Dr. Linda Godwin - a former astronaut and University of Missouri alumna - will be the featured speaker at the Callaway County Mizzou Alumni's 25th anniversary Tuesday, June 15, at Serenity Valley Winery in Millersburg.
Instead of a banquet this year, the event will be a casual family affair, open to the public and starting at 5:30 p.m. Big Daddy's BBQ food truck will be available for food purchases.
After Godwin's speech, awards and scholarships for 2020 and 2021 will be presented.
Godwin earned master's and doctorate degrees in physics from Mizzou in 1976 and 1980. She was among the earliest group of women accepted into NASA's astronaut program, joining the agency in 1986 and logging more than 900 hours in space.
Following her space flights, Godwin's work at NASA was directed to the training of new astronauts and preliminary planning work associated with a possible future NASA mission to Mars.
After retiring from NASA in 2010, Godwin joined the department of physics and astronomy at Mizzou as a professor. She taught courses, mentored students and engaged in teacher training programs.
On March 13, Godwin was honored with the 2021 Spirit of Martha Award from the Griffiths Leadership Society for Women at the University of Missouri. She was nominated by Kate Geppert on behalf of the Callaway County chapter of the Mizzou Alumni Association.
The Spirit of Martha Award recognizes MU women who have distinguished themselves as leaders in their chosen profession. The society and the award are named in honor of Mizzou alumna Martha Wright Griffiths, a trailblazer and tireless advocate for women.
Griffiths served 10 terms in Congress and was the first woman to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee. After retiring from Congress, she went on to be elected as the first female lieutenant governor of Michigan at the age of 70, a position she held from 1983-91.
Reservations for the Astronaut and Awards event are required by Tuesday, June 8, and can be made by emailing Bruce Robertson at [email protected].
For more information about the alumni chapter's activities, contact president Gary Cunningham at [email protected], or visit the chapter's Facebook page at Mizzou Alumni - Callaway County.