Alumni-in-Residence: Capt. Zachary Carson : "Off the Flight Path: Embracing Turbulence and the Journey"
Thursday, October 1, 2026
12:00 p.m.
Allendale Campus
Alumni, Community, Faculty, Staff, Students
Captain Zachary C. Carson is an Aerospace Physiologist in the United States Air Force. He currently serves as the Aerospace Physiology Fellow at the USAF Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base. In this role, he focuses on identifying and solving complex human performance and human factors challenges across the Weapons School and broader aviation community, with a particular emphasis on optimizing fighter pilot performance in high-demand operational environments. Zach began his military career in the United States Navy as an Aviation Rescue Swimmer. Over six years of service, he logged more than 1,200 flight hours in the MH-60 helicopter and completed three deployments. After his naval service, Zach transitioned to academia. During his time at GVSU, he worked closely with faculty mentors Dr. Glass and Dr. Sherman, experiences that helped shape his path in human performance. He then returned to military service, accepting a commission as an officer in the USAF where applied his combined operational and physiological expertise across multiple assignments, including Vance Air Force Base, Shaw Air Force Base, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, before his selection to the Weapons School fellowship. Zach currently serves as President of the Aerospace Physiology Society and is a member of the Aerospace Medical Association. He is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Tactical Strength and Conditioning Facilitator (TSAC-F) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Outside of his professional work, Zach is committed to service and mentorship as a Character Does Matter Mentor with the Travis Manion Foundation and is an active member of the American Legion (Post #28).
OCTOBER 1, 2026
PERE MARQUETTE ROOM, 2204 KIRKHOF
Meet & Greet 12-1
pm
Talk 1-2 pm
Location Information
PERE MARQUETTE ROOM, 2204 KIRKHOF
Download parking map for the Allendale Campus
Contact Information
Ross Sherman
Movement Science - Exercise Science
Email:
[email protected]
Hosting Department, Organization, or Business
Movement Science
Tags
academic air alumni clas exercisescience exs presentation
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This event was added to the calendar by Kelli Nemetz (nemetzke@gvsu.edu) on Monday, September 21, 2026 and was last updated on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 9:06 a.m.
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