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 Trent University Congratulates Dr. Roberta Bondar on 20th Anniversary of Space FlightFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Adjunct faculty member and former chancellor was Friday, January 20, 2012, Peterborough The Trent University community congratulates Dr. Roberta Bondar on January 22, 2012 as she marks the 20th Anniversary of her historic flight as Canada’s first neurologist and woman in space this Sunday, January 22, 2012. Dr. Bondar, OC, O.Ont, B.Sc., M.Sc., M.D., Ph.D., FRCP, FRSC, served as Trent University’s ninth chancellor from 2003 to 2009. She is an eminent Canadian and a nationally recognized hero with the distinction of being the first Canadian woman to fly in space. Roberta Bondar is an accomplished neurologist, scientist, pilot, astronaut and photographic artist who holds the NASA Space Medal and is an officer of the Order of Canada, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and a laureate of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. She is the recipient of 24 honorary degrees from Canadian and American universities and colleges. During her time at Trent, Dr. Bondar presided over more than 30 convocation ceremonies and established an annual event called ‘Multiple Lenses: The Chancellor’s Forum’, which provided high school students with an opportunity to connect with her experiences as an astronaut and photographer. In the spring of 2007 the Roberta Bondar Fellowship in Northern and Polar Studies was established. A post-doctoral teaching and research award, the purpose of the fellowship is to attract up-and-coming young northern scholars to Trent for the period of one academic year, in which they participate in Northern Studies at Trent University through teaching, scholarship, and public lecturing. The University recently announced anthropologist Dr. Allice Legat as the Roberta Bondar Fellow in Northern and Polar Studies for 2012-2014. In recognition of this special anniversary, a proclamation will be read by Sault Ste. Marie mayor Debbie Amaroso at the city council meeting on Monday, January 23 declaring January 23 – 30 Dr. Roberta Bondar Days in Sault Ste. Marie. "In all my endeavours and travels, I have come to value how my educational experiences at the undergraduate and graduate levels have helped me to understand our world and shape me as an individual,” said Dr. Bondar during her time at Trent. “The unique educational experiences offered at Trent, with its emphasis on the arts and sciences, combined with a strong research focus, help to distinguish the University. The University is producing graduates in a variety of sectors who are critical thinkers, lifelong learners and well-rounded citizens who contribute to our communities. Trent also has tremendous expertise in environmental education and I am very pleased to be associated with a University renowned for its environmental science programs." Dr. Bondar has had the rare opportunity to view the earth from space and is a passionate advocate for the environment. Science and photography have always been linked in her life and it was natural that one of her assignments aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 1992 was to take photographs of Earth. In 1984, Roberta Bondar was one of the six original Canadian astronauts chosen to train at NASA. In January 1992 she ascended into space aboard the NASA space shuttle Discovery. In her role as an international payload specialist she conducted life and material science experiments in space, becoming the world's first neurologist in space. -30- For more information, please contact: Christine Yankou, Christine Yankou Communications, 416.481.5847 |
