Everything seems fresh and bright in December. What better time to create something new? America’s newest university continues to grow as our center for education announces an illustrious board of advisors, and our STEM faculty prepares mankind to take his place among the stars.
“The landscape of human spaceflight is undergoing a monumental transformation. The title of ‘astronaut’ is no longer exclusive to government-trained individuals navigating the stringent pathways of national space agencies,” says Assistant Professor of Bioastronautics Dr. Eliah Overbey.
UATX hosted the 1st Annual SOMA Astronaut Summit at our campus in downtown Austin on November 16, 2024. The first of its kind ever held in the U.S., the summit gathered participants of the Space Omics and Medical Atlas (SOMA), a collaborative initiative dedicated to standardizing biological metrics and advancing data sharing in astronaut health research. The event—a brainchild of Dr. Overbey—effectively announced UATX’s presence in the burgeoning Texas aerospace ecosystem.
Dr. Overbey conceived a program that connected astronauts from SpaceX and Blue Origin missions with the scientists and researchers that actively work on analyzing their health data. The summit featured a pop-up laboratory at which Dr. Overbey and her colleagues collected samples from the astronauts who had recently been in space. This lab was only a precursor to the permanent DNA and RNA sequencing facility that UATX will soon establish to launch its landmark bioastronautics initiative.
Also showcased during the summit were the Space Exploration and Research Agency’s (SERA) upcoming New Shepard mission, which aims to send individuals from countries that have yet to achieve human spaceflight, and a presentation by NASA’s Open Science Data Repository (OSDR).
UATX students played a significant role in the summit’s programming. Judah Levin moderated the panel “Earthbound to Starbound: Personal Journeys in the Decentralized Space Age,” which featured SpaceX Inspiration4 astronaut Dr. Sian Proctor and Blue Origin NS-21 astronaut Victor Hespanha. Eitan Zarin, Ramya Nambala, and Samuel Indyk wrote and delivered speeches for the Torchlight Awards, honoring individuals who have made notable contributions to human spaceflight and exploration through the free-market spaceflight sector. This year’s awards were presented to Sarah Gillis, Rob Ferl, and Jared Isaacman who, in addition to their astronautics accomplishments, are all participants in the SOMA initiative.
Jared Isaacman was recently nominated to be the next Administrator of NASA by incoming President Donald Trump. President-elect Trump stated, “Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era.”
Dr. Overbey observes that the shift from historical, one-off missions to sustainable, economically supported endeavors in the current era of space exploration presents a unique opportunity for UATX and its students. “The dawn of the commercial space era has expanded and decentralized access to frontiers beyond Earth, opening doors for private citizens worldwide to embark on journeys once reserved for a select few.”
See a full gallery of photos from the summit here.
Should a University Be an Open Society?
One UATX dean doubts it can be, let alone whether should be. But without some kind of confrontation, some insecurity, some danger in truth seeking, then why would we need to be fearless in our pursuit of it? So goes the argument for free speech absolutism. Listen as our professors debate the merits of a community where anything goes vs. one that is conserved in common trust.
Who’s Who of Education Leaders Found New Center at UATX
We’re honored to announce the Advisory Board for UATX’s Center for Education and Public Service (CEPS) Incubator. This distinguished group of education leaders, entrepreneurs, practitioners, and subject matter experts are indispensable to the development of the first school of education built for the decentralized future of education.
Our Advisory Board met for the first time on December 12. Erin Valdez, Executive Director of the CEPS Incubator, provided an update on the curriculum working groups, upcoming speaking engagements and conferences, the K12 network, and professional development events planned for 2025-26. Members provided feedback and recommendations for partnership opportunities. We are grateful for their support and wisdom.
Learn about the CEPS Incubator and meet our advisory board: CEPS at UATX
Congrats and kudos on your many successes this year, UATX team. Keep up the great work!
Creativity thrives at UATX!