Retired NASA Astronaut Dr. Karen Nyberg will join student leaders from across the state of Texas for an exclusive interview with International Leadership of Texas (ILTexas) students as part of the ILTexas Leadership Speaker Series on Friday, April 4, at 10 AM sharp across all high school campuses.

The ILTexas Leadership Speaker Series provides more than 700 High School students from around the charter the opportunity to engage with and learn from some of the greatest leaders in the international community. The event is entirely student-run. A panel of student hosts will interview Dr. Nyberg before facilitating a conversation between their guest, and students who have Zoomed in from their ILTexas campuses throughout the State of Texas. Additionally, all Audio/Visuals, camera work, and live streams are 100% run by students.

Dr. Karen Nyberg is an engineer, astronaut, and artist who, through nearly thirty years of experience in human spaceflight, has gained an appreciation for the value of working within and across diverse political ideologies, cultural values, and world views to advance critical missions.

Nyberg, who became an astronaut in 2000, has several degrees in mechanical engineering, including a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. She participated in two missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and worked in several departments across NASA before retiring in 2020. 

ILTexas welcomed retired NASA Astronaut and former Navy SEAL Captain Chris Cassidy last year as part of the Leadership Speaker Series. Captain Cassidy spoke with students about his time serving in the military and how that journey led him to several successful space missions. You can watch the video of his visit here.