Astronaut Dr. Bernard Harris Jr., to Speak at Convocation

Dr. Bernard Harris Jr., the First African-American to perform a spacewalk, will speak at Spelman College convocation to honor the 2023 - 2024 Astronaut Scholarship recipient Winter Jones, C'2025.

Jones, an Atlanta native, is a senior mathematics and aerospace engineering major. She has gained research experience with the Innovation Lab, the Department of Defense Research Scholars Program, Georgia Institute of Technology’s Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Program, and a NASA University Leader Initiative research project. After graduation, she aspires to study aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech for graduate school before beginning her career as a rocket engineer.

Harris will be inducted into the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame in a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on May 31.

“Being inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame is a tremendous honor, made even more special by the fact that it comes from my peers,” Harris said. “This recognition isn’t just about my accomplishments. It is also a testament to the teamwork and dedication of everyone who shared this amazing journey with me along the way," Harris quoted in a release from the University of Houston, his alma mater.