The Troy University Alumni Chapter (TAC) of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. will host former NASA astronaut Dr. Bernard Harris as the keynote speaker for the 2023 Scholarship Breakfast on Saturday, January 28.

A scientist, medical doctor and a Kappa brother, Harris became an astronaut in July 1991 after being selected by NASA in January 1990, qualifying for assignment as a mission specialist on future Space Shuttle flight crews. He flew on board Space Shuttle Columbia from April 26, 1993 to May 6, 1993. During this flight, Harris logged over 239 hours and 4,164,183 miles in space. 

His second mission was as the Payload Commander on STS-63 in February 1995, the first flight of the new joint Russian American Space Program. During the flight, Harris became the first African American to walk in space. On this mission, he logged 198 hours, 29 minutes in space, completed 129 orbits and traveled over 2.9 million miles.

This year, TAC will invest $6,000 in scholarships to six high school students from the Pike County area who are planning to attend TROY: a male and a female each from Charles Henderson High School, Pike County High School and Goshen High School.

Each student will receive $1,000 to get them started on their college journey. TAC Polemarch Lee Maddox said the scholarship event is just a token of the appreciation the chapter has for the City of Troy and Troy University.

“What better way to give back to a community than to invest in its youth,” Maddox said. “The scholarship is just a way of us letting the young people in the community know we are here, we see you, we believe in you.”  

A $25 donation to Troy Alumni’s Kommunity Outreach organization is requested for tickets to attend the 2023 Scholarship Banquet. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite.

The breakfast will be held in the Adams Center Ballroom on the Troy Campus beginning at 9 a.m.

For more information, contact Dr. Michael Sibley at 334-657-8401.