ASTRONAUT TO SPEAK AT HOMETOWN SCHOOL
 Astronaut and former NASA Langley Research Center
employee
Leland Melvin is going back home to Lynchburg, Va., to speak to
students at Perrymont Elementary School. As part of NASA's mission
to inspire the next generation of explorers, Melvin is visiting the
students of his former elementary school to encourage them to be
successful in taking Standards of Learning (SOL) tests and share
his experiences as an astronaut.
Media Opportunity: Media are invited to attend
the talk by Astronaut Melvin at 2:15 p.m. Friday, May 30, at
Perrymont Elementary School, 409 Perrymont Avenue, Lynchburg, Va.
Please contact Kimberly Land at (757) 864-9885 or 344-8611 (mobile)
for details.
Melvin will talk to students, pre-school to fifth grade, about
the importance of working hard when pursuing life-long goals. "It's
imperative that we not only support a local hero, but also expose
students to a former Perrymont graduate who has made a significant
difference in the lives of others," says Jason Mack, assistant
principal at Perrymont elementary school.
During a two-day visit in the Hill City, Melvin will be formally
inducted into the Lynchburg Area Sports Hall of Fame and recognized
at a dinner banquet at the Oakwood Country Club, hosted by the
Lynchburg Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In 1989, Melvin began working in the Fiber Optic Sensors group
at NASA Langley Research Center. He researched physical
measurements for the development of advanced instrumentation for
nondestructive evaluation (NDE). He also used optical fiber sensors
to measure strain, temperature, and chemical damage in composite
and metallic structures.
In June 1998, Melvin was selected by NASA for the astronaut
corps and he reported for training in August of that year.
Initially assigned to the Astronaut Office Space Station Operations
Branch, Melvin now works in the Education Department at NASA
Headquarters, Washington, D.C. He still serves in technical
tasks, awaiting his assigned space flight mission.
His awards and accomplishments include eight NASA Outstanding
Performance Awards, two NASA Superior Accomplishment Awards, NCAA
Division I Academic All American, University of Richmond Athletic
Hall of Fame Inductee and recipient of the Key to the City of
Lynchburg, Va.
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