Mae Jemison
Mae C. Jemison is the first African-American female astronaut. She flew into space aboard Endeavour in 1992, becoming the first African-American woman in space.
Name: Mae Carol Jemison
Occupation: Doctor, astronaut, scientist
Height: 5.41 feet
Time in space: 7d 22h 30m
Zodiac sign: Libra
Date and Place of Birth:
Mae C. Jemison born October 17, 1956 in Decatur, Alabama, but considers Chicago, Illinois her hometown.
Education and academic credentials:
Graduated from Morgan Park High School in Chicago in 1973.
In 1973, she graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science (Chemical Engineering) and Bachelor of Arts (African American Studies).
She received her M.D. in 1981 from Cornell University.
In 1991, she received her Ph.D. from Lincoln University.
Professional Career:
From 1981 to July 1982, she worked as an intern at the University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles County. Mae C. Jemison worked as a general practitioner (internist and surgeon) at Ross Loos Medical Group Hospital in Los Angeles until December 1982.
From January 1983 to June 1985, Jemison was a physician with the Peace Corps in West Africa (Sierra Leone and Liberia). Mae Jemison was involved in providing medical care to the public, organizing training courses for local medical personnel and rebuilding medical infrastructure. Conducted research on the Hepatitis B vaccine and water-borne illness on behalf of the National Institute of Health and the Center for Disease Control.
In October 1985, upon her return to the United States, she began working for CIGNA Health in California as a general practitioner.
After leaving NASA in March 1993, she worked in health promotion and health care in West Africa.
In 1994, organized the International Science Camp in Chicago to engage young people in scientific research.
Mae Jemison is the founder of the Jemison Group, which is developing educational and outreach projects, such as the Alpha telecommunications satellite project, to create a telemedicine system for Africa. Another project is BioSentient Corporation, which uses the work of NASA.
She starred in a cameo in the legendary sci-fi series Star Trek.
Space Training:
In August 1987, Mae C. Jemison enlisted in the NASA astronaut squadron as part of the 12th set as a flight specialist (becoming the first African-American woman selected by NASA). She completed a full course of ECS. Upon graduation in August 1988, she qualified as a Flight Specialist and was assigned to NASA’s Astronaut Division. Mae Jemison was involved in software testing at the Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL).
First flight
From September 12 to 20, 1992, as a flight specialist on the Endeavour shuttle STS-47.
The flight duration was 7 days, 22 hours, 31 minutes and 11 seconds.
Retired from the astronaut squadron and from NASA in March 1993.
Awards:
Mae C. Jemison awarded the NASA Space Flight Medal.
Marital status
Single.
Hobbies
Traveling, graphics, photography, weightlifting, skiing, embroidery, collecting African arts and crafts. Studying foreign languages (Russian, Swahili and Japanese), loves reading.
