Science Spotlights

Mae C. Jemison

Mae Jemison was born on October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama. She is an American astronaut and physician. In 1977, Jemison received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and in African American Studies at Stanford University. She received her degree in medicine in 1981 at Cornell University. Jemison became the first African American woman admitted into the astronaut training program on June 4, 1987. On September 12, 1992, Mae Jemison became the first African American woman to travel into space for NASA aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor. She was named Gamma Sigma Gamma Woman of the Year in 1990. In 1992, she received the Ebony Black Achievement Award. She retired from NASA in 1993. Jemison was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame that same year. Jemison was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 2004. There are several schools named after Jemison including the Jemison High School in Huntsville Alabama.