SAC President Joins Board of Directors for Challenger Center
October 16, 2018
In October 2018, San Antonio College’s fearless leader, President Dr. Robert Vela, became one of the newest members of the Challenger Center’s national board of directors.
According to a press release from the Challenger Center, a leading science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education organization, President Vela was one of seven new members of the board which also include: Lawrence Cowart formerly of The Coca-Cola Company; Anne Ellis of Ellis Global; Robyn S. Kravit of Tethys Research; Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger of Geosyntec Consultants and formerly of NASA; Lesa B. Roe of University of North Texas System; and Tasmyn Front of Challenger Learning Center – St. Louis.
The release also announced the election of Robert Curbeam, Vice President – Business Development for the Space Systems Group, Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems and former NASA astronaut as Chair Elect.
As president of San Antonio College, Dr. Vela has been an ardent supporter of the Scobee Education Center, a state-of-the-art 22,000 square foot facility on the SAC campus that houses the 50-plus year old Scobee Planetarium, a 10-foot telescope and observatory, and the first-of-its-kind, next generation Challenger Learning Center.
San Antonio College was the 44th site for a Challenger Center and provides on-going STEM-education for K-12 students throughout the city and region. In addition to educational programming, the Challenger Center at SAC’s Scobee Education Center offers team building and public missions surrounding the three main “missions” to the Earth, Moon and, most recently, Mars.
The Scobee Education Center, officially opened in October 2014, will celebrate its fourth anniversary this year as Dr. Vela begins year five of his presidency.
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