Mae C. Jemison (M.D.)
NASA Astronaut
Source: Johnson Space Center
OCTOBER 1992BIRTHPLACE:
Born October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama, but considers
Chicago, Illinois, to be her hometown. Her parents, Charlie & Dorothy Jemison, reside
in Chicago.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION:
Black hair; brown eyes; 5 feet 9 inches; 140 pounds.
EDUCATION:
Graduated from Morgan Park School, Chicago, Illinois, in
1973; received a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering (and fulfilled the
requirements for B.A. in African and Afro-American Studies) form Stanford University in
1977, and doctorate degree in medicine form Cornell University in 1981.
MARTIAL STATUS:
Single
RECREATIONAL INTERESTS:
She enjoys traveling, graphic arts, photography, sewing
skiing collecting African Art, languages (Russian, Swahili, Japanese), weight training,
has an extensive dance and exercise background and is an avid reader.
ORGANIZATIONS:
Members, American Chemical Society, Association for the
Advancement of Science, Association of Space Explorers. Honorary Member, Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority. Board Member, World Sickle Cell Foundation, American Express Geography
Competition. Honorary Board Member, Center for the Prevention of Childhood Malnutrition.
Clinical Teaching Associate, University of Texas Medical Center.
SPECIAL HONORS:
National Achievement Scholarship (1973-1977); Stanford
representative to Carifesta ’76 in Jamaica; 1979 CIBA Award for Student Involvement;
American Medical Student Association (AMSA) study group to Cuba; Grant
from International Travelers Institute for health studies in rural Kenya
(1979); organized New York city-wide health and law fair for National
Student Medical Association (1979); worked refugee camp in Thailand (1980).
Recipient of Essence Award (1988), and Gamma Sigma Gamma Woman of the
Year (1989). Honorary Doctorate of Sciences, Lincoln College, Pennsylvania (1991).
Honorary Doctorate of Letters, Winston Salem College, North Carolina (1991). DuSable
Museum Award (1992). The Mae C. Jemison Academy, an alternate public school established in
1992 in Detroit, Michigan. Montgomery Fellow 1993 Dartmouth College.
EXPERIENCE:
Dr. Jemison has a background in both engineering and medical
research. She has worked in the areas of computer programming, printed wiring board
materials, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, computer magnetic disc production, and
reproductive biology.
Dr. Jemison completed her internship at Los Angeles
County/USC Medical Center in July 1982 and worked as a General Practitioner with INA/Ross
Loss Medical Group in Los Angeles until December 1982. From January 1983 through June 1985, Dr. Jemison was the
Area Corps Medical Officer for Sierra Leone and Liberia in West Africa. Her task of
managing the health care delivery system for the U.S. Peace Corps and U.S. Embassy
personnel included provision of medical care, supervision of the pharmacy and laboratory,
medical administrative issues, and supervision of medical staff. She developed curriculum
and taught volunteer administrative issues for volunteer job placement and training sites.
Dr. Jemison developed and participated in research projects oh Hepatitis B vaccine, schistosomaisis and rabies in conjunction with the National Institute of Health and the
Center for Disease Control.
On return to the United
States, Dr. Jemison joined CIGNA
Health Plans of California in October 1985 and was working as a General Practitioner and
attending graduate engineering classes in Los Angeles selected to the Astronaut program.
NASA EXPERIENCE:
Dr. Jemison was selected for the astronaut program in June
1987. Her assignments since then have included: launch support activities at the Kennedy
Space Center in Florida; verification of Shuttle computer software in the Shuttle Avionics
Integration Laboratory (SAIL); Science Support Group Activities.
Dr. Jemison was the science mission
specialist on STS-47, Spacelab-J. (September 12-20, 1992). STS-47 was a
cooperative mission between the United States and Japan. The 8-day mission
was accomplished in 127 orbits of the Earth, and included 44 Japanese and
U.S. life science and materials processing experiments. Dr. Jemison was a
co-investigator on the bone cell research experiment flown on the mission.
STS-47 and her crew launched from and returned to the Kennedy Space Center
in Florida. In completing her first space flight Dr. Jemison logged 190
hours 30 minutes 23 seconds in space.
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