Challenger Center Welcomes New Board Members

Alexandria, VA, September 15, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Challenger Center for Space Science Education announced today that astronauts Barbara Morgan and Richard Garriott and aerospace engineer Karolyn Young were elected to its Board of Directors at its recent annual conference held at the Buehler Challenger & Science Center in Paramus, New Jersey.

Barbara Morgan, a retired NASA astronaut, is the Distinguished Educator in Residence at Boise State University, with dual appointment in the colleges of engineering and education. She flew on space shuttle mission STS-118 in 2007 as the first NASA educator astronaut. Morgan was selected as the backup candidate for the NASA Teacher in Space program in 1985, training alongside Christa McAuliffe. She earned a B.A. degree in human biology from Stanford University, and her teaching credentials from College of Notre Dame, Belmont, California.

Richard Garriott, Chairman of Space Adventures, is an award-winning computer game developer, entrepreneur, and private astronaut. He traveled to the International Space Station in 2008 on a Soyuz TMA-13 spacecraft, becoming the sixth private citizen to go into in Earth orbit and the first second-generation American in space, following in the footsteps of his father, Owen Garriott, a former NASA astronaut who flew on Skylab and the space shuttle.

Karolyn Young is the Associate Principal Director of Special Programs for the National Systems Group at The Aerospace Corporation. As the former Systems Director of the Launch Advanced Programs Division, she was responsible for launch vehicle studies and launch integration of small satellites for national systems. As a mission planner, Young designed spacecraft orbit and attitude maneuvers for twelve Global Positioning Satellite System (GPS) missions. Young earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in aerospace engineering from The University of Michigan, and is also a frequent motivational and commencement speaker.

"We are looking forward to working with our new board members – each of these individuals brings unique experiences and skills that will help Challenger Center grow and to reach more children, inspiring them to pursue careers in science technology, education, and mathematics," said Challenger Center Board Chair William Readdy.

Using space exploration as a theme and simulations as a vehicle, Challenger Center and its international network of 46 Challenger Learning Centers create positive educational experiences that raise students’ expectations of success, fosters a long-term interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and inspires students to pursue studies and careers in these areas. To learn more, visit www.challenger.org.

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