NASA astronaut to speak at Binghamton University Sept. 29

VESTAL, N.Y. — Binghamton University will host an event billed as “An Evening with NASA Astronaut Dr. Jeanette Epps” next Monday, Sept. 29.

Epps worked in research at Ford Motor Company, then as a technical intelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency, before being selected as an astronaut candidate in June 2009, according to a Binghamton University news release. She qualified as an astronaut in 2011, and on July 21, served as an aquanaut aboard the Aquarius underwater laboratory during the NEEMO 18 undersea exploration mission that lasted nine days.

A native of Syracuse, Epps holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Le Moyne College and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland.

Epps will give her talk at 7 p.m. Monday in room 1101 of the Center of Excellence building, located in the Innovative Technologies Complex at 85 Murray Hill Road in Vestal. This event is free and open to the public, the university said.

The event is sponsored by the Collegiate Science Technology Entry Program; Decker School of Nursing; Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation; Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; and the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Those interested in attending can RSVP here.