Born in Decatur, Alabama, Dr. Mae C. Jemison,  Physician, Engineer, former NASA astronaut, and leader of 100 Year Starship non-profit for space exploration, will be the opening keynote speaker for the Gloria and John L. Blackburn Academic Symposium.

100 Year Starship (100YSS) is a bold, far reaching nonprofit initiative to assure the capabilities exist for human travel beyond our solar system to another star within the next 100 years.  Jemison is building a multi-faceted global community to foster the cultural, scientific, social and technical commitment, support and financial framework to accomplish the 100YSS vision-An Inclusive, Audacious Journey (that) Transforms Life Here on Earth and Beyond.  

Jemison, the first woman of color in the world to go into space, served six years as a NASA astronaut.  Aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, STS-47 Spacelab J mission in September 1992, she performed experiments in material science, life sciences and human adaptation to weightlessness.

Read her full bio.