Former astronaut Colonel Rick Searfoss to speak at BYU Sept. 30 - BYU News Skip to main content
Intellect

Former astronaut Colonel Rick Searfoss to speak at BYU Sept. 30

Former astronaut Colonel Rick Searfoss will present a lecture titled “Apogee!—Teamwork on the Final Frontier” Friday, Sept. 30, at 2 p.m. in 151 Tanner Building at Brigham Young University.

Admission is free and the public is welcome.

Searfoss will speak on teamwork, leadership and personal excellence as well as launch a National Eagle Scouting Association chapter on campus.

He piloted two space shuttle missions and commanded a third, completing more than 900 hours in space and 5400 hours flying time in 61 different types of aircraft.

Searfoss received a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the U. S. Air Force Academy, where he graduated first in his class. He then received a master’s degree in aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology on a National Science Foundation Fellowship.

While at the Air Force Academy in 1976, Searfoss was introduced to the missionaries, took the discussions and was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Searfoss serves as a member of the Association of Space Explorers, the National Eagle Scout Association, the Air Force Association and the Academy of Model Aeronautics.

The Scouting Education program of the Department of Recreation Management and Youth Leadership is sponsoring this event. Students, faculty and community members are invited to attend. For more information, please contact Brad Harris at (801) 422-3698.

Writer: Angela Fischer

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Geology meets history: BYU professor studies WWII shrapnel on Normandy beaches

June 05, 2025
Eighty years after D-Day, BYU geologists uncover lingering WWII shrapnel on Normandy beaches to study how history still shapes the coastline today.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Forum: Lessons from Noise: Crackle to Calm

June 03, 2025
This year’s Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, Kent Gee, delivered his forum address on the science of sound and how he and BYU students have contributed to significant research in the acoustics industry.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

BYU study finds the real reasons why some people choose not to use artificial intelligence

June 03, 2025
In a recent study, BYU professors Jacob Steffen and Taylor Wells explored why some people are still reluctant to use GenAI tools. While some people might worry about an AI apocalypse, Steffen and Wells found that most non-users are more concerned with issues like trusting the results, missing the human touch or feeling unsure if GenAI is ethical to use.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=