The Space Materials Institute (SMI) at Alfred University will host a presentation, “What’s Happening at NASA?”, on Monday, April 20, from 4-5 p.m. in Room 357 of McMahon Engineering Building.
The program will be led by Holly Shulman ’87 (BS, ceramic engineering and chemistry), SMI director and president of Blue Star Advanced Manufacturing, a NASA contractor; and Matt Creedon ’84 (BS, ceramic science) ’96 PhD, research scientist at Alfred University and a materials science consultant.
Since 2017, the U.S. has prioritized a sustained human presence on the Moon—but the approach has changed. NASA is now relying on commercial partnerships, rapid development, and service-based models instead of building everything in-house. The Space Materials Institute is one such partner. Launched in 2024, SMI facilitates industry and agency projects with Alfred University that engage students in hands-on experiential learning opportunities, while allowing companies to develop and protect intellectual property.
Alfred University’s New York State College of Ceramics is a key provider of quality ceramic, glass and materials engineers to the advanced materials workforce pipeline. The Space Materials Institute is working with Alfred University’s Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology (CACT) to initiate and grow New York State capabilities in the space and aerospace sectors. Efforts at Alfred University with agencies and industry include projects with NASA, ARPA-E, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Army Research Laboratories (ARL), SpaceX, Blue Origin, Safran Aerosystems, Lockheed Martin, Washington Mills, Lithoz, and Blue Star Advanced Manufacturing.
From SMI’s invitation to the presentation: “The mission remains the same: establish a lasting lunar presence, prepare for Mars, and maintain U.S. leadership in space. What’s different is the speed and strategy—focusing on deploying real capabilities quickly. This shift is fueling the commercial space economy and creating new opportunities across engineering, science, business, communications, and design. Join us to learn what’s happening now—and what comes next.”
The presentation will be offered in-person and via Zoom. Please email [email protected] to request the Zoom link.
