DOTHAN – Former Astronaut Bill Shepherd and U.S. Space & Rocket Center founder Ed Buckbee will be the keynote speakers during Aerospace Day 2005 at Troy University. The free event, which is sponsored by the Wiregrass Math & Science Consortium, will be held November 18 on the Dothan Campus.

The Consortium is partnering with the Alabama Education Association (AEA) to make the program available to teachers, pre-service teachers and system Aerospace Celebration coordinators. In its fourth year on the Dothan Campus, Aerospace Day is meant to ignite the imaginations of educators and their students, according to Wiregrass Math & Science Consortium Project Director Christina Johnson.

“The purpose of Aerospace Day is to generate excitement among teachers,” Johnson said. “We want them to take what they learn back to their classrooms and motivate their students to take an interest in math, science and technology.”

Shepherd, who was the first commander of the International Space Station, took part in four missions and logged over 159 days in space. A recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for Space, Shepherd is featured in the IMAX movie “Space Station.”

Buckbee, founder of the U.S. Space Camp and author of The Real Space Cowboys, has been affiliated with the U.S. Space Program for more than four decades. Over the years, he has appeared on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Good Morning, America” and programs on the BBC and the Discovery Channel.

Session presenters will include Paul Johnson, NASA engineer and founder of the "Wright Attitudes" program; Cynda Fickert, 2004 State Teacher of the Year; Dr. Charley Rodriguez, of Southern Illinois University; and Dr. Patti Fritchie, a founder of the Alabama Reading Initiative.

CNN Space Shuttle Analyst Randy Avera will also be on hand for Aerospace Day. Avera is the author of Memories of Columbia and The Truth About Challenger.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. the day of the event in the rotunda of the Library/Technology Building on the Dothan Campus. Participants are eligible for CEU’s.

For more information, contact Christina Johnson at (334) 983-6556, ext. 371.