NASA astronaut, engineer to speak at NMSU's 1888 Leadership Series in April
Former NASA astronaut José Hernández will speak April 14 at NMSU as part of the 1888 Leadership Series. The event is free and open to the public.
Former NASA astronaut José Hernández will speak April 14 at a free event open to NMSU students and the Las Cruces community
Tiffany Acosta, New Mexico State University
LAS CRUCES - Jose M. Hernandez dreamed of going to space, and he made the dream a reality in August 2009 when he flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery as a flight engineer. The NASA astronaut and engineer will travel to Las Cruces and be the April speaker for the 1888 Leadership Series. The free event will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, in the Corbett Center Student Union auditorium and is open to both the New Mexico State University and Las Cruces community.
The 1888 Leadership Series brings local, state, regional and national leaders to campus for workshops as part of the 1888 Leadership Initiative. One of NMSU President Valerio Ferme’s priorities, the program serves as one of the foundations of student success at NMSU with initiative graduates taking student leadership roles and making a positive impact to campus life.
“The 1888 Leadership Initiative team is honored to welcome Jose Hernandez to New Mexico State University and the Las Cruces community. We look forward to his presentation and invite our Aggies and Las Cruces community members to join us for this event,” Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Tony Marin said.
The 1888 Leadership Series is open to all NMSU students. Monthly activities help students connect to student groups, academic leadership programs and service opportunities to help students build a résumé of experience for future success.
A TRIO Upward Bound participant and first-generation college student, Hernandez earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of the Pacific and master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He spent a decade at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, helping to develop the first full-field digital mammography imaging system. In 2001, he joined Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
“I’m honored to visit New Mexico State University and share my journey with the Aggie community. My hope is that students walk away inspired to dream big, work hard and realize that no matter where you start, with perseverance and purpose, you can reach your own stars,” Hernandez said.
In 2023, Amazon’s Prime Video released “A Million Miles Away,” a film about Hernandez’s path from a farm worker to becoming an engineer and an astronaut, which was based on his autobiography, “Reaching for the Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut.”
Following retirement from NASA, Hernandez founded Tierra Luna Engineering, a consulting firm dedicated to providing an innovative approach on aerospace, advanced technologies and education outreach, and Tierra Luna Cellars, a winery in Northern California.
For more information about the event, contact Aggie One-Stop at 575-646-6678 or email onestop@nmsu.edu.
Tiffany Acosta writes for New Mexico State University Marketing and Communications and can be reached at 575-646-3929, or by email at tfrank@nmsu.edu.
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