(Danville) — An alumni who has helped mankind see uncharted sections of the universe will lead Averett University’s spring 2024 commencement exercises.
Retired NASA pioneer Dr. Gregory Robinson will deliver the commencement address to over than 200 graduating students Saturday May 4 on Daly Field at Frank R. Campbell Stadium on Averett’s north campus.
Robinson led the NASA effort that built and installed the James Webb Space Telescope. Two years ago, it delivered the first full-color science images from the world’s most powerful space observatory. The telescope cut through cosmic dust clouds and captured images from some of the farthest objects in the known universe—up to 13.7 billion light-years away.
Robinson was the ninth of 11 children and was born to tobacco sharecroppers in Danville. He attended segregated schools until 1970, graduating from Dan River High School in 1978. Robinson went to Virginia Union on a football scholarship. He earned an MBA from Averett in 1993.
Robinson previously served as Deputy Center Director at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, as well as NASA’s Deputy Chief Engineer from 2005-2013. He also served as the acting National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service Deputy Assistant Administrator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where he led the acquisition and management of all NOAA satellite systems. Prior to Robinson’s reassignment to NASA Headquarters in 1999, he spent 11 years in various leadership positions at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
Robinson served as deputy director of NASA’s John Glenn Research Center, consisting of 3,200 employees, where the scope spanned research and technology, aeronautics, science spaceflight, and human spaceflight.
He served as NASA’s deputy chief engineer for several years where he led engineering and program and project management strategy, policy, implementation rigor, and performance management. He was involved with the last 21 shuttle launches after the Columbia Shuttle accident, as well as numerous satellite developments and launches.
Robinson worked at NASA for over thirty years before being named Director of the James Webb Space Telescope Program in 2020. He was also named one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people in 2022.
Averett will once again graduate a diverse class from a wide array of backgrounds and demographics. Students ranging in age from 19 to 66 will graduate from the University’s traditional programs and Averett Online this commencement. The graduating class of 2024 includes 14 veterans, as well as 19 international students from 11 countries including Argentina, The Bahamas, Belgium, Ethiopia, Finland, Germany, Mexico, Norway, Panama, Sweden and the United Kingdom.