About the Commencement Speaker

Colonel (R) Eileen Collins

The first woman to pilot and command an American spacecraft, astronaut Eileen Collins has led an inspiring life of adventure, leadership, and achievement. Recognized as one of America’s most admired women, she is now sharing her experiences as a test pilot, astronaut, and space flight commander with audiences around the world.

In July 2005, Collins commanded Space Shuttle Discovery’s historic “Return to Flight” mission. This was NASA’s first manned flight following the February 2003 loss of the Shuttle Columbia.

Collins dreamed of becoming a pilot during her childhood in Elmira, New York. Her parents nurtured her dream, often taking her to Elmira’s “soaring field” to watch gliders take flight. She read every book she could on aviation, and when she got her first job at 16, she started saving up money for flying lessons. “I had saved up $1,000, and I took that to my local airport, at age 19,” she said. “I asked them to teach me how to fly.”

Her family lacked the funds to send her away to college, so Collins earned an associate’s degree in mathematics and science at Corning Community College, and then earned a scholarship to Syracuse University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics.

Collins then entered the Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training Program in 1978, the same year that NASA opened the Shuttle program to women, and selected its very first class of female astronauts. During her year in the Pilot Training Program, this astronaut class visited her base, and she discovered that she had another dream for herself: to become an astronaut.

Following her graduation from the Pilot Training Program, Collins spent several years in the Air Force, and earned master’s degrees in operations research from Stanford University and space systems management from Webster University. While attending the Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, California, in 1990, she was selected for NASA’s astronaut program.

Collins achieved her dream of becoming an astronaut in July 1991. She flew on her first Shuttle mission, STS-63 Discovery, in February 1995, as the first woman ever to pilot a Space Shuttle. She also served as pilot on her second Shuttle mission, STS-84 Atlantis, in May 1997. In July 1999, she achieved another milestone by becoming the first woman ever to command a Shuttle mission, STS-93 Columbia. In July 2005, she flew her final NASA mission as commander of STS-114 Discovery. Over the course of her four Shuttle flights, she logged over 872 hours in space.

Her many medals, awards, and honors include a Defense Superior Service Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, French Legion of Honor, NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, the 2005 Al Neuharth Free Spirit of the Year Award, and the National Space Trophy. She retired from the U.S. Air Force as a colonel in January 2005.

Upon receiving the National Space Trophy in March 2006, Collins spoke of a new dream: “My dream, now, is that people will discover and invent new ways to fly higher, faster, and farther, and that someday humans will travel beyond our solar system. It will be expensive, it will be risky, and we will make mistakes as we go. But we will do it because we are explorers by nature.”