Astronaut Gregory Harbaugh will bring his off-planet experiences down to earth tonight at 7 p.m. in the 11th floor reading room at William Oxley Thompson Library.

Harbaugh is the keynote speaker for an event designed to portray fraternities as a place where values can be nurtured.
His presentation will contain “good and bad stories” from his life, as well as photographs taken in outer space, he said.

He has logged a total of 818 hours in space, including 18 hours and 29 minutes performing spacewalks to repair and improve space telescopes and stations. When compared to his 14,000 miles of space travel, one might be surprised by one of his most prized achievements.

“I’ve met presidents and traveled the world a fair amount,” Harbaugh said, “but I am exceptionally proud of being elected the president of my Sigma Chi chapter house.

“It showed the confidence the members had in me as a leader,” he said. “I would not have accomplished as much as I have in my life if not for the experiences there.”

Harbaugh was asked to speak at Ohio State by a fellow alumnus and current Sigma Chi members. An undergraduate at Purdue University, he was raised in Cleveland and is an admirer of OSU.

“We invited Mr. Harbaugh to present here because he is motivated and has excelled in life after graduating from Purdue,” said Taif Makhdomi, the recruitment chairman of the Alpha Gamma chapter of Sigma Chi. “He represents our values and is an example for our members.”

Sigma Chi, a fraternity known for its sand volleyball court and weekend activities, hopes to show that there is more to Greek life than its social aspect.

“If the fraternity paradigm has shifted away from the ‘Animal House’ concept to one that is leadership and value based,” Harbaugh said, “there is enormous good we can do.”

To help alleviate the “Animal House” conception, Harbaugh began a new endeavor as president of the Sigma Chi Foundation. The foundation provides scholarships and leadership opportunities for young men who aspire to be leaders.

While Harbaugh strives to help others meet reputable goals, he is still searching for his next goal.

“My days of trying to do an Ironman competition are just about over, I think, but I will find something else to do,” he said.