The NASA astronaut and Tar Heel will address the Class of 2024 ahead of her first space flight later this year.

In April 2023, three Carolina researchers traveled to New Zealand to work on a first-of-its-kind NASA satellite project that will measure the planet’s entire water supply.

Carolina alumna Zena Cardman is a new NASA astronaut trainee. Over 18,000 people applied to be in the 2017 class; she was one of 12 selected.