BUFFALO, N.Y. -- NASA's famed space shuttle program ended in 2011. Private companies are heading into orbit. What does the future hold for humanity in space? What new job opportunities are on the horizon for students?
To answer these questions, the University at Buffalo's chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) is hosting the nation's largest student-run space conference.
The event, SpaceVision 2012, takes place from Nov. 8-11 at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center at 153 Franklin St., Buffalo. A detailed agenda: http://spacevision.seds.org/agenda/.
UB students competed with SEDS chapters nationwide to host the conference, which serves as SEDS' annual U.S. convention. More than 250 people from across the country are expected to attend.
For a video of UB students from SEDS discussing their love for space and future career ambitions, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAvKPYMqnmg.
MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:
WHAT: Astronaut Peggy Whitson, the 13th chief of NASA's Astronaut Office, will be available to speak to media. Whitson, who served as the International Space Station's first woman commander, will answer questions about her experience and the future of space exploration.
Students who are planning to pursue space-related careers will also be on hand to share their thoughts on the future of the space and aeronautics industry.
WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to noon on Friday, Nov. 9. Following this media availability, Whitson will deliver a keynote address from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. describing her experiences and how the next generation will make a difference in the future of space exploration.
WHERE: The lobby of the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.
WHY: The conference theme is "Crossroads: How Our Generation Will Take Us to the Space Frontier." This topic recognizes changes underway in the space industry, including the retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet in 2011 and the growing number of private companies exploring everything from mining asteroids to making space travel available to the public. Whitson and the students will be able to provide distinct perspectives about the future of space exploration. Whitson's biography: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/whitson.html.
CONTACT: Media who would like to attend should contact Charlotte Hsu in UB's Office of University Communications at 716-645-4655 or chsu22@buffalo.edu, or 510-388-1831 on-site. *
WHAT: UB alumnus Chris Scolese, director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, will deliver a keynote address, enabling attendees to hear from the head of one of the nation's most critical robotic research facilities. Scolese, who attended high school in Western New York, received a BS in electrical engineering from UB in 1978.
WHEN: 8 to 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10.
WHERE: Room 106 of the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.
CONTACT: Media who would like to attend should contact Charlotte Hsu in UB's Office of University Communications at 716-645-4655 or chsu22@buffalo.edu, or 510-388-1831 on-site. *
Besides Scolese, conference presenters include another UB graduate: Hussein Jirdeh, head of communications and public outreach for the Space Telescope Science Institute, who received a PhD in mechanical engineering from UB in 1988.
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