NC State Is Courageous
We make a difference in the world by tackling scientific, academic and societal challenges head-on.
Around the World — and Far Above It
Astronaut Christina Koch broke ground when she left Earth. Not only is she the first NC State alumna to go into space; she’s also on track to set the record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman — 328 days. Koch is serving as a flight engineer aboard the International Space Station, where she’s participating in scientific research, station maintenance, outreach, vehicle operations and spacewalks, all while floating some 240 miles above the planet.
Koch earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in electrical engineering — all from NC State — before traveling around the world to prepare for her time in orbit. She conducted scientific field work in Antarctica and Greenland, worked as a field engineer at a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration observatory in Alaska and served as station chief of the American Samoa Observatory. She also became fluent in Russian so she can communicate with colleagues at the space station. Koch is scheduled to serve as part of three NASA expeditions, and she’s expected to remain in orbit until February 2020.
From Our State to Outer Space
On Aug. 30, NASA astronaut and NC State alumna Christina Koch answered questions in a live video downlink from the International Space Station.
Watch the recap
A Pioneer Leads the Way
Irwin Holmes came to NC State to get an education. He left behind a legacy. Holmes helped transform the university forever when he enrolled in 1956 as one of our first four African American undergraduates. He graduated in 1960 with a degree in electrical engineering, becoming NC State’s first black undergraduate alumnus.
Along the way, Holmes broke more barriers when he became the Atlantic Coast Conference’s first black athlete, first black varsity letter winner and first black co-captain of a varsity team. With the support of coaches and his team, the Wolfpack tennis player overcame obstacles such as South Carolina’s unwritten rule barring interracial athletic competition and an opponent’s coach who didn’t want his player to face off against a black man.
Last year NC State renamed University College Commons as Holmes Hall to recognize a role model who helped drive social and cultural change at NC State, in North Carolina and far beyond. The renamed building houses the Exploratory Studies program, the Study Abroad Office, four classrooms and University Housing offices for four residence halls. Fittingly, Holmes Hall stands near the tennis courts where he practiced as a student on the tennis team in the 1950s.