SNMA Spotlights First Black Woman in Space
The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) highlighted the career of Dr. Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to travel to space. Her path as both a physician and an engineer is being shared as an example of interdisciplinary flexibility and STEM achievement.
Dr. Mae Jemison's journey to space was marked by a dual passion for science and service long before she joined NASA. After earning degrees in Chemical Engineering and African & African-American studies from Stanford, she obtained her medical degree from Cornell University. Her early career was globally focused, serving as a medical officer in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone and Liberia and working with the CDC on vaccine development. Inspired by Sally Ride, Jemison applied to NASA's astronaut program in 1985. Out of approximately 2,000 applicants, she was one of the 15 chosen to join the astronaut corps in 1987. This made her the first Black woman admitted to the astronaut training program. On September 12, 1992, Jemison made history aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-47. During the nearly eight-day mission, she orbited the Earth 127 times and conducted experiments on bone cells, weightlessness, and motion sickness. After leaving NASA in 1993, Jemison continued to bridge the worlds of science and technology with societal needs. She taught at Dartmouth College, founded a technology consulting firm, and established an international science camp for teenagers called The Earth We Share. Her work continues to influence future generations through various initiatives. She founded the non-profit Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence and leads the 100 Year Starship project, which is dedicated to making human interstellar travel a reality within the next century.
