Former NASA astronaut, physician, educator Mae Jemison is RIT’s Academic Convocation speaker

Mae Jemison, a former NASA astronaut, physician, educator, and the first woman of color to go into space, will be the keynote speaker for Rochester Institute of Technology’s Academic Convocation on May 8. Jemison will also receive an Honorary Doctor of Science degree.

"We are fortunate and honored to be able to welcome Dr. Jemison as this year's Academic Convocation speaker," said RIT President Bill Sanders. "Dr. Jemison is a trailblazer, from her groundbreaking experiences at NASA to her medical research and mission to enhance STEM education, and beyond. She will undoubtedly inspire our graduates as they move on to their next adventure, to grasp every opportunity that comes their way, and to continue to be difference-makers in our world."

Jemison accepted her first mission on the STS-47 crew as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, lifting off alongside six other astronauts in September 1992. While in orbit, Jemison conducted experiments that took advantage of the microgravity environment, where objects appear to be weightless. The mission, known as Spacelab J, conducted over 45 different experiments.

Prior to becoming an astronaut, Jemison graduated from Stanford University with degrees in chemical engineering and African American studies, and she earned her medical degree from Cornell University. She also joined the Peace Corps serving as medical officer, responsible for the health of all U.S. Peace Corps volunteers, staff members, and embassy personnel of Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Following her time at NASA, Jemison launched The Earth We Share, an international science camp. As an environmental studies professor at Dartmouth College, she focused on designing sustainability into technologies for both the industrialized and developing worlds. In addition, she founded the consulting company Jemison Group Inc., which focuses on combining space and technology to improve daily life on earth, and the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence, which designs and implements STEM education experiences.

In 2012, Jemison created 100 Year Starship, an initiative committed to ensuring that the capabilities for human interstellar travel beyond our solar system will exist in the next 100 years. Jemison is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and is on its council, is the chair of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts External Council, and sits on the board of directors and is chair of the Sustainability Committee for Kimberly-Clark. She is a Fellow at the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study and a visiting scholar at Texas A&M’s EnMed (engineering medicine) program, where she focuses on integrating engineering, science, and medical research.

Jemison also appeared in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation as Lt. Junior Grade Palmer and is a figurine in the LEGO Ideas Women of NASA set, along with Nancy Grace Roman, Margaret Hamiton, and Sally Ride.

Of her career as an astronaut, Jemison has said, “Strange, but I always knew I’d be here. Looking down and all around me, seeing the Earth, the moon, and the stars, I just felt that I belonged right there, and in fact, any place in the entire universe.”

Go to RIT’s Commencement website for more information about the ceremonies taking place May 8-9.