Astronaut Victor Glover Retires From NASA, Heads to Cal Poly to Build the Next Generation of STEM Leaders

Victor Glover has had a career that most people can only dream about. In 2026, he flew on Artemis II, the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon in more than 50 years, and his crew set a record for the greatest distance humans have ever traveled from Earth at 252,756 miles. Now, after 13 years in NASA’s active astronaut corps, Glover is writing his next chapter. He’s moving into NASA’s astronaut emeritus program to mentor the agency’s workforce at Johnson Space Center, and taking on a full-time administrative leadership role at his alma mater, Cal Poly, effective September 1.

At Cal Poly, Glover will help shape long-term strategies in engineering, aerospace, AI, cybersecurity, and workforce development. The move puts him in a position to champion the next wave of STEM talent at a school known for its Learn by Doing philosophy. It’s a natural fit for someone who has spent his career building bridges between big missions and the people behind them.

What makes this story resonate is what Glover said about his time at NASA. The most meaningful moments, he shared, didn’t happen in space. They were about supporting astronauts and their families through missions and mentoring interns and new hires. It’s a reminder that the flashiest accomplishments aren’t always the ones that fill you up. Sometimes the real legacy is the people you lift along the way. What’s a career pivot you’ve been dreaming about?