At the end of a tragic month for NASA, astronaut and scientist Dr. Mae Jemison offered a message of resolve Thursday night in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Event of the Distinguished Speakers Series in the Center for the Arts.
Speaking underneath a battered UB flag that alumnus Gregory B. Jarvis brought aboard the ill-fated Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986, Jemison discussed the Columbia explosion of Feb. 1.
"The media asked me today if space travel is worth the loss of life," Jemison said. "We must remain steadfast. It's part of our heritage."
Jemison, who is fluent in four languages, grew up in Chicago and attended Stanford University. When the shuttle Endeavour lifted off with Jemison onboard on Sept. 12, 1992, she became the first black woman in space.
The audience, which filled the Mainstage Theatre, gave Jemison a standing ovation for her remarks, which lasted just under an hour.
"I had to learn very early not to limit myself because of the limited imaginations of others," Jemison said. "While most children in my neighborhood thought an engineer was the guy who drove the train on the el (above ground) tracks, I could see myself there."
Throughout her discussion, Jemison returned to the subject of the role of science and technology in society. She stressed the importance of science literacy.
"To be a good member of a modern participatory democracy, you need to be science literate," Jemison said. "We need all of our citizens to be able to read articles about the environment and health, and vote responsibly."
"At the heart of science are the words 'I think, I know, I understand,'" she said.
During the question and answer period following Jemison's speech, an audience member asked her to comment on the recent discovery of internal NASA e-mails sent while Columbia was in space, which stated the shuttle might be unsafe.
According to Jemison, bailing out once the crew was in the air was not an option due to the speed at which the shuttle was traveling.
Frank Centinello, a junior aerospace engineering major, said he would take home from Jemison's speech a message regarding the way he approaches his studies.
"She fights the stereotype of a lot of people in science," Centinello said. "I will be more charismatic about the things I study, with the people I study them with."
After Jemison's speech, Centinello asked her to name her favorite science fiction character. She named Ensign Palmer from Star Trek, because she was invited to play Palmer in a 1993 episode of the series.
Nicholas Taylor, a senior computer science major, said Jemison inspired him "as fire sparks fire."
"Her passion will spark my passion for going forth and being successful," Taylor said. "I now think about what I can do to help my fellow man."
Several speakers and groups preceded Jemison, one of which was the UB Gospel Choir.
Clad in black, the nine singers sang two songs. Audience members clapped and stomped their feet along to the spiritual "Stayed."
Prior to Jemison's speech, Denise Hood, president of the UB Minority Faculty and Staff Association, presented two UB students with the Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship Award.
According to Hood, Miguel Torres-Castro, a junior Latin American studies major, and Robinson Iglesias, a junior political science major, were honored for high academic standards and community leadership.
Jarvis, a 1967 UB graduate who died in the Challenger explosion in 1986, was honored with a moment of silence.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
