Christina Koch, an NC State alum and astronaut on the International Space Station, is scheduled to have a live Q&A session with NC State and North Carolina School of Science and Math students on Friday, Aug. 30 at 9:30 a.m.
According to her NASA biography, Koch graduated in 2001 with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering. Koch also received a bachelor’s degree of science in physics and a master’s of science in electrical engineering in 2002.
Stephen Reynolds, a professor of astrophysics and Koch’s advisor while she was at NC State, said Koch tried out other options, but being an astronaut is an excellent fit for her.
“She applied to some pre-medical programs, but I guess wound up finishing up the electrical engineering degree and getting a job with Goddard Space Flight Center,” Reynolds said. “It was certainly her goal. She’s not a fool. The odds were very long, but she aimed in that direction and she was, in general, interested in doing something that she thought would be of value to society. But there’s no question that space was number one.”
Reynolds said Koch is extremely well-rounded, and that makes her an excellent candidate for the astronaut program.
“You may spend 5% of your career as an astronaut actually in space,” Reynolds said. “The rest of the time, you may be a representative for NASA and for science, so they need to pick people who are not only going to be outstanding at the technical work but who can represent the agency well, who can communicate with different people well, and she’s terrific with all of those things.”
Koch worked as a photographer for Technician during her time at NC State. James Curle, the photo editor at the time, said Koch was studious and eager to learn, and he is not shocked that she ended up doing something impactful.
“She was quiet and studious in a way that makes sense with her being in the sciences and specifically as an astronaut,” Curle said. “I remember her being very teachable, and I wasn’t exactly coming from a tremendous place of authority, but at the same time, she definitely respected the advice that me and the other photo staff were giving her on how to improve her photography. It’s not a surprise to me at all that she was such an apt student in everything that she pursued, because she was so open and willing to learn.”
Curle said he is proud to have been an influence on her life in any way, and even though she probably does not remember him, it is surreal to say that he worked with an astronaut.
“The photo that she took of Jacksonville from space and shared on social media that went viral, that was a really cool moment,” Curle said. “It was clear that she definitely still had a love of photography, and it was a moment that she was very excited to be able to capture. It was probably something that she has been anticipating ever since she got the news that she was going to be going up and participating in this.”
Daniel Stancil, head of the electrical engineering department, said Koch is an excellent example of a role model.
“We’re extremely proud and appreciative, because Christina has been very gracious publicly and with her time in recognizing her roots in North Carolina and at NC State and spending time reaching out to students,” Stancil said. “When young people growing up see an outstanding, articulate woman accomplishing these things, they see themselves thinking, ‘I can do some amazing things too.’”
Reynolds said Koch is a great role model for women in male-dominated fields and at male-dominated universities.
“The fraction of women is continuing to rise,” Reynolds said. “I’ve also seen it in my career at NC State; the fraction of women majoring in physics, it’s still not enormous, but it started at one or two in a class of 40, and now it’s 20% typically, so these things continue to demonstrate that excellence doesn’t care whether you have a Y chromosome or not.”
The live call event with Koch will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 30 in the Talley Student Union State Ballroom. The event will also air live on NASA’s website.
Ruby Shah contributed to the reporting of this article.
