North Carolina Space Grant Leads Statewide Space Symposium
Raleigh, N.C. – The 2026 North Carolina Space Symposium, hosted at the McKimmon Conference and Training Center, brought together students, researchers, and industry leaders for a day highlighting innovative research, networking, and STEM workforce development.
Susan White, NC Space Grant Director, opened the conference with images of Zena Cardman and Christina Koch, both alumni of the NC Space Grant program who have recently been to space.
“At some point, they sat in an audience similar to this one eager to learn and excited about doing their own research. In the past year, they have traveled to the International Space Station and around the moon,” said White.
Christopher Chung, Chief Executive Officer of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), served as the plenary speaker. Chung has more than 30 years of experience in statewide economic development, which includes working to bring new companies to North Carolina.
Chung spoke directly to the students in the audience about what they bring to the table: “You are a key part. When I get up in front of an audience of business leaders who aren’t as familiar with North Carolina, I always start with the human equation in terms of our talent availability,” said Chung. “It doesn’t matter what industry your company is in. You depend on people to be successful.”
Read the full article on: ncspacegrant.ncsu.edu
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Image Credit: NCSGC
Original Post Date: 5.11.26