Cady Coleman '91 PhD and Astronauts for America

Join us for an event featuring Cady Coleman '91 PhD, a retired NASA astronaut and U.S. Air Force colonel, as she shares stories from her time in space and reflects on what it means to be part of a common political community. Coleman will be available at 2pm for a Q&A session, followed by availability for informal discussion with community groups starting at 2:15pm. Coleman flew twice on the space shuttle and spent 159 days aboard the International Space Station, where she served as lead robotics and lead science officer. She is appearing on behalf of Astronauts for America, a nonpartisan, 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization founded by over 100 former NASA astronauts dedicated to defending the U.S. Constitution, restoring public trust in democratic institutions, and promoting evidence-based, data-driven leadership. AFA is currently in the middle of its VOTE FOR FREEDOM college tour campaign, a multi-month tour of college campuses across the nation. AFA’s goal is to strengthen public understanding of constitutional principles and promote civic responsibility and engagement across the newest generation. Coleman will use images and stories from space—including the extraordinary experience of looking back at Earth from orbit—to open a broader conversation about interdependence, responsibility, citizenship, and what it means to share a common political community. Her presentation will include lessons about teamwork, mission, trust, and working across differences and audience Q&A with students and community members. Coleman’s participation also gives the event a particularly strong UMass connection: she graduated from MIT and went on to earn a doctorate in polymer science and engineering at UMass in 1991, leading to her and beginning her career as an Air Force scientist and NASA astronaut. She is also the author of Sharing Space: An Astronaut’s Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change.