Eileen Collins has already rocketed into space. Now she's reached another height, thanks to her alma mater.
The first female space shuttle pilot is among several people who are to receive the George Arents Pioneer Medal, the highest alumni award given by Syracuse University.Also to be honored Saturday are singer and actress Vanessa Williams, Hollywood agent Marshall Gelfand, and Ruth Colvin, the founder of Literacy Volunteers of America.
Collins, a 1978 graduate, piloted Discovery during a 1995 mission, the first flight in the joint Russian-American space program.