Hall of Fame astronaut to honor Clemson student at football game

Published: September 5, 2012

Graham Yennie image by: Clemson University

CLEMSON — Space Shuttle astronaut Frank Culbertson will present Clemson University student Graham Yennie with a $10,000 scholarship from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF), Saturday, Sept. 8, before the 12:30 p.m. kickoff of the Clemson vs. Ball State football game at Memorial Stadium.

“Graham has demonstrated quality leadership in mechanical engineering at Clemson University,” said Culbertson. “He embodies the top characteristics of an Astronaut Scholar: intelligent, perseverant and driven to lead the path toward the advancement of scientific knowledge and technology. I’m proud to have the opportunity to present this award to such a worthy recipient at Clemson.”

Yennie is a senior mechanical engineering major with a 4.0 GPA. He is in the Calhoun Honors College. As an undergraduate, he has impressed his professors with his motivation, intellectual curiosity and research accomplishments. He plans to acquire his Ph.D. in mechanical or aerospace engineering, emphasizing structures, acoustics, dynamics, energy harvesting and computer and numerical simulations. He then intends to pursue a career in research and development in the aerospace and defense industry.

The Astronaut Scholarship is the largest monetary award given in the United States to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) undergraduate college students based solely on merit. Twenty-two of these prestigious scholarships were dispersed this year by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation to outstanding college students. Nearly $3.5 million has been awarded to date.

Since 2010, $30,000 has been disbursed to Clemson University students. These high-achieving students exhibit strong drive and phenomenal performance in their fields, as well as intellectual daring and a genuine desire to positively change the world around them, both in and out of the classroom.

“Clemson University is extremely proud of Graham Yennie for earning one of only 22 Astronaut Scholarships awarded this year,” said Clemson President James F. Barker. “It shows the excellence of our students and the rigor of our engineering program. We are especially delighted to welcome Capt. Culbertson, a native South Carolinian and Hall of Fame astronaut, to make the presentation and recognize Graham at a football game.” 

Culbertson, a retired U.S. Navy captain, joined the astronaut corps in May 1984 and flew three shuttle missions, logging 144 days in space, before leaving the corps in August 2002. He was pilot of STS-38 on Atlantis and commanded STS-51 on Discovery.

Culbertson became manager of the Shuttle-Mir Program in 1995 and managed nine shuttle docking missions during the next three years. Then he served as deputy program manager of the ISS until assigned to the 3rd Expedition to the International Space Station. As commander of Expedition 3, he and his crew launched aboard STS-105 in August 2001. He commanded the station for 117 days and returned to Earth aboard STS-108 in Dec 2001. Culbertson was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2010 and is an active member of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

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Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1984 by the six surviving members of America’s original Mercury astronauts. Its mission is to aid the United States in retaining its world leadership in science and technology by providing scholarships for college students who exhibit motivation, imagination and exceptional performance in these fields. ASF funds 28 $10,000 scholarships annually and has awarded nearly $3.5 million to deserving students nationwide. Today, more than 100 astronauts from the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle and Space Station programs have joined in this educational endeavor. For more information, call 321-455-7012 or log on to www.AstronautScholarship.org.

Clemson University
Ranked No. 25 among national public universities, Clemson University is a major, land-grant, science- and engineering-oriented research university that maintains a strong commitment to teaching and student success. Clemson is an inclusive, student-centered community characterized by high academic standards, a culture of collaboration, school spirit, and a competitive drive to excel. For more information, call 864-656-2061 or log on to www.clemson.edu.

Editors, news directors: Astronaut interviews available upon request or at the presentation with advance arrangements.