NASA astronaut and SJU alumnus to speak on ‘The Dream is Alive’
January 27, 2012
NASA astronaut Lt. Col. Mark Vande Hei, a 1989 Saint John's University graduate, will speak at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31, in Pellegrene Auditorium, Peter Engel Science Center, SJU.
The talk, titled "The Dream is Alive," will include a presentation on astronaut candidate training and is free and open to the public.
Vande Hei graduated from SJU with a degree in physics, was commissioned through ROTC and received a master's degree in applied physics from Stanford University. He was selected in 2009 as a member of the 20th NASA astronaut class, completed his training in June 2011 and is now qualified for future flight assignments. He currently works in the Astronaut Office's International Space Station Operations Branch.
Vande Hei has served and trained in many locations around the world, and taught physics at the U.S. Military Academy. Joining NASA's Mission Control Center in 2006, he specialized in spacecraft communications.