Texas Tech Alumna and NASA Flight Director to Speak at December Commencement

A Texas Tech University alumna and lead station flight director at NASA will serve as speaker for December commencement exercises.

Ginger Kerrick, who earned her bachelor’s degree in physics in 1991 and a master’s degree in physics in 1993 from Texas Tech, is the first female Hispanic flight director at NASA. She pursued her dream of working at NASA since she was 5 years old.

“I don’t believe I would be where I am today without Texas Tech,” she said during a recent interview. “Along the way through my career here at Texas Tech, people have helped me come here, people have helped me stay here and have helped me graduate from here with two degrees. That set me apart from some of the candidates who were applying to NASA.  So, without that opportunity, I don’t know if I would be at NASA today.”

About 1,980 students will graduate Friday and Saturday (Dec. 17 and 18) during four Texas Tech University ceremonies at the United Spirit Arena. Commencement exercises for the College of Arts and Sciences begin at 4 p.m. Friday. The Graduate School ceremony follows at 7 p.m.

The Colleges of Education, Visual and Performing Arts, Human Sciences, Architecture and the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering as well as students receiving university studies degrees will attend the exercises beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday. A ceremony for the Colleges of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Mass Communications, the Rawls College of Business, the Honors College and University College follows at 1:30 p.m.

The School of Law Hooding Ceremony begins at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Allen Theatre in the Student Union Building.

CONTACT: Dailey Fuller, marketing coordinator, Communications & Marketing, Texas Tech University System, (806) 742-0057 or dailey.fuller@ttu.edu.