N.C. A&T to Celebrate Astronaut Scholarship Milestone with Retired Astronaut Bolden

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (April 1, 2025) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will host an Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) award presentation and lecture by Charles F. Bolden Jr., veteran NASA astronaut and former NASA administrator, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 5 p.m.

The free, public event, organized by NCAT Extraordinary Opportunities, will begin with a meet and greet in the first-floor lobby of Frye Hall from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The award presentation to N.C. A&T’s 2024 Astronaut Scholars Breyana Robinson and Kennedy West and lecture by Bolden will follow at 7 p.m. in Beasley Auditorium in Frye Hall.

This event will highlight the importance of STEM education as a critical pathway for advancing innovation. It will emphasize the need for continued investment in STEM programs to ensure access to resources and opportunities for students from all backgrounds.

ASF was created in 1984 by the six surviving Mercury 7 astronauts to encourage university students to pursue scientific advancement and ensure the country’s global leadership in technology. Over the past 40 years, more than $8.3 million has been awarded to more than 850 students.

In 1994, A&T became the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) ASF Partnering Institution and has produced 20 Astronaut Scholarship recipients who have earned 23 Astronaut Scholarship awards. In 2023, A&T became the first HBCU to have two Astronaut Scholarships available in an application cycle; that same year three Astronaut Scholarship recipients were selected due to the strength of the campus applicant pool.

 “We are honored to welcome former astronaut and NASA administrator Charles Bolden to our campus as we celebrate the tremendous achievements of our students through the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation,” said Tonya Smith-Jackson, provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic affairs. “These talented learners represent the very best of their generation, and we know they are destined to do great things. We are proud to support their efforts both here today and in the future.”

Bolden is a distinguished leader who dedicated his career to serving the United States, first as a Marine Corps major general and later as NASA administrator. Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009, Bolden became the second astronaut to lead NASA. During his tenure, he oversaw major transitions, including the shift from the space shuttle system to a focus on the International Space Station, the development of the Space Launch System and the Orion Crew Capsule. He also championed commercial space initiatives and the Space Technology Mission Directorate. His leadership contributed to significant accomplishments like the Mars Curiosity Rover landing, the Juno mission and the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope.

Bolden’s career includes four space shuttle missions, notably piloting the Hubble Space Telescope deployment. A veteran of more than 100 combat missions in Vietnam, he also held military leadership positions, including commanding general of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. He earned numerous honors, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal and the Rotary National Space Trophy. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2006 and the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2017.

As founder and CEO emeritus of The Charles F. Bolden Group LLC, a veteran-owned business focused on space exploration and national security, Bolden continues to inspire through his work in leadership, STEM education and health initiatives.

For more information about this event, email Alsace-Lorraine Gallop, A&T’s national scholarships and fellowships coordinator and Fulbright Program Adviser, at acgallop@ncat.edu.