CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign aerospace engineering alumnus, U.S. Space Force colonel and retired astronaut Mike Hopkins will return to campus to serve as the grand marshal of the U. of I. Homecoming parade Friday, Oct. 2. Hopkins, who served as captain of the Fighting Illini football team in 1991, will also attend the game against Purdue on Saturday, Oct. 3.
The Homecoming parade begins at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, at the corner of Fourth Street and Kirby Avenue, heading west on Gregory Drive and turning south on First Street. A party, featuring food, music and fireworks, will take place in Lot 31 immediately following the parade.
“The U. of I. gave me opportunities that changed my life and helped launch a journey that took me from Champaign-Urbana to space,” said Hopkins. “It is a privilege to come home and serve as grand marshal for the 2026 Homecoming Parade.”
Hopkins visits the campus regularly, sharing his time with both the Illinois athletic association and the Department of Aerospace Engineering, where he serves on the alumni board and as a guest speaker in aerospace classes.
In 2009, Hopkins was selected as a member of the NASA Astronaut Group 20. He made his first spaceflight as a flight engineer on Soyuz TMA-10M from September 2013 to March 2014. He was a commander on the Crew-1 SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience, which launched on Nov. 15, 2020. He was also a flight engineer on the International Space Station for Expedition 64/65 and is the first astronaut to transfer to the U.S. Space Force.
He served 30 years in the military, including several international assignments. He worked as an exchange officer with the Canadian Flight Test Center and spent six months in language training at the Defense Language Institute in California. He also studied political science at the Università degli Studi di Parma.
In 2005, Hopkins was assigned to the U.S. Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office at the Pentagon, where he served as a project engineer and program manager. He was selected as a special assistant to the vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2008.
Hopkins was named a Distinguished Graduate of the Reserve Officers Training Corps while a student at Illinois. He was also a Distinguished Graduate and the top flight test engineer in Class 96B of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base. Other medals include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Aerial Achievement Medal, two Air Force Commendation Medals and four Air Force Achievement Medals.
Homecoming Week at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is Sept. 27-Oct. 3, kicking off at 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, with the Illinois Homecoming run. Also at 10 a.m., the Illinois Alumni Association hosts the annual Alumni Center Fountain dyeing and pancake breakfast.
Events for students and the community throughout the week include a party on the Main Quad on Mon., Sept. 28, and a global talent show at Foellinger Auditorium on Tues., Sept. 29. Performances by the Lyric Theatre@Illinois and a celebration in downtown Champaign are also on the schedule.
View the full list of events, more details and visitor guides on the Homecoming 2026 website.
