born Oct. 17, 1956, Decatur, Ala., U.S.
U.S. physician and astronaut.
She received an M.D. from Cornell University and then served in the Peace Corps in Africa. In 1988 she was accepted to NASA's astronaut program and became the first black female astronaut. In 1992 she spent more than a week aboard the space shuttle Endeavour. After leaving NASA in 1993, she taught environmental studies at Dartmouth College.