KNXV
March 5, 2024
NASA's newest astronauts include two women with Arizona ties
Two University of Arizona alumnae, Christina Birch and Jessica Wittner, graduated from NASA astronaut training Tuesday at the Johnson Space Center. Birch, who graduated from the university in 2008 with a bachelor's in biochemistry and mathematics, is a track cyclist on the U.S. national team who grew up in Gilbert. She also holds a doctorate in biological engineering from MIT and has taught bioengineering at the University of California, Riverside, and scientific writing and communication at the California Institute of Technology. Wittner, who received a bachelor's in aerospace engineering from the university in 2009, is a lieutenant commander and test pilot in the U.S. Navy from Clovis, California.