First
African-American Woman Astronaut Mae Jemison To Speak
at Wellesley College
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 27, 2007 |
WELLESLEY,
Mass. – Mae C. Jemison, right, blasted into orbit aboard
the space shuttle Endeavour on Sept. 12, 1992, the first woman
of color
to
go into space. This historic event was
one of a series of accomplishments for this dynamic African-American
woman. Now she is coming to Wellesley
College to inspire others with her story on Saturday, March 3,
at 3 pm in Tishman Commons, Wang Campus Center, on the Wellesley,
Mass., campus.
Dr.
Jemison's lecture, "Becoming Who You Intend To Be," is sponsored
by a student organization, the Hippocratic Society, which is marking
its second annual Celebration of Women in Medicine
and Public Health.
At the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Dr. Jemison
was science mission specialist (a NASA first) on the STS-47 Space lab
J flight, a U.S./Japan joint mission. She conducted experiments in life
sciences and material sciences and was co-investigator in the Bone Cell
Research experiment.
Chemical engineer, scientist, physician, teacher and astronaut, she has
a wide range of experience in technology, engineering and medical research.
In addition to her extensive background in science, she is well-versed
in African and African-American Studies and is trained in dance and choreography.
Prior to joining NASA in 1987, she worked as a general practitioner in
Los Angeles with the INA/Ross Loos Medical Group. She then spent two
and a half years (1983-85) as an area Peace Corps medical officer for
Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa. Returning to Los Angeles, she
resumed her medical practice, working with CIGNA Health Plans of California.
Dr. Jemison is committed to ensuring that science and technology fields
represent the full spectrum of gender, ethnic and social diversity; she
has encouraged all people, especially women and minorities, to pursue
careers in science and any other fields of their choice. She is the founder
and president of two technology companies.
Born in Decatur, Ala., and raised in Chicago, she entered Stanford University
at the age of 16 on a scholarship, graduating with a B.S. in chemical
engineering and fulfilled the requirements for an A.B. degree in African
and Afro-American studies. She earned her doctorate in medicine at Cornell
University Medical College. She is a member of the National Academy of
Sciences' Institute of Medicine, founder and chair of the Dorothy Jemison
Foundation for Excellence, the A. White Professor-at-Large at Cornell
University, a member of the board of directors for Scholastic Inc. and
Valspar Corp., a member of the National Medical Association Hall of Fame,
a United Nations committee member and more.
The event is co-sponsored by Wellesley's Astronomy Club, Africana Studies
and Biology Departments, as well as numerous other departments, clubs
and groups. For more information, contact Garen Wolff at gwolff@wellesley.edu.
Since 1875, Wellesley College has been a leader in providing an excellent
liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world.
Its 500-acre campus near Boston is home to 2,300 undergraduate students
from all 50 states and 68 countries. For more information, go to www.wellesley.edu.
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