Cady Coleman
Former Astronaut, NASA
Born in Charleston and raised in northern Virginia, Cady earned a BS in chemistry from MIT and a PhD in polymer science and engineering from the University of Massachusetts. She began her career as a research chemist in the U.S. Air Force before NASA selected her as an astronaut in 1992. Over 24 years, Cady flew two Space Shuttle missions, launched the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and spent six months aboard the International Space Station as Lead Robotics and Lead Science Officer. She retired as a Colonel in 2016. Today, Cady serves on several boards, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.