Elizabeth City, N.C.—Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) will launch its spring Community Connections Performance and Lecture Series with “From the Gridiron to Galaxies,” a free lecture and performance featuring Dakotah Tyler, Ph.D.—a physics professor, astrophysicist and former Division I football player.
The event is Feb. 10 at the Khan Planetarium inside the Jimmy Jenkins Science Building. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the program begins at 6 p.m. The event invites students, families and community members to hear how resilience, reinvention and curiosity can transform life’s toughest setbacks into new purpose.
Tyler’s story begins far from telescopes.
“Growing up, all I wanted to do was play football,” Tyler said. “My entire life revolved around trying to get to the NFL. In college, I got seriously injured and I just couldn’t play anymore… I did not know what my purpose was outside of sports.
“That’s when I decided I was going to become an astrophysicist and study other galaxies, other planets, and build my identity around being curious,” he said.
Starting over wasn’t easy.
“I didn’t know any math. I had to start at zero and work my way up.”
From the ground up, that determination carried him to earning a doctorate in astrophysics and becoming a physics professor who now studies the mysteries of the universe.
Tyler’s journey captures the purpose of the Community Connections series, which is to connect the campus and community through speakers whose experiences inspire.
The event is free and open to the public. Registration is available at www.ecsu.edu/community-connections. For more information, contact ecsucommunityconnections@ecsu.edu.