This is a closed event for students of selected Brandon and Westman schools. Group ticket opportunities have been offered to selected school principals.

Brandon University welcomes Col. Chris Hadfield to the Brandon University Homecoming weekend on Friday, Oct. 12.

A decorated astronaut, engineer and pilot, Col. Hadfield will launch Brandon University’s 50th anniversary Homecoming celebrations with a Friday afternoon keynote for selected middle years students from Brandon and around southwestern Manitoba. The keynote, inspiring students with examples of where education in science, technology, engineering and math can lead, will be held at the WMCA.

Colonel Hadfield has worked with countless students and teachers, from pre-school to post-doctoral, for decades. Speaking in schools and at education conferences throughout his 35-year-career as an engineer, pilot, and astronaut, his rare mixture of personal experience, memorable ideas, and a warm, fun, interactive style has influenced a generation. Most recently, his extensive teachings from Earth orbit, recorded on-board the International Space Station, continue to be seen by millions via YouTube.

Chris strongly believes in the necessity to give every student the tools and the inspiration to succeed. His face and accomplishments are in Canadian science textbooks, as both a role model and clear example of where STEM education can lead.

Using real-world examples from his unique experiences, he enables audiences to see beyond their normal horizons, and helps give them the tools and ideas for personal growth and achievement in learning.

The keynote is part of BU’s expanded Homecoming and 50th anniversary party this fall, to which everyone is invited. The four-day community celebration also includes a Bobcat Basketball reunion and Wall of Fame induction, an awards dinner and gala for BU alumni, a free Family Day of activities on Saturday, and a Saturday evening street concert on 20th Street. For more information on the many activities happening on campus Oct. 11–14, see BrandonU.ca/Homecoming.

About Col. Chris Hadfield

Hadfield soared to success as the first Canadian Commander of the International Space Station in 2013 and is the author of three internationally bestselling books.

Hadfield’s many awards include the Order of Canada, the Meritorious Service Cross, and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. He was named the Top Test Pilot in both the US Air Force and the US Navy, and was inducted into Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.

In 1992, Col. Hadfield was selected as a NASA Mission Specialist, and three years later he was aboard the Shuttle Atlantis, where he helped build the Mir space station. In 2001, on Shuttle Endeavour, Col. Hadfield performed two spacewalks and in 2013, he became Commander of the International Space Station for six months off planet.

There, he became a worldwide sensation with a video of David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” — seen by over 75 million people — that was called “possibly the most poignant version of the song ever created”, by Bowie himself. Acclaimed for making outer space accessible to millions, and for infusing a sense of wonder into our collective consciousness not felt since humanity first walked on the Moon, Col. Hadfield continues to bring the marvels of science and space travel to everyone he encounters.

Currently, Col. Hadfield can be seen as the co-creator and host of the internationally acclaimed BBC series Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?, and he is co-hosting, with actor Will Smith, the National Geographic series One Strange Rock, directed by Darren Aronofsky.

Colonel Hadfield is also the producer of the celebrated Rare Earth series on YouTube, and the creator of the on-stage celebration Generator, which combines science, comedy, and music for sold-out audiences.

Additionally, Col. Hadfield is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Waterloo.