Menu

'It’s totally surreal': UNC's fourth astronaut graduate recalls her path to NASA


One UNC alumna may soon have an out-of-this-world experience — literally. Zena Cardman, who graduated with her master's in 2014, is a NASA astronaut candidate who has spent the past two years training for potential space travel. “I actually didn’t grow up always wanting to be an astronaut,” Cardman said. “I wanted to do all kinds of different things." (Daily Tar Heel)

Related:

UNC creative writing associate professor’s book earns national honor
One UNC faculty member’s newest book is earning accolades. “The New Economy,” written by Gabrielle Calvocoressi, has been named a finalist for the National Book...

Carolina professor named FCC’s chief economist
Jonathan Williams is taking his economics expertise from the University of North Carolina to the federal government. Williams, a professor in the UNC College of...

Katie Homan keeps gold medalists upright
When Katie Homan was growing up in Ohio, hockey "wasn’t a thing" for her. It still wasn’t a thing in 2011, when she earned a...

UNC junior builds algorithm to aid disaster recovery
When Esha Singaraju first arrived on campus in 2023, she wasn’t sure what path she wanted to follow. One class unexpectedly shaped her academic journey:...