The International Space University - USA Alumni Association’s Washington, DC Chapter is pleased to present our next monthly event! These events bring together prominent experts on space, ISU alumni, the space community, and the interested public in a casual forum that encourages interaction and discussion.
Date: Monday, September 29th 2025
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00 pm
Venue: 1020 N Highland St, Arlington VA 22201 (Phoenix Clubhouse Room)
Dial 0001 on the call box and the concierge will let you in. Take the elevator to the clubhouse room on the second floor.
Dr. Kirby Runyon holds a PhD in planetary geology from Johns Hopkins University and works as a research scientist for the Planetary Science Institute (psi.edu). He is currently geologically mapping large impact basins on the Moon and studying impact cratering processes via experiments done in reduced-gravity parabolic flight. Previously, he worked at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) where he co-led the In Situ Resource Utilization focus group of NASA's Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium. He is also on the geology team for NASA's New Horizons mission that flew by the planet Pluto in 2015 and the Kuiper Belt Object Arrokoth in 2019. On the side, he runs Planetary Experience Consulting LLC (planex.space), where he consults for aerospace companies, coaches flyers with the Zero Gravity Corporation, leads planetary geology analog astronaut tours to New Mexico, speaks on space exploration and science and faith, and is writing a popular-level book, "How to Vacation in Space Without Leaving Earth." He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and his cat, Nixie, named after Pluto's moon, Nix.
