N.C. A&T Honors NASA Astronaut and Physicist McNair ‘71 with Fair, Luncheon

EAST GREENSBORO, N.C. (Jan. 22, 2025) – North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University alumnus, astronaut and physicist Ronald E. McNair ‘71, Ph.D., will be honored during the annual Ronald E. McNair Commemorative Luncheon Celebration, Tuesday, Jan. 28, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The celebration includes the Ronald E. McNair Symposium and Graduate Fair, Friday, Jan. 24, through Sunday, Jan. 26.

This year’s celebration, “Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Ronald E. McNair: Shaping Tomorrow with Precision, Performance and Persistence,” will focus on McNair’s enduring legacy impacting the future through pointed ongoing excellence and presentation.

While not open to the public, the research symposium will provide a platform for undergraduate and graduate students to present their research through posters and oral presentations. The three-day event will also include an opening keynote address, a networking panel discussion and opportunities, the historic Ronald McNair Exhibit Tour and campus tours.

Speakers for the symposium include keynote Justin Grimes Ph.D.; and networking panel participants Quincy Dinnerson, DSW, Richelle Dasouza, Ph.D. and Victoria Revele.

Additionally, the symposium will feature a graduate fair with more than 50 guest universities including Appalachian State University, Campbell University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, East Carolina University, New York Film Academy, The University of Notre Dame Graduate School, University of Pittsburgh Graduate and Professional School Student Recruitment, University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce, Wake Forest University Biomedical Graduate Programs, Wake Forest School of Business and others listed online.

The commemorative luncheon will be Tuesday, Jan. 28, in the Deese Ballroom at the Student Center on campus. Chancellor James R. Martin II, Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan, several TRiO McNair Scholars, students and leaders also are scheduled to speak during the program, which will feature the Army ROTC and North Carolina A&T Gospel Choir.

Brandon Sells ‘15, Ph.D., who graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in mechanical engineering-aerospace concentration, will be the luncheon guest speaker. He joined NASA in 2023 as an aerospace engineer working in the Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch. He contributes to ongoing efforts to (re)define aeronautics technologies, evolutionary concepts, concepts of operations, and transportation paradigms with the Intercenter Systems Analysis Team.

While at A&T and later at Purdue University, where he earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in aeronautics and astronautics, Sells centered his aeronautics research around developing system models, analyses, and decision-support tools to advance aviation and improve transportation for all communities.

Outside of NASA, Sells holds membership in both the National Society of Black Engineers and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, is an aspiring private pilot and enjoys mentoring aspiring engineers, technologists and creatives.

A march to the McNair bust directly in front of the McNair Engineering Building will follow the luncheon.