Victor Glover, the astronaut who piloted NASA’s Artemis II mission around the moon, is returning to Cal Poly in a full-time leadership role, decades after graduating from the university.
Cal Poly announced the hire Wednesday morning in an email and press release and said his position took effect Sept. 1.
Glover will work with President Jeffrey Armstrong, the provost and college deans to build partnerships and raise money in various STEM fields, the university wrote. He will also serve in “an ambassadorial role,” according to a university press release, representing the university and recruiting students into STEM.
On Glover’s personal X account he describes himself as an “Executive Advisor.” However, the university did not disclose his title or salary.
Dionna and I are excited to come back to San Luis Obispo, where we met 30 years go this month, and join the Mustang community. #CalPolyProud
— Victor Glover (@AstroVicGlover) September 9, 2026
The most meaningful moments of my NASA career were supporting astronauts and their families through missions, and mentoring interns and…
He spoke on campus in June at the “Mustangs To the Moon and Back” event, as well as surprising students with a speech at the Week of Wow last month. Â
READ MORE: Watch: Artemis II Astronaut Victor Glover surprises Cal Poly students at Spanos Stadium
“I feel like a lot of people can’t say that they have a NASA astronaut on the staff at their school,” said Sofia Yao, a biomedical engineering sophomore.
Yao said the hire may raise Cal Poly’s profile with employers.
“It’s great for engineering as a whole, and I’m definitely sure it’s great for the aerospace engineers who want to go to NASA,” they said.
Hudson Jones, a computer engineering senior, had not heard the news.
“I think the Artemis missions are pretty cool for taking modern science and applying it somewhere new, rather than just trying to iterate on something we already have,” Jones said.
Glover graduated in 1999 with a degree in general engineering as a dual-sport athlete. He flew F/A-18 planes in the Navy, logging more than 4,000 flight hours and 24 combat missions, before joining NASA in 2013. He spent 168 days aboard the International Space Station from Nov. 2020 through May 2021.
In April, he piloted Artemis II, the first crewed space flight beyond low Earth orbit since 1972.
Glover retired from the Navy this year and moved to NASA emeritus status. He is stepping down from active flight duty to become a volunteer consultant and mentor.
“My Learn by Doing experience at Cal Poly was the launchpad for my journeys around the world and the moon,” Glover said in the announcement. “Though I feel like I’ve never left, to be able to come back to this institution that has meant so much to me and to my family is a gift.”
His wife, Dionna, also graduated from Cal Poly. Their four daughters are students and recent graduates.
“Dionna and I are excited to come back to San Luis Obispo, where we met 30 years ago this month, and join the Mustang community,” he wrote Wednesday on X.