Meet the Team
The 2024 Cedar Falls Rocket Club is made up of more than 20 outstanding young men and women (10th - 12th grade) who are dedicated to accomplishing amazing things in their pursuit of their NASA Student Launch Project as well as The American Rocketry Challenge!
Donald Perry
Program Leader
Not pictured:
Saketh
Zeb Nicholson
Team Advisor
Zeb started the Cedar Falls Rocket Club in 2014 with three students and a passion for all things rockets and space education. Since then he has taken the club to three TARC National Finals (one 5th place) as well as two trips to NASA Student Launch in Huntsville, Alabama. He is currently leading the club in their third NASA Student Launch project as well as two teams in the 2022 TARC competition.
Autumn Umbarger
Team Mentor
Mrs. Umbarger is a physics teacher at Cedar Falls High School with a passion for inspiring students both inside and outside the classroom. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Physics with a focus on science education. As the Rocket Club advisor, Mrs. Umbarger enjoys working alongside the team as they design, build, and launch rockets, traveling to competitions, and celebrating their hard work. Her favorite tradition? The annual team stops at Buc-ee's—a trip that combines fuel for rockets and snacks for the road!
2022 NASA Student Launch Team
The students pose with the freshly painted rocket!
2019 NASA Student Launch Team - Huntsville, AL
Rocket Fair and a visit from Homer Hickam Jr.
