James Reilly II, Distinguished Alum

James F. Reilly II graduates with a bachelor of science in geosciences. Reilly goes on to earn a master’s (1987) and PhD (1995) from UT Dallas. After his time on campus, Reilly would go on to explore the Hobbs Coast of West Antarctica, the deep ocean with the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution and U.S. Navy, and outer space as an astronaut for NASA. In 2018, Reilly is appointed director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).