Reach for the stars: Bective scientist reveals NASA role

There are times when Sinead Farrell misses Ireland, and particularly Bective, where she grew up. She misses family and friends as well as other little aspects of life that are taken for granted here such as a slice of brown bread or a simple cup of real tea. Not that she has much time on her hands to feel homesick. Sinead is currently working as a scientist with two institutes including an organisation known to every schoolboy and girl with the remotist interest in space traval - NASA (the National Aeronautics & Space Administration). If that's not enough, she also carries out scientific research at the University of Maryland, where she is based, and gives occasional lectures. Her life in America, she adds, is "high octane" yet she loves the country, the opportunities that Uncle Sam offers and the fact that she's working as a scientist, something she's always wanted to do. While she has a faculty position with the University of Maryland, 31-year-old Sinead collaborates with NASA at the nearby Goddard Space Flight Centre. She also works closely with the NOAA (National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration), another federal research institute, which, in turn, is also closely associated with NASA. To read the full story see this week's Meath Chronicle.