Black women making their mark in space and science (SLIDESHOW)

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Stephanie Wilson born in Boston Massachusetts studied engineering science in Harvard and then received her MS in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas. Wilson has flown on three space missions. When she was officially selected and asked to join the Astronaut Corps, after her second application to the program,  Wilson had one more challenge to face, she didn’t know how to swim. Between April and August of 1996, Wilson worked hard to learn.

Yvonne Cagle M.D. is an astronaut at NASA currently assigned as the lead Ames Research Center (ARC) Astronaut Science Liason and Strategic Relationships Manager for Google and other Silicone Valley Programmatic Partnerships. Dr Cagle is a senior aviation medical examiner and certified as a flight surgeon.

Jarita Holbrook PH.D is a professor of African Astronomy at the University of Arizona. She is an astrophysicist, anthropologist, author and filmmaker.

Mercedes Richards PH.D is a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Pennsylvania State University. Originally from Jamaica, Dr. Richards received her Doctoral degree at the University of Toronto. In 2010 Dr. Richards received the Fulbright Award to conduct research at the Astronomical Institute in Slovakia. research focus is on binary stars; twin stars formed at the same time.

Barbara A. Williams PH.D was the first African-American female to acquire the terminal degree in Astronomy at the University of Maryland at College Park. She is currently an Associate Professor at University of Delaware. Her research projects include astronomy and astrophysics, radio astronomy and groups of galaxies.

Reva K. Williams PH.D is the first African-American female astrophysicist. Dr. Williams was the first to prove “Penrose mechanism,” a mathematical model that uses Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity to explain how to extract energy from black holes. At a speech at Malcolm X College Dr. Williams told the class of 2001, “I began like most of you. Malcolm X College gave me the background strength I needed. It helped me become what I am today. I am here to tell you that you can be anything you want to be if you work hard toward it, have faith and never give up.”

Dara Norman PH.D is a professor at the University of Washington. Dr. Norman grew up in the south side of Chicago Illinois. She went to MIT as an Undergraduate and worked at NASA Goddard in Maryland. Dr. Norman currently specializes in gravitational lensing, large scale structure and quasars (quasi-stellar objects). This year she was honored with the University’s Timeless Award for her contributions and accomplishments to astronomy. In 2009 she was invited to the Star Party at the White House.

Shirley Ann Jackson PH.D is the second African-American woman to earn a PH.D in physics and the first from MIT. In 2009 Dr. Jackson was appointed to serve on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. She is currently the President of the Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute.

Willie Hobbs Moore PH.D is the first African-American woman to earn a PH.D in physics in 1972. She received it at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Her thesis research involved important problems in vibrational analysis of macro molecules.

Chanda Prescod-Weinstein PH.D is currently a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow at the Observational Lab in Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt Maryland. Originally from Los Angeles California Dr. Prescod-Weinstein specializes in theoretical cosmology.

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