ALLIANCE, Ohio — The University of Mount Union is pleased to announce that Captain Scott Kelly—history-making astronaut and real-life hero—will present its annual Schooler Lecture on Thursday, April 22, 2027.

Kelly, whose bestselling memoir was optioned for a major motion picture by Sony, is a former NASA astronaut and retired United States Navy Captain. He is a U.S. spaceflight record holder and an experienced test pilot having logged more than 15,000 hours of flight time in more than 40 different aircraft and spacecraft. 

During his yearlong mission, known worldwide as the “Year in Space,” he conducted three spacewalks before returning home in March 2016. His Year in Space Mission was chronicled in a Time Magazine documentary series and an Emmy Award-winning PBS special. Kelly has traveled more than 200 million miles, which is more than twice the distance to the Sun, and he has orbited the Earth more than 8,300 times. 

Kelly has received many awards and honors, including the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was on the cover of TIME Magazine in December 2014 and was named one of its 100 Most Influential People in 2015. Kelly was also recognized at the 2015 State of the Union Address by then United States President Barack Obama. 

The Schooler Lecture Series was established in 1988 with grant funding from the Schooler Family Foundation. The Foundation's philanthropy has enabled the University to provide a dramatically enhanced opportunity for young adults studying at Mount Union and for the residents in the greater Alliance area to experience the breadth and depth of American culture.

Tickets will be made available in early 2027. Learn more about the entire Mount Union lecture series by visiting mountunion.edu/lecture-series.