The Chandler Lecture Series of Central Oregon Community College (COCC) welcomes the first Latina to explore outer space, Ellen Ochoa, Ph.D., whose presentation “Trailblazing in Space: Missions of Discovery and Diversity” will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Tower Theatre in downtown Bend. Tickets are $20 and a livestream option is available for $5. Visit cocc.edu/foundation/cls to register and learn more.
Ochoa, the former director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, made four missions as a NASA astronaut, totaling close to 1,000 hours in orbit. She will speak about the frontiers of space and the importance of breaking barriers, from championing diversity in the STEM fields to expanding the culture of the corporate world.
The event is presented by Discovery West, with additional support from COCC’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Bend Science Station, Lonza, The Appel Family Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, the Associated Students of COCC and the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund.
For more information, contact Charlotte Gilbride, coordinator for the Chandler Lecture Series, at 541-383-7257 or cgilbride@cocc.edu.
The Nancy R. Chandler Lecture Series of the COCC Foundation brings renowned speakers, lecturers and experts to the region to deliver broad-based programming on a diverse range of educational and topical subjects. The program was established in 1985 by the late Robert W. Chandler Sr. in honor of his wife.
