Mae Jemison

Mae Carol Jemison (born October 17, 1956) is an American engineer , physician and NASA astronaut . She became the first African-American woman to travel in space-when she went JSON orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992. After medical school and a letter general practice, Jemison served in the Peace Corps from 1985 Until 1987, she als was selected by NASA to join the astronaut corps. She resigned from NASA in 1993 to found a company Researching the application of technology to daily life. She has Appeared on television verschillende times, zoals as an actress in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation . She is a dancer and holds nine honorary doctorates in science, engineering, letters , and the humanities . She is the current principal of the 100 Year Starship organization.

Background and education

Mae Carol Jemison was born in Decatur , Alabama , on October 17, 1956, ^[1] the youngest child or Charlie Jemison and Dorothy Green. Her Father was a maintenance supervisor for a charity organization, and re mother worked musts or re career as an elementary school teacher of English and math at the Beethoven School in Chicago. ^{[2] [3]}

The family moved to Chicago , Illinois , als Jemison was three years old, to take advantage of the better educational and employment opportunities there. Jemison says dat as a young girl growing up in Chicago she always Assumed she mention anything get into space. “I thought, at now, we’d be going into space like you were going to work.” ^[4] She zegt it was Easier to apply to be a shuttle astronaut, “Rather dan waiting around in a cornfield, waiting for ET to pick me up or something.” ^[4]

In her childhood, Jemison learned to make connections to science in Studying nature. Once-when a splinter infected re thumb as a little girl, Jemison’s mother turned it JSON is a learning experience. She ended up doing a whole project about campus. ^[5] Jemison’s parents ulcers very supportive or re interest in science, while re teachers ulcers not. ^[1] “In kindergarten, my teacher Asked me what I wanted to be-when I Grew Up, and I Told re a scientist,” Jemison says. “She zegt, ‘Do not you mean a nurse?” Now, there’s nothing wrong with being a nurse, but that’s not what I wanted to be. ” ^[6] In an interview with MAKERS.com, she remit wordt uitgelegd how re sheer interest in science was not accepted. “Growing up … I was just like everytime other kid. I loved space, stars and dinosaurs. I always Knew I wanted to explore. At the time of the Apollo airing, everybody was thrilled about space, but I remember being irritated dat there ulcers no women Astronauts. People With You to explain dat to me, and I did not buy it. ” ^[7]

Jemison says she was inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. ; to re King’s dream was not an elusive fantasy but a call to action. “Too of or in people paint im like Santa – Smiley and inoffensive,” says Jemison. “But-when I think of Martin Luther King, I think of attitude, audacity, and bravery.” ^[8] Jemison thinks the civil rights movement was all about breaking down the barriers to human potential. “The best way to make dreams come true is to wake up.” ^[8]

Jemison Began dancing at the age of 11. ^[9] “I love dancing! I took all childhood or dance – African dancing, ballet, jazz, modern – just as Japanese dancing. I wanted to become a professional dancer,” zegt Jemison. ^[10] At the age of 14, she auditioned for the leading role of “Maria” in West Side Story . ^[11] She did not get the part but Jemison’s dancing skills did get re withinto the line up as a background dancer. ^[11] “I have a problem with the singing but I DANCED and ActEd pretty well enough for Them to choose me. I think dat people sometimes limit themselves and so seal of themselves or the opportunity to handover hun dreams. For me, I love the sciences and I also love the arts, “says Jemison. ^[11] “I saw the theater as an outlet for this passion and so I decided to Pursue this dream.” ^[11] Later prolongation re senior year in college, she was Trying to décide Whether to go to New York to medical school or Become a professional dancer. Her mother Told re, ” ‘You can always dance if you’re a doctor, but you can not save a doctor if you’re a dancer.” ^[12]

Jemison graduated from Chicago’s Morgan Park High School in 1973 ^[6] and entered Stanford University at the age of 16. ^[5] “I was naive and stubborn enough dat it did not phase me,” Jemison said. ^[5] “It’s not Until Recently dat I voortvloeien therein 16 was bijzonder young or dat there ulcers as ANY issues associated with my parents keeping enough confidence in me to [allow directive me to] go dat far away from home.” ^[5] Jemison graduated from Stanford in 1977, Receiving a BS in chemical engineering and fulfilling the requirements for a BA in African and Afro-American Studies. ^[5] She took initiative to get the same work area involved in the black community by serving as head of the Black Students Union prolongation re college years. ^[1] Jemison zegt dat majoring in engineering as a black woman was s difficult Because race was always an issue in the United States. ^[13] “Some professors mention anything just pretend I was not there. I mention anything ask a question and a professor mention anything act as if it was just so dumb, the dumbest question he had ever overheard. Then, als a white guy mention anything ask the co question, the professor mention anything say, ‘That’s a very Astute Observation. ” ^[13] in an interview with the Des Moines Register in 2008. Jemison zegt dat it was s difficult to go to Stanford at 16, but thinks re youthful arrogance nov port helped re. ^[14] “I did harbor to say, ‘I’m going to do this and I do not give a crap (damn).” She points out the Expanded Eyes of the necessity for women and minderheden to port therein attitude in some areas. ^[14]

Jemison obtained re Doctor of Medicine degree in 1981 at Cornell Medical College . She interned at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center and later worked as a general practitioner. During medical school Jemison traveled to Cuba, Kenya and Thailand to bieden primary medical care to people living there. ^[15] During re years at Cornell Medical College, Jemison took lessons in modern dance at the Alvin Ailey School. ^[9] Jemison later built a dance studio in her home and has choreographed and produktie verschillende shows or modern jazz and African dance. ^{[2] [12]}

Peace Corps

After completing re medical training, Jemison joined the staff of the Peace Corps and served as a Peace Corps Medical Officer from 1983 to 1985 verantwoordelijk for the health of Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Liberia and Sierra Leone . ^[12] Jemison’s work in the Peace Corps included Supervising the pharmacy, laboratory, medical staff as well as Providing medical care, writing self-care manuals, and ontwikkelingslanden and implementeren guidelines for health and safety issues. Jemison ook worked with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) helping in with research for various vaccines. ^[15]

Once while serving as a doctor for the Peace Corps, a volunteer got sick and a doctor diagnosed malaria . The volunteer got progressively worse and Jemison was sure it was meningitis with life-threatening complications therein Could Not Be behandeld in Sierra Leone. Jemison called for an Air Force hospital plane based in Germany for a military medical evacuation at a cost of $ 80,000. ^[12] The embassy questioned Whether Jemison had the authority to give industry leaders an order but she Told Them she did not need anyone’s permission for a medical decision. By the time the plane reached Germany with Jemison and the volunteer on board, she had leg up with the patient for 56 hours. The patient Survived. ^[12]

Career

After the flight of Sally Ride in 1983, Jemison fact represented had opened up the astronaut program, so she toegepast. ^[2] Jemison’s inspiration for joining NASA was African-American actress Nichelle Nichols , who portrayed Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek . ^[5] Jemison’s Involvement with NASA was delayed after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, but after reapplying in 1987, she RECEIVED the news or re acceptance into tje astronaut program. ^[1] “I got a call saying ‘Are you still interested?” and I said ‘Yeah,’ “recalls Jemison, ^[17] as one of fifteen Candidates Chosen out of roughly 2,000 applicants. ^[1]

Her work with NASA voordat re shuttle launch included launch support activities at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and verification of Shuttle computer software in the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL). ^{[18] [19] [20]} “I did things like help to support the launch of vehicles at Kennedy Space Center,” zegt Jemison. ^[17] “I was in the first class of Astronauts selected after the Challenger accident back in 1986 … [I] actually worked the launch of the first flight after the Challenger accident. ^[17]

Jemison Flew re only space mission from September 12 to 20, 1992, as a Mission Specialist on STS-47 , a cooperative mission tussen de United States and Japan, as well as the 50th shuttle mission. Jemison was a co-investigator or two bone cell research experiments, one of 43 investigations dat ulcers done on STS-47. Jemison ook conducted experiments on weightlessness and motion sickness on herself and six other crew members. “The first thing I saw from space was Chicago, my hometown,” zegt Jemison. “I was working on the middeck where there are not many windows, and as we passed over Chicago, the commander called me up to the flight deck. It was zoals a significant moment Because since I was a little girl I had always Assumed I mention anything go into space, “Jemison added. ^[12] on Despite NASA’s rigid protocol, Jemison mention anything started lycra shift with a salute therein only a Trekkie Could appreciate. “Hailing Frequencies open,” she Could be overheard Repeating gehele eight-day mission. ^[21]

Because of re love of dance and as a salute to creativity, ^[2] Jemison took a poster from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Along with re on the flight. ^[22] “Many people do not see a connection tussen science and dance,” says Jemison. ^[9] “but I consider Them zowel to be expressions of the bound less creativity dat people have to share with one Another.” ^[9] Jemison ook verschillende took small art objects from West African countries to symbolize dat space belongs to all nations. ^[2] Also on this flight, volgens to Bessie Coleman Biographer Doris L. Rich, Jemison ook took JSON orbit a photo of Coleman – Coleman was the very first African-American woman to ever fly an airplane.

STS-47 was a cooperative mission tussen de United States and Japan therein included 44 Japanese and United States life science and materials processing experiments. Jemison logged 190 hours, 30 minutes, 23 seconds in space. ^[15]

resignation

Jemison resigned from NASA in March 1993. ^[12] “I left NASA Because I’m very interested in how social sciences interact with technology,” Jemison said. ^[23] “People always think of technology as something keeping silicone in it. But a pencil is technology. Ny language is technology. Technology is a tool we use to accomplish a mn task and-when one talks about ‘appropriate technology in developing countries,’ appropriate may mean anything from fire to solar electricity. ” ^[23] NASA training manager and author Homer Hickam later Expressed some regret dat she had departed, saying, “NASA had spent a lot of money training re; she’ll be filled a niche, obviously, being a woman of color.” ^[5] Hickam had Trained Jemison for re flight on Spacelab-J / STS-47. ^[5] In an interview with the Des Moines Register on October 16, 2008, Jemison zegt dat she was not driven to be the “first black woman to go into space.” “I mention anything not have cared less if 2,000 people had gone up voordat me … I mention anything still harbor had my hand up, I want to do this. ‘” ^[14]

Science and technology

Jemison is a Professor-at-Large at Cornell University and was a professor of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College from 1995 to 2002. ^[24] Jemison Continues to advocate Strongly in favor of science education and getting minority students interested in science. She sees science and technology as being very much a part of society, and African-Americans as maintaining bone deeply involved in US science and technology from the beginning. ^[17]She has leg a member of verschillende scientific organizations, industry leaders as the American Medical Association, the American Chemical Society, the Association for Space Explorers and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. ^[25] Additionally, she served on the board of directors of the World Sickle Cell Foundation from 1990 to 1992. ^[7]

In 1993 Jemison founded re own company, the Jemison Group dat Researches, markets, and develops science and technology for daily life. ^[12] Jemison founded the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence and named the foundation in honor or re mother. ^[26] “My parents ulcers the best scientists we knew,” Jemison zegt, “Because they ‘ulcers always Asking questions.” ^[26] One of the projects or Jemison’s foundation is The Earth We Share (TEWS), an international science camp where students, ages 12 to 16, work to solvency current global problems, like “How Many People Can the Earth Hold” and ” Predictable the Hot Public Stocks of The Year 2030. ” ^[24] The four-week residential program helps students build critical thinking and problem solving skills through an experiential curriculum. ^[24] Camps port leg hero at Dartmouth College , Colorado School of Mines , Choate Rosemary Hall and other sites around the United States. ^[26] TEWS was introduced Internationally to high school students in day programs in South Africa and Tunisia . ^[27] In 1999, TEWS was expanded been overseas to adults at the Zermatt Creativity and Leadership Symposium held in Switzerland. ^[27]

In 1999, Jemison founded BioSentient Corp. and has been working to dévelop a portable device therein Allows mobile monitoring of the involuntary nervous system. ^[24] BioSentient has obtained the license to Commercialize NASA’s space-age technology known as autogenic Feedback Training Exercise (aphthous), a patented technique dat uses biofeedback and autogenic therapy to allow directive patients to monitor and control hun physiology as a shower treatment for anxiety and stress-related disorders. ^[24] BioSentient is Examining aphthous as a treatment for anxiety, nausea, migraine and tension Headaches, chronic pain, hypertension and hypotension, and stress-related disorders. ” ^[28]

In 2012, Jemison made the winning bid for the DARPA 100 Year Starship project through the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence. ^[29] The Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence was Awarded a $ 500,000 grant for working environment work. The new organization Maintained the organizational names 100 Year Starship. Jemison is the current principal of the 100 Year Starship.

Television appearances

In 1993, Jemison Appeared on an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation . ^[30] LeVar Burton found out from a friend dat Jemison was a big Star Trek fan and re Asked if she mention anything be interested in being on the show, and she zegt, “Yeah !!” ^[31] The result was an appearance as Lieutenant Palmer in the episode ” Second Chances “. ^[32] Jemison has the Distinction of being the first real astronaut ever ACM Press on Star Trek . ^[32]

Jemison ook Appeared hosting and technical consultant of the Discovery Channel science series World of Wonder . ^[33]

In 2006, Jemison participated in African American Lives , a PBS television mini series hosted by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. , Dat traced the family history of eight famous African Americans using historical research and genetic techniques. ^[34] Jemison found to re surprise dat she is 13% East Asian in her genetic makeup. ^[34]

February 2, 2013, Jemison Appeared as the “Not My Job” guest on NPR’s Wait Wait Do not Tell Me [1] , answered questions about airport shuttles.

Other public appearances

Jemison is an active public speaker who Appears voordat private and public groups promoting science and technology as well as Providing an inspirational and educational message for young people. “Having leg an astronaut gives me a platform,” says Jemison, “but I’d blow it if I just TALKED about the Shuttle.” Jemison uses re platform to speak out on the gap in the quality of health-care tussen de United States and the Third World. “Martin Luther King [Jr.] … did not just have a dream, he got things done.” ^[35]

Jemison sometimes Appears at charity events. In 2007, Jemison Walked the runway, wearing Lyn Devon , at the Red Dress Heart Truth fashion show prolongation Fashion Week in New York to help raise money to fight heart disease. ^[36]

In May 2007, Jemison was the graduation speaker COMMENCEMENT and only the 11th person in the 52-year history of Harvey Mudd College to be bepaald an honorary degree. She was Awarded a doctorate or engineering degree. ^[37]

On February 17, 2008, Jemison was the featured speaker for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. Jemison paid tribute to Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at the carrying a combination’s banner with re on re shuttle flight. Jemison’s space suit is a part of the sorority’s national traveling Centennial Exhibit. Jemison is an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority founded a in 1908 at Howard University to address the social issues of the time and promote scholarship onder black women. ^[38]

The Des Moines Register interviewed Jemison on October 16, 2008 and Reported dat she has mixed feelings about the term “role model”. “Here’s the deal: Everybody’s a role model …. Role models kan be good or bath, positive or negative.” ^[14]

Jemison participated with First Lady Michelle Obama in a forum for Promising girls in the Washington, DC public schools in March 2009.

Jemison ook Appeared in Wayne State University to meet with the 7th grades Burton International Academy student.

Other news

In the spring of 1996, Jemison Filed a Complaint Against a Texas police officer, accusing im or police brutality prolongation a traffic stop dat ended in her judgment. She was pulled over in Nassau Bay, Texas officer Henry Hughes for Allegedly making an illegal U-turn and arrested after Hughes learned of a warrant on Jemison for a speeding charge. In her complaint, Jemison zegt the officer physically and emotionally mistreated re. ^[39] Jemison’s attorney zegt she was forced to the ground and handcuffed. Jemison zegt in a televised interview dat de incident has altered re feelings about police there. “I always fact represented safe and comfortable [around the police]. I do not feel dat way Anymore at Nassau Bay and that’s a shame,” she said.

In 2007, diagnostic test provider Gen-Probe Inc. bekend dat ze mention anything about not accepting the resignation of Jemison from hun Board of Directors. Jemison had failed to be re-elected to the board in a vote of the shareholders of the company at the company’s May 31 annual stockholders meeting. The company zegt it believed therein Jemison’s failed re-election by was the result of a recommendation by advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services therein shareholders vote against re due to re poor attendance at board meetings. Gen-Probe Determined therein Jemison’s two absences in 2006 ulcers for valid reasons and zegt Jemison had attended all regular and special board and committee meetings since September ^[40]

Honors and awards

• 1988 Essence Science and Technology Award
• 1990 Gamma Sigma Sigma Woman of the Year ^[41]
• 1991 McCall’s 10 Outstanding Women for the 90s
• 1991 Pumpkin Magazine’s (a Japanese Monthly) One of the Women for the Coming New Century
• 1992 Johnson Publications Black Achievement Trailblazers Award
• 1992 Ebony Black Achievement Award ^[1]
• 1993 National Women’s Hall of Fame
• 1993 Ebony magazine 50 Most Influential women
• 1993 Kilby Science Award
• 1993 Montgomery Fellow, Dartmouth
• 1993 People magazine’s “50 Most Beautiful and sexy People in the World ‘
• 1993 Turner Trumpet Award
• 1997 Chicago History Museum “Making History Award” for Distinction in Science Medicine and Technology.
• 2002 listed onder the 100 Greatest African Americans volgens to Molefi Kete Asante . ^[42]
• 2003 Intrepid Award from the National Organization for girls ^[43]
• 2004 International Space Hall of Fame
• NASA Space Flight Medal
• 2005 The National Audubon Society, Rachel Carson Award

Institutions

• 1992 Mae C. Jemison Science and Space Museum, Wilbur Wright College , Chicago, Illinois
• 1992 Mae C. Jemison Academy, an alternative public school in Detroit, Michigan
• 2001 Mae Jemison School, an elementary public school in Hazel Crest, Illinois
• 2007 Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy, a public charter school in Baltimore, Maryland
• 2013 Jemison High School , Huntsville, Alabama

Doctors honoris causa

• 1991 Doctor of Letters, Winston-Salem College, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
• 1991 Doctor of Science, Lincoln College, Pennsylvania
• 2000 Doctor of Humanities, Princeton University ^[44]
• 2005 Doctor of Science, Wilson College ^[45]
• 2006 Doctor of Science, Dartmouth College ^[46]
• 2007 Doctor of Engineering, Harvey Mudd College ^[47]
• 2007 Doctor of Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ^[48]
• 2008 Doctor of Humanities, DePaul University ^[49]
• 2009 Doctor of Engineering, Polytechnic Institute of NYU

Filmography

• Star Trek: The Next Generation (1993) – Lieutenant Palmer episode ” Second Chances “
• Susan B. Anthony Slept Lord (1995) – herself
• Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond (1996) – herself
• The New Explorers (1998) – episode “Endeavor”
• How William Shatner Changed the World (2005) – herself
• African American Lives (2006) – herself
• No Gravity (2011) – herself

writing

• Jemison, Mae (2001). Find where the wind goes, moments from my life . New York: Scholastic. ISBN  978-0-439-13196-4 . OCLC  44548911 .
• Jemison, Mae (2001). Seeing the Future: Science, Engineering and Education (PDF) . Hanover, NH: Dartmouth College. p. 56. ERIC ED464816.
• She Contributed the piece “Outer Space: The Worldly Frontier” to the 2003 anthology Sisterhood Is Forever: The Women’s Anthology for a New Millennium , edited by Robin Morgan . ^[50]
• Jemison, Mae; Rau, Dana Meachen (2013). Journey Through Our Solar System (True Books: Dr. Mae Jemison and 100 Year Starship) . Scholastic. ISBN  978-0531240618 .
• Jemison, Mae; Rau, Dana Meachen (2013). Discovering New Planets (True Books: Dr. Mae Jemison and 100 Year Starship) . Scholastic. ISBN  978-0531240632 .
• Jemison, Mae; Rau, Dana Meachen (2013). Exploring Our Sun (True Books: Dr. Mae Jemison and 100 Year Starship) . Scholastic. ISBN  978-0531240625 .
• Jemison, Mae; Rau, Dana Meachen (2013). The 100 Year Starship (True Books: Dr. Mae Jemison and 100 Year Starship) . Scholastic. ISBN  978-0531240601 .

See also

• List of African-American Astronauts

References