle mission. Burke Fort (far left), director of the NASA Means Business program, joins team members (from left to right) Angad Sawhney, Ellen Morris, William P. Connelley and faculty advisor George Fishman.

To view the Bently College team's final presentation, click here.

To view the team's 3 year marketing plan, click here.