PORTAGE, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – A former NASA astronaut who is a four-time spaceflight veteran and the first Latina to travel to space will be coming to Portage next month.
“An Evening with Dr. Ellen Ochoa” will take place at the Air Zoo Aerospace and Science Museum in Portage, with a keynote conversation at 6:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but advance registration is required by October 1, and space is limited.
Her appearance celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. The evening will begin with a welcome from El Concilio’s Ballet Folklorico Kalamazoo at 5:40 p.m.
After joining NASA in 1988, Ochoa advanced from research engineer to astronaut to director of Johnson Space Center. She has been recognized with NASA’s highest award, the Distinguished Service Medal, and in 2024, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
The event is being presented through a community partnership involving the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership at Kalamazoo College, the Air Zoo, Bronson Healthcare, PNC Bank, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, the Kalamazoo Promise, Western Michigan University and El Concilio.
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