News

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Arts & Issues and the SIUE Departments of Chemistry and Physics will present NASA Astronaut Dr. Mae C. Jemison, who will speak about “Exploring the Frontiers of Science and Human Potential.” 

Jemison, who became the first woman of color to travel in space, will speak at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 16 in the Morris University Center Meridian Ballroom. 

In 1992 aboard the space shuttle Endeavor, Jemison was NASA’s first science mission specialist, performing experiments in material science, life science and human adaptation to weightlessness. 

Jemison, also an engineer and physician, speaks around the country on issues of health care, social responsibility, technology and motivation. 

Some of the quotations Jemison has said over the years include: 

“Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity or your curiosity. It’s your place in the world; it’s your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.” 

“Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations ... If you adopt their attitudes, then the possibility won’t exist because you’ll have already shut it out ... You can hear other people’s wisdom, but you’ve got to re-evaluate the world for yourself.” 

“When I’m asked about the relevance to Black people of what I do, I take that as an affront. It presupposes that Black people have never been involved in exploring the heavens, but this is not so. Ancient African empires -- Mali, Songhai, Egypt -- had scientists and astronomers. The fact is that space and its resources belong to all of us, not to any one group.” 

“We’re excited to collaborate with the Chemistry Department’s Probst Lecture and the Physics Department’s Shaw lecture to bring such an outstanding speaker to campus for our students, faculty, staff and community,” said Grant Andree, director of Arts & Issues. 

General admission is $20 for adults, $15 for SIUE staff, faculty, retirees, alumni and seniors 65 and older; and $10 for students of any school. Tickets can be purchased at artsandissues.com, by phone at 1-866-698-4253 or at the Morris University Center (MUC) Welcome Desk. SIUE students are admitted free, courtesy of the Office of Student Affairs. SIUE students can obtain tickets at the MUC Welcome Desk. 

Sponsoring the show are the following SIUE schools and departments: Graduate School, College of Arts and Sciences, Office of the Provost, Student Government, Chemistry Club, SIUE Alumni Association, Dr. William J. Probst Memorial Lecture Fund, Dr. William C. Shaw Lecture Fund and Millipore Sigma. The event is funded in part by student activity fees. 

The Arts & Issues series brings artistic excellence to the SIUE campus through an eclectic blend of speakers and performers. For more than 33 years, SIUE’s Arts & Issues series has showcased some of the world’s finest artists. Each season, thought-provoking speakers inspire people of all ages and backgrounds. Thanks to the underwriting of SIUE, corporations, foundations and individual donors, tickets are often discounted as much as 50 percent.  

    Arts & Issues is tied to the academic mission of the University and offers unique opportunities for students, faculty, staff and the community, to engage with performers and speakers through master classes and special sessions. 

Photo: Dr. Mae C. Jemison, NASA Astronaut and the first woman of color in space.