Lecture Date: Wednesday, March 31st, 2027

NASA astronaut Eileen Collins reveals encouraging perspective and insight on the leadership skills needed to break barriers and become a successful pioneer in your field.

One of America’s most admired women, Col. Collins became the first female to pilot a U.S. spacecraft with the Discovery shuttle flight in 1995, and the first female commander on the 1999 Columbia shuttle flight. In 2005, NASA tapped Col. Collins to command the space shuttle Discovery’s historic “Return to 

While logging 872 hours in space, Col. Collins earned a reputation for coolness under pressure. With that same calm demeanor, she shares how her career as an astronaut took shape, from her early years in the U.S. Air Force to her ground-breaking experience with NASA. 

Her 2021 memoir, Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars inspired the documentary Spacewoman, directed by Hannah Berryman, which chronicles her journey from a challenging childhood to becoming the first woman to pilot and command a NASA Space Shuttle. 

In recognition of her extraordinary career as an astronaut, teacher, and leader, Col. Collins received the National Aeronautic Association’s Wright Brothers Award in 2022 and was inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation in 2025.

Flight” mission, NASA’s first piloted flight following the loss of space shuttle Columbia in 2003.