University of Richmond Athletics
Leland Melvin & Mary Sue Terry Earned First-Ever Spider Athletics Alumni Achievement Awards Saturday
02/11/2019 | Spider Athletic Fund, Spider Leadership
RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond athletic department and the Spider Leadership Initiative hosted the first-ever Spider Athletics Alumni Achievement award Saturday afternoon, honoring two very distinguished Spider alums in Leland Melvin R '86 and Mary Sue Terry W '69 at the Jepson Alumni Center. Melvin and Terry were also honored at the men's basketball game Saturday during a special halftime ceremony.
The Spider Athletics Alumni Achievement Award is awarded to one male student-athlete alumnus and one female student-athlete alumna that have earned distinction in their professional careers. The award recognizes alumni for their leadership aptitude and contributions to their professions, while upholding the highest values of Spider Athletics. The recipients of this award represent the very best of our alumni and become role models for current Spider student-athletes. The two recipients had a chance to interact and discuss leadership topics with current Spider student-athletes at the event.
Melvin was a wide receiver on the football team and a chemistry major at Richmond. He starred on the field in college and in the pros, making his way into the National Football League. His accolades became even more impressive after his playing career though as he worked his way into a career at NASA.
Melvin began his work in Nondestructive Evaluation Sciences at NASA and quickly worked his way up the ladder and was selected as an astronaut in 1998. He flew two missions on the Space Shuttle Atlantis, logging over 565 hours in space. He is the only person in history to catch a pass in the NFL and in space.
Melvin continued to make an impact after his space missions, spreading his knowledge and experience through his role as the associate administrator for the Office of Education. His work and innovation have been pivotal for NASA's education programs. Although he retired from NASA in 2014, Melvin is currently the President of Spaceship Earth Grants, a public corporation who mission is to make space more accessible.
Terry played basketball, field hockey and lacrosse at Richmond during her time at Westhampton before graduating with a degree in political science. She went on to earn her Master's degree in government law and a law degree from the University of Virginia. She found success early in her career as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the assistant Commonwealth's Attorney.
Terry's relentless dedication to serving the public allowed her to make history in 1985 as she became the first woman elected to statewide office in Virginia as Attorney General.
In addition to her success, Terry always gave back to those around her. To ensure women continued to have a place in government positions, Terry was one of the founders of The Farm Team, to "help Democratic women seek elected office." She was energized by the opportunity to uplift women and push for more representation within government positions. She also served on the University of Richmond's Board of Trustees and was a visiting professor in Richmond's Jepson School of Leadership.
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The Spider Athletics Alumni Achievement Award is awarded to one male student-athlete alumnus and one female student-athlete alumna that have earned distinction in their professional careers. The award recognizes alumni for their leadership aptitude and contributions to their professions, while upholding the highest values of Spider Athletics. The recipients of this award represent the very best of our alumni and become role models for current Spider student-athletes. The two recipients had a chance to interact and discuss leadership topics with current Spider student-athletes at the event.
Melvin was a wide receiver on the football team and a chemistry major at Richmond. He starred on the field in college and in the pros, making his way into the National Football League. His accolades became even more impressive after his playing career though as he worked his way into a career at NASA.
Melvin began his work in Nondestructive Evaluation Sciences at NASA and quickly worked his way up the ladder and was selected as an astronaut in 1998. He flew two missions on the Space Shuttle Atlantis, logging over 565 hours in space. He is the only person in history to catch a pass in the NFL and in space.
Melvin continued to make an impact after his space missions, spreading his knowledge and experience through his role as the associate administrator for the Office of Education. His work and innovation have been pivotal for NASA's education programs. Although he retired from NASA in 2014, Melvin is currently the President of Spaceship Earth Grants, a public corporation who mission is to make space more accessible.
Terry played basketball, field hockey and lacrosse at Richmond during her time at Westhampton before graduating with a degree in political science. She went on to earn her Master's degree in government law and a law degree from the University of Virginia. She found success early in her career as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the assistant Commonwealth's Attorney.
Terry's relentless dedication to serving the public allowed her to make history in 1985 as she became the first woman elected to statewide office in Virginia as Attorney General.
In addition to her success, Terry always gave back to those around her. To ensure women continued to have a place in government positions, Terry was one of the founders of The Farm Team, to "help Democratic women seek elected office." She was energized by the opportunity to uplift women and push for more representation within government positions. She also served on the University of Richmond's Board of Trustees and was a visiting professor in Richmond's Jepson School of Leadership.
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