Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Names UCF Senior as Recipient

For the second consecutive year, UCF student Richard Murdock was chosen as a recipient of a $10,000 scholarship from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

Murdock, a senior mechanical engineering major and student in The Burnett Honors College, will be presented a check during Saturday’s home football game between UCF and Tulane. The foundation provides the scholarships with the goal of helping the United States retain its world leadership in science and technology.

Murdock hopes to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering as he continues the family tradition of excelling at UCF. His brother, Heardley, graduated last year with a bachelor’s degree in molecular biology and microbiology.

Also as part of the scholarship presentation will be former astronaut Robert Cabana, who is the director of Kennedy Space Center. Cabana has flown four space shuttle missions, including as commander of the Endeavour on the first space station assembly mission in 1998. Before coming to KSC, he was director of NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

Both Murdock and Cabana will be watching the game from the president’s box at Bright House Networks Stadium.

The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation has awarded about $3.8 million to deserving students around the nation since 1984.