KSC Director to Deliver Eastern Florida Commencement Address

One of the nation’s most distinguished astronauts will deliver the commencement address May 15 during graduation ceremonies at Eastern Florida State College.

Robert Cabana, director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, will speak to graduates during a noon commencement at the King Center for the Performing Arts on the Melbourne Campus.

College President Dr. Jim Richey will also speak to students at the noon graduation and at another ceremony at 3:30 p.m.

About 2,000 students are eligible to graduate from the college this spring, with students from the Melbourne and Palm Bay campuses participating in the noon event, and students from the Titusville and Cocoa campuses attending the 3:30 p.m. ceremony.

Both ceremonies will be streamed live via webcast starting at noon on the college website at easternflorida.edu. They will be rebroadcast on WEFS-TV on Thursday, June 5 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 8 at 1 p.m. WEFS can be viewed over-the-air on channel 68.1 and on Bright House cable channels 9, 455 and 1068.

Graduates, families and friends are encouraged to share photos and memories via social media using the hashtag #efscgrad.

Cabana is a veteran of four space shuttle missions, twice serving as commander on flights that included the first construction mission of the International Space Station.

He has logged nearly 40 days in space and is a member of the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

As director of Kennedy Space Center, he is leading the spaceport’s transition into the post-shuttle era and playing a key role in developing the next generation of human spaceflight.

He has also served as NASA’s Director of Human Spaceflight Programs in Russia, Deputy Manager of the International Space Station Program, Director of NASA’s Astronaut Corps and Deputy Director of the Johnson Space Center.

The May 15 commencement will mark the second graduating class from Eastern Florida since it became a state college and changed its name last year.

It also comes as the college continues expanding educational opportunities to students, with 22 new Bachelor Degree, Associate Degree and Certificate programs launched the past two years.

They include nine Bachelor Degree programs in the fast-growth job fields of Business, Health Care and Computer Information Technologies that will be offered in August.

The application process for those and all other college programs is currently underway, with fall classes starting Aug. 18.

For more information, visit easternflorida.edu.