Sally Ride, PhD, Astronaut, Educator, RIP
Dear friends of women in science,
Sometimes newsmakers are just interesting, otherwise they grab you and every time you hear their names, you sit up and listen.
I was shocked and saddened today to hear that Sally Ride, PhD, physicist, astronaut, educator has lost her fight with pancreatic cancer at age 61.
I'll never forget how it galvanized me to hear we finally had a woman going into space. She broke through that barrier, became the first American woman in space, and carried the hearts of so many women along with her in that trim uniform.
I followed her career in NASA, and then she became even more important to me as she started Sally Ride Science, planning and producing exciting experiments and fun science activities for junior high school girls at big events all over the country. What a great Pied Piper she made!
Her loss will never remove her image from my constellation of stellar women in science, but I do hope someone will pick up and run with her torch to light the lives of young women interested in science.
Read more at SallyRideScience.com and here.
http://www.balloon-juice.com/2012/07/23/rip-sally-kristen-ride-ph-d-astronaut/
Sonia Pressman Fuentes just sent me the link for the NYT article, which also features information about her partner, Tam, and their efforts to increase science enjoyment for young girls.
http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/365992/20120723/tam-shaughnessy-oshaughnessy-sally-ride-lesbian-partner.htm
cheers,
Laura
Hi Amanda, Terry, Corey, FBP, and SSW,
I'm glad she inspired you, as I am sure she did to many, many women and girls through the years. Her life is definitely written in the stars for all who follow to appreciate.
best,
Laura
Hi! My friend Susanne went to her science camp experience and she said it was really great. They looked through real telescopes (the moon was out in the day time and they could see its surface). Nothing was fakey or pretend about it, it was all real science, she said. I was jealous, but she told me so much about it I almost feel like I got to go.
Dear Laura,
I remember seeing her floating around in space on TV and being proud that she was a woman doing that. She never seemed embarrassed or acted like she wasn't sure what to do. I'm sure it was a thrill to the kids when she came to the science camps too.
Terry M
Hi Laura,
I remember her first flight coming on TV, and how amazed I was to see what she was doing. I had not wondered why women weren't astronauts, but I sure was glad to see her doing it. She looked competent, confident, and very comfortable with her expertise. Perfect role model!
CRM
Sally Ride certainly inspired me early on, and I think many other women found her to be a great role model. I always stopped to watch her on TV (not many people i can say that about!).
FBP
Oh no, Laura! I hope her partner can carry on with her educational activities. She was also a guiding spirit for them, but of course, Sally Ride had the fame and the glory that made all that fundraising successful.
SSW
