Col. Husband honored

His wife, Evelyn Husband, attens Top 'Dog Gala for special tribute

By Inga Lukaviciute

Col. Rick Husband, The commander of the space shuttle Columbia and a Fresno State graduate, was honored at the annual Top Dog Alumni Award Gala Thursday night at the Save Mart Center.

Evelyn Husband, the wife of Col. Rick Husband, accepted the 2002 College of Engineering and Computer Science Top Dog Alumnus award for her husband, who died in a space shuttle accident Feb. 1.

Evelyn Husband presented Fresno State with a special picture montage featuring a picture of Columbia crew. This picture was on a undeveloped roll of film found among the shuttle debris. Evelyn Husband signed the picture: “To Fresno State. May God bless you.”

A special tribute video was shown featuring Husband and the shuttle Columbia’s crew. Evelyn Husband reflected on Husband’s times at Fresno state in her acceptance speech.

“ The outstanding education he [Rick Husband] received here at Fresno State equipped him to be a national hero,” she said. “God equipped him to be our hero.”

Husband and his crew died Feb. 1 over the southern United States during the Shuttle Columbia’s re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, 16 minutes before landing.

Husband, who graduated from Fresno State in 1990 with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, was awarded the 2002 Top Dog Alumnus award. He was unable to receive the award that year because he was training to command the Columbia space mission that launched in January 2003.

“ It is very exciting to have Evelyn come back and receive the award for Rick Husband,” said Jacquelyn Glasener, the executive director of the Fresno State University Alumni Association.

Last year, Husband sent a video to the Top Dog Alumnus Award ceremony that offered to take a Fresno State souvenir into space as an expression of his appreciation for the education and opportunities he received at Fresno State.

Husband and wife Evelyn were planning to come to Fresno State in the spring, following his space mission to present University President John Welty a photo of himself wearing a red Fresno State sweatshirt in space. The Alumni Association had planned to present his 2002 Top Dog Award at that time.

Welty said he was honored Evelyn Husband came to the Top Dog Alumni Awards ceremony.

“ It is a great way for students to see and learn,” Welty said.

“ We are very proud of him [Husband] as our alumni. He is a great example to all of us,” said Peter Smits, vice president for university advancement, who went to watch the launch of the Columbia on behalf of Fresno State last January.

Born in 1957 in Amarillo, Texas, Husband attended Texas Tech University where he earned his bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering in 1980. He was a member of the Society of Experimental Test pilots, Tau Beta Pi, Airforce Association, and the Texas Tech Ex-Students Association.

Husband served as instructor pilot and academic instructor at various institutions as well as an exchange test pilot for the Royal Air Force in England. He logged more than 3,800 hours of flight time in more than 40 different types of aircraft.

In December 1994, NASA selected Husband as an astronaut candidate. He was a pilot in STS-96 Discovery, a 10-day mission to the space in 1999 where he logged more than 235 hours.

Husband was a commander for the STS-107 Columbia. It was a 16-day flight dedicated to science and research mission. His crew conducted about eight experiments.