 |
This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2009) (Find sources: Roberta Bondar – news, books, scholar) |
| Roberta Lynn Bondar | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| NRC/CSA Astronaut | |
| Born | December 4, 1945 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario |
| Other occupation | |
| Time in space | 8 days, 1 hour, 44 minutes |
| Selection | 1983 NRC Group |
| Missions | STS-42 |
| Mission insignia |  |
Roberta Lynn Bondar, OC, O.Ont, FRCP(C), FRSC (born December 4, 1945, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) is Canada's first female astronaut and the first neurologist in space. Following more than a decade as NASA's head of space medicine, Bondar became a consultant and speaker in the business, scientific and medical communities.
Contents |
Education
Bondar holds a B.Sc in zoology and agriculture from the University of Guelph (1968), an M.Sc in experimental pathology from the University of Western Ontario (1971), a Ph.D in neuroscience from the University of Toronto (1974), an MD from McMaster University (1977), and is a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in neurology (1981). She graduated from Sir James Dunn High School in Sault Ste. Marie and completed sub-speciality neurology training in neuro-ophthalmology at Tuft's New England Medical School in Boston. Bondar has completed the National Disaster Life Support Instructor course. A celebrated landscape photographer, Bondar studied professional nature photography at the Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara, California
Bondar began astronaut training in 1984, and in 1990 was designated a prime Payload Specialist for the first International Microgravity Laboratory Mission (IML-1). Bondar flew on the NASA Space Shuttle Discovery during Mission STS-42, January 22-30, 1992, during which she performed experiments in the Spacelab.[1][2] Back on Earth, Bondar led an international team of researchers at NASA for more than a decade,examining data obtained from astronauts on 24 space missions to better understand the mechanisms underlying the body's ability to recover from exposure to space.
Post-NASA career
Physician scientist
 |
This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009) |
Bondar's techniques have been used in clinical studies at BI Deaconess Medical Center, a Teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and at the University of New Mexico. Throughout her career, Bondar has maintained a deep interest in the natural environment. As an advisor to industry and government, she was recently[when?] selected as Canada's first national 'Biotechnology Champion'[citation needed]. She was also honoured as Canada's national patron of UNESCOs International Year of Planet Earth which continues through 2010.
Consultant, public speaker and spokesperson
|
|
This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009) |
Bondar has consulted organizations such as Pfizer, Oracle and the FBI.
Respected for her expertise and animated commentary[citation needed], Bondar has been a guest of television and radio networks such as CNN, BBC, PBS and CBC throughout the U.S. and Canada. She is featured in the IMAX movie Destiny in Space, and appeared for Disney at the opening of the new technology theme ride Mission Space. Bondar has also co-anchored the Discovery Channel's coverage of space shuttle launches at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.
Legacy
In her hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, the Roberta Bondar Park and tent pavilion bear her name as does the Ontario government building at 70 Foster Drive. Roberta Bondar Place is home to Ontario Lottery and Gaming and other Ontario government operations. The marina beside the park is also named in her honour.
Bondar has also been honoured with a marker on Sault Ste. Marie's Walk of Fame.
In 1996, the Dr. Roberta Bondar Public School was opened in Ajax, Ontario and Roberta Bondar Public School was opened in Ottawa, Ontario. In 2005, a second public school named Roberta Bondar Public School opened in Brampton, Ontario. Dr. Roberta Bondar Elementary School in Abbotsford, British Columbia is also named after Bondar. A fourth public school to be named after Bondar was scheduled to open in Vaughan, Ontario in September 2008.
Bondar stepped down as the Chancellor of Trent University on June 30, 2009, after serving two consecutive (3-year) terms. Her successor is actor Tom Jackson.
See also
References
External links
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Peter Gzowski |
Chancellor of Trent University 2003-2009 |
Succeeded by Tom Jackson |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
