WINSTON-SALEM, NC (MAY 3, 2019)—Stephanie D. Wilson, a NASA astronaut who is a veteran of three spaceflights and has logged more than 42 days in space, will be the 2019 commencement speaker for Salem College. Salem College’s Commencement will take place on Saturday, May 25, 2019 at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 2825 University Parkway in Winston-Salem. The procession will begin at 9:30 a.m. with the ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. 

“Astronaut Stephanie Wilson is the perfect commencement speaker for Salem College,” Salem Academy and College President Sandra J. Doran said. “As a woman at the top of her field, one of our country’s best and brightest, she is a role model who exemplifies Salem’s focus on intelligence, courage, leadership, and resilience.”

Stephanie D. Wilson holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Science from Harvard University and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Selected by NASA as an astronaut in April 1996, Wilson flew space shuttle missions in 2006, 2007, and 2010, and was responsible for robotics including serving as the primary robotic arm operator for vehicle inspection and spacewalk support. Wilson is recipient of the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in 2009 and 2011, among many other honors and awards. As a member of the Astronaut Office, she is currently the Mission Support Crew Branch Chief. For a more in-depth bio, please visit https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts/biographies/stephanie-d-wilson/biography.

“Salem College women are the leaders of tomorrow,” said President Doran, “and there is no better person to speak to future women leaders than Stephanie Wilson. The Salem College Class of 2019 faces a world we can’t predict. NASA does that every single day in all aspects of their work from research to space travel. That’s what we do at Salem: prepare women to lead in our unpredictable world.” 

About Salem Academy and College

Salem Academy and College is the oldest educational institution for girls and women in the United States. With more than 18,000 alumnae who serve as entrepreneurs, physicians, researchers, artists, lawyers, teachers, community volunteers, and corporate executives, Salem Academy and Salem College continues to educate the next generation of global leaders. For more information about Salem Academy, please visit salemacademy.com. For more information about Salem College, please visit salem.edu.