Current Student Collaborations Participants
View a list of the students, faculty, staff, and mentors currently involved in Psyche Student Collaborations.
/
Psyche Inspired – Iridium Class
Psyche’s Touch
Madelaine T. Vu
April 17th, 2025
Major: Neuroscience and Psychology
Genre/Medium: Collage
About the work:
Psyche’s Touch was inspired by the spirit of human exploration within the Psyche mission. I wanted to capture something beyond the study of a planetary core, but our innate desire to reach outward, to discover, to connect, and to be a part of something greater.
The piece began as a 3D printed model of the Psyche asteroid, which I modified using clay to create rippling waves that radiate from a handprint on the underside. These waves echo the idea that even a single touch can send energy outward, like curiosity or inspiration spreading through space and time.
I designed this piece to be held. It nestles into the palm, inviting quiet reflection and tactile connection. My hope is that when someone holds it, they feel a link not only to the asteroid and its mysteries but also to the mission, its people, and its soul.
Psyche Inspired Overview
Psyche Inspired is a program that brings undergraduate students from any discipline or major together to share the excitement, innovation, and scientific and engineering content of NASA’s Psyche mission with the public in new ways through artistic and creative works. These works are posted in the gallery above and highlighted on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. View the full resolution images in the image gallery. This year’s Psyche Inspired cohort is known as the Iridium Class.
Psyche Inspired was piloted at ASU during the 2017-2018 academic year. The following academic year, Psyche Inspired expanded nationally! The works from each Psyche Inspired cohort are collected in individual downloadable books that tell the story of Psyche through musical scores, sculptures, painting, 3-D models, photography, acrylic art, needlepoint, stop-motion films, mixed media, and more.
Click here to view all the Psyche Inspired books
Take a look at our comprehensive map that shows how the Psyche Inspired program has grown over the years!
