Dr. Mae C. Jemison has pioneered new frontiers since her childhood in Chicago. Enrolling at Stanford University at 16, she graduated with degrees in chemical engineering and Afro-American studies. After receiving a Doctor of Medicine degree from Cornell, she practiced medicine in Cambodia and West Africa.

Dr. Jemison was working as a general practitioner in Los Angeles when NASA selected her for astronaut training. In 1992, aboard the Shuttle Endeavour, Dr. Jemison became the first African-American woman to enter space. She later founded the Jemison Group, Inc, a technology consulting company, as well as BioSentient Corporation, an innovator in medical devices. A strong voice for science literacy, Dr. Jemison started The Earth We Share™, an international science camp for students 12-16 years old, in 1994.

Dr. Jemison chairs the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence and serves as Bayer Corporation's national advocate for the Making Science Make Sense initiative. Dr. Jemison also chairs the Texas State Product Development and Small Business Incubator Board, and Texas State Biotechnology and Life Sciences Industry Cluster; and serves on the Boards of Kimberly-Clark Corporation, Scholastic, Inc., Valspar Corporation and Gen-Probe Inc.

In addition to being honored with Audubon's Rachel Carson Award in 2004, Dr. Jemison is a winner of the Kilby Science Award. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine; an inductee of National Women's Hall of Fame, National Medical Association Hall of Fame and Texas Science Hall of Fame.

For more information:

• BioSentient
• NASA Quest: Female Frontiers
• CNN Then and Now Mae Jemison