Young Alumni Achievement Award Biographies

Andrea Hanson, '02

Beyond the technological advancements necessary to support a human mission to Mars, considerations need to be given to the physical and mental well-being of the astronauts who will make the long trip to the red planet.

That’s where Andrea Hanson comes in. Dr. Hanson works at NASA’s Johnson Space Center where her expertise is determining the best ways for astronauts to stay fit in space, to optimize performance of mission critical tasks.

Up until a recent promotion, Hanson spent most of her time at NASA as part of the team implementing the exercise program for astronauts on the International Space Station. Astronauts go through a battery of strength and aerobic

capacity tests before flying to the ISS, are monitored while they exercise several hours a week on board, and then go through post-flight testing to see how their body reacted to being in orbit.

“After 50 years of human space flight experience, we understand the physiological adaptations the body experiences after two weeks to six months in space. They will experience muscle and bone loss, which is okay up to a point,” said Hanson. “What we are doing is protecting them for their return home. We need them to be healthy and functional and be able to help themselves in case of an anomalous landing. When astronauts return to Earth, we have a welcome wagon waiting in the fields of Kazakhstan to help them out of the space capsule.”

That need for healthy, strong astronauts is especially important for a future Mars mission, where there will be no one to assist the crew when they get to the surface.

In her new position as Manager for the Central Nervous System/Behavioral Medicine/Sensory Motor Portfolio, Hanson is even more involved in planning for a manned Mars mission. “It’s incredibly rewarding to know that you are helping to advance the capabilities of human space flight. I feel very privileged to be here and to contribute in the manner that I have.”

Hanson grew up in Lake Park, Minnesota, and studied chemical engineering at UND. “It was just a tremendous baseline to my professional career. I tell people all the time that rocket science is easy compared to the chemical engineering program. I am still very thankful for faculty members and classmates that were so incredibly supportive.”

She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega, the Society of Women Engineers, and the Student Alumni Association which, she says, kept her from locking herself away in a lab. Instead she found friends in these student organizations as well as a social activities and community connections.

Through a friend, Hanson also started working as a counselor at Space Camp® in Alabama during the summers, which influenced her decision to pursue a Master's degree and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering with an emphasis in Bioastronautics and Microgravity Sciences at the University of Colorado. After post-doc work at the University of Washington, Hanson landed her dream job with NASA.

Hanson says she’s looking forward to accepting her Young Alumni Achievement Award at Homecoming 2019. “I’m really thrilled and so honored to be receiving this award. Thank you to the University of North Dakota for setting me up for success and bringing me back ‘home’ to celebrate!”

Christina Sambor, '05

Christina Sambor firmly believes it’s up to each and every person to find a cause they care about and then become a part of a community that does something about it. Since 2015, Sambor, an attorney by trade, has been on the front lines of fighting human trafficking in North Dakota. She currently works for Youthworks, a nonprofit serving homeless, runaway, trafficked, and struggling youth across North Dakota, to develop and promote its human trafficking training and technical assistance program. She also works with Call to Freedom, a direct service agency in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and is assisting in the development and launch of the East River Human Trafficking Task Force in South Dakota.

Her passion for human rights was sparked while growing up in Bismarck, North Dakota. From watching her mother in her career as Director of Women’s Services at the Department of Corrections, she knew she wanted to make a difference in the world. “I think through observing my mom’s experience I saw that there are social and structural inequalities in our world that put people in a position that really marginalizes their potential. From that time, I learned the perspective that, with most people, there’s more than meets the eye. Many people are struggling with trauma, and that trauma brings about a lot of suffering for them,” she explained.

Sambor first began advocating for human trafficking victims during her time at Pepperdine University School of Law in 2007. She recalls that her passion was ignited while assisting a professor with a Law Review article intended to put human trafficking on the radar, as well as hosting conversations and presentations to educate fellow students. Feeling inspired, Sambor traveled to Thailand to work as a legal intern at Garden of Hope, an organization aimed at creating opportunities for women.

Upon returning to the U.S. and graduating from Pepperdine, Sambor worked for a Washington, D.C., organization fighting to eradicate modern day slavery. After moving back to North Dakota and working at a private law firm, she realized she did not feel the same passion she did when working in human rights and trafficking.

She was awarded a prestigious Bush Fellowship in 2014, and she used the Fellowship to gain experience and training to become a more effective leader in the fight against human trafficking. “When we first started doing the work in North Dakota, there weren’t really any organizations that were tracking human trafficking data, so really the first thing to do was find out how much trafficking was happening."

Sambor has worked with the Attorney General and U.S. senators on anti-trafficking policy. She also co-chaired the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking Commission, successfully lobbied for “Safe Harbor” legislation, and was critical in securing more than $4 million in funding from private, state and federal funders for direct services, law enforcement operations and public outreach.

She also co-founded a women’s leadership group in Bismarck to help guide young women to be their best self. “I tell young women that you need to be willing to take risks but to do so in a measured way. They need to have value in their identity beyond what they are going out on a limb for, but always being willing to put themselves out there.”

Sambor credits UND for providing her with friendships that have stood the test of time, through her sorority Delta Gamma. She is thankful for the many opportunities she has received throughout her life and feels fortunate to be able to do work and have relationships and partnerships with amazing people to make a positive difference in the world. ///