The Purdue Alumni Club of Elkhart County is hosting NASA astronaut and Purdue alumnus Jerry Ross on Sept. 9 for a free community presentation. The presentation is open to the public and starts at 7 p.m. at Elkhart Memorial High School, 2608 California Road, Elkhart. During the presentation, Ross will discuss his spaceflight experiences, his current work at NASA and conclude with a question-and-answer session.
Ross was selected as an astronaut in May 1980. He is a veteran of seven spaceflights: STS-61B, STS-27, STS-37, STS-55, STS-74, STS-88 and STS-110. Ross has logged nearly 1,400 hours in space, including 58 hours and 18 minutes during nine spacewalks.
The Crown Point native received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in 1970 and 1972, respectively.
The Purdue Alumni Club of Elkhart County is a nonprofit alumni organization that provides scholarships to Purdue students from Elkhart County in North Central Indiana.
Ross is willing to participate in print and broadcast interviews, depending on time constraints. To schedule an interview with Ross contact Brenda Cabaniss, publicist, NASA Johnson Space Center, at 281-244-8860. For more information about this event contact Joe Gross, president, Purdue Alumni Club of Elkhart County, 574-596-2533.
For additional biographical information on Ross, visit: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/ross.html
For additional information about the Purdue Alumni Club of Elkhart County, visit: https://www.purduealum.org/Default.aspx?alias=www.purduealum.org/elkhart
