Mae Jemison

Dr. Mae Carol Jemison (b. October 17, 1956) was the first non-white woman to travel to space. She went into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992.

Early life

Dr. Jemison, the youngest of three children, was born on October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama and raised in Chicago, Illinois.

Related Topics:
October 17 - 1956 - Decatur, Alabama - Chicago, Illinois

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She was educated in the Chicago public school system. At sixteen, she entered Stanford University on scholarship where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering, and fulfilled the requirements for an A.B. in African and Afro-American Studies. She attended Cornell Medical College where she earned her Doctorate in Medicine in 1981. In medical school, her interest and knowledge in Third World countries evolved into a commitment to effectively contribute. She traveled to Cuba, rural Kenya, and spent a medical clerkship in Thailand at a Cambodian refugee camp. She completed her internship at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center in 1982.

Related Topics:
Stanford University - Chemical Engineering - Cornell Medical College - Third World - Cuba - Kenya - Thailand - Cambodia - Refugee camp - Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center - 1982

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Prior to joining the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (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.

Related Topics:
1987 - Los Angeles - 1983 - Peace Corps - Sierra Leone - Liberia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~