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Lt.-Col. Jeremy Hansen, an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency and a decorated fighter pilot, will visit campus on Sept. 23 as part of the Principal 91��Ƭ�� ’s Forum Distinguished Visitor series. Lt.-Col Hansen will deliver a presentation on his career, the goals and mission of the CSA, and the importance of following big dreams.

“Lt.-Col. Hansen 91��Ƭ�� ’s career is the embodiment of the phrase ‘shoot for the stars,’ and a testament to what can be achieved through hard work and dedicated effort,” says Principal and Vice-Chancellor Daniel Woolf. “I’m certain our students and the broader Kingston community will look forward to learning more about the path he took to become an astronaut and what they can do to prepare for their own future opportunities and challenges.”

Lt.-Col. Hansen is, without doubt, a modern-day explorer. As far back as he can remember, he dreamt of becoming an astronaut, and began flying at the age of 17, eventually becoming a CF-18 fighter pilot. In 2009, Lt.-Col. Hansen was selected to become one of two Canadian astronauts. Since then, his intensive astronaut training has included geological expeditions in Canada 91��Ƭ�� ’s North, exploring caves, living under water, and conducting scientific experiments.

Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s has welcomed a number of astronauts and representatives of the Canadian Space Agency to campus in recent years – including David Williams, Marc Garneau, and Julie Payette. Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s alumnus Andrew Feustel (PhD’95) served on the final mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope – bringing with him to orbit a banner depicting Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s landmark street sign at the corner of University and Union as viewed from orbit.

Lt.-Col. Hansen 91��Ƭ�� ’s public talk will take place in the atrium of Beamish Munro Hall (45 Union St.) from 12:30 to 1:30 pm on Sept. 23. The event is free and open to the public. Seating on the main floor is limited; standing room is available on the upper floors surrounding the atrium.

Established in 2012, the Principal 91��Ƭ�� ’s Forum is a public lecture series that takes place on Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s campus. It enables the principal to invite distinguished visitors to campus to speak on issues of interest to the Queen 91��Ƭ�� ’s community. Past speakers include The Rt. Hon. David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and Sir Terry Matthews, founder of Mitel.

The original story ran in the Queen's Gazette.