Mae Jemison, First African-American Woman Astronaut in Space

When she was asked in school what she wanted to be when she grew up, Jemison responded that she wanted to be a scientist. Her teacher, in turn, asked her if she meant she wanted to be a nurse.

Born in 1956, she grew up during a time when the options in the career field for women were limited and little girls were encouraged to go into the few fields open to women such as nursing or secretarial work. But nothing would sway little Mae Jemison's determination to become a scientist.

Jemison also developed a love for dance and the arts. She auditioned for the part of Maria in a high school adaptation of West Side Story. She didn't get the part, her singing posed a problem, but was selected as a background dancer.

When it came time to go to college, Jemison struggled with the decision to become a doctor or a dancer. Her mother pointed out to her that she could always dance as a doctor, but she could not be a doctor if she were a dancer.

Jemison entered Stanford University at the age of sixteen. She graduated in 1977 with a B.S. in chemical engineering and a B.A. in African and Afro-American Studies. She continued her education at Cornell Medical College which is now Weill Medical College of Cornell University. She earned a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1981.

Jemison did her internship at Los Angeles County - USC Medical Center. She then served two years in the Peace Corps as a Medical Officer in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Jemison supervised the pharmacy, laboratory and medical staff as well as developed and implemented guidelines for health and safety issues.

It had been one of Jemison's dreams as a child to someday go into space. When Sally Ride became the first woman to do so in 1983, Jemison felt it was time to apply to the NASA space program. With role models like Ride and actress Nichelle Nichols, who portrayed Lieutenant Uhura on "Star Trek," Jemison filled out her application to NASA.

Though she wasn't chosen the first time around, Jemison applied again and was accepted.

Jemison worked on launch support activities before her legendary mission on September 12, 1992. She was a Mission Specialist on STS-47. She took along with her a poster from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company where she had studied while attending Cornell. Jemison feels there is a connection between science and the arts in that they both express the creativity that all people share.

She also took some small art objects with her from West African countries. As this was also an international mission between Japan and the United States, Jemison felt these objects symbolized that space belongs to all nations.

For eight days, Jemison, five other NASA astronauts and a Japanese payload specialist did research for the mission. Jemison ended up logging 190 hours, 30 minutes and 23 seconds in space.

After making history as the first African-American woman to go into space, Jemison founded the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence (DJF), named for her mother. One of the projects of the DJF is The Earth We Share (TEWS). The overall goal of TEWS is to help students and teachers learn about science and technology. At science camps, students ages 12 through 16 are encouraged to study and come up with creative solutions for the global problems such as how many people the world can hold.

In 1993, actor LeVar Burton learned that Jemison is a big Star Trek fan. He asked if she would be interested in making an appearance on "Star Trek: The Next Generation." She made her acting debut as Lieutenant Palmer in the episode "Second Chances" and is the first real astronaut to have ever appeared on Star Trek.

Jemison has appeared, as herself, in a number of documentary type shows such as "Susan B. Anthony Slept Here" (1995), "How William Shatner Changed the World" (2005) and "African American Lives" (2006).

In 1999, Jemison founded BioSentient Corp. In an effort to find a way to treat anxiety, nausea and migraine headaches, among other stress-related disorders, BioSentient is working to develop a device that allows mobile monitoring of the involuntary nervous system, the Autogenic Feedback Training Exercise. BioSentient has obtained a license to use the NASA space-age technology that will allow patients to monitor and control their physiology as possible treatment for anxiety and stress related disorders in order to help them respond well in stressful situations.

In March 2009, Jemison participated with First Lady Michelle Obama in a public school forum for promising girls.

Jemison continues to encourage girls and minorities to enter science and technology fields.

The awards bestowed upon Jemison are numerous, but include induction into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1993 and the International Space Hall of Fame in 2004. Her awards also include numerous honorary degrees.

Sources:

NASA
Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence