What I Do At Work (other than LJ-ing)
Nov. 12th, 2004 04:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
plumtreeblossomMy focus for the next couple of week at work is writing bios of assorted people of accomplishment and laurels for a AP high school textbook on student success. These are meant to inspire the promising youngsters to value education over crystal meth.
I did the first one today. It's short, so tell me if it makes the bile rise in your throats or any other side adverse side affects. I haven't done much writing for teens:
ROBERTA BONDAR
Roberta Bondar knew at a very early age that she wanted to be an astronaut when she grew up. Even as a schoolgirl in the 1950s, at a time when girls were routinely steered away from scientific interests in favor of the more traditionally female arts and humanities, Roberta instead delighted in building model rockets and satellites as a hobby. She studied anything available to her about space travel, the solar system, and outer space. At night as she gazed up at the clear Canadian sky above her hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, she had faith that one day she was destined to shoot for the stars.
Born Roberta Lynn Bondar in 1945, she attended her town’s local high school, where she channeled her energies most strongly into her science and math studies. Her hard work and passion for the sciences earned her admission to The University of Guelf, where she studies zoology and agriculture and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1968.
Roberta’s graduate studies would last thirteen years and would lead her across the country to several of Canada’s leading universities. At a time when women were still frequently discouraged from pursuing careers in the applied sciences, she earned a Masters of Science degree in experimental pathology in 1971 from The University of Western Ontario. She completed her doctorate in neurobiology from the University of Toronto in 1974. In 1977 she went on to become an MD at McMaster University, and took a fellowship at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1981. Though still earthbound and longing for the reaches of outer space, she trained as a pilot and became licensed to fly an airplane before she was even licensed to drive a car.
During her medical training at McMaster, Roberta developed a concentrated interest in neuro-opthalmology, which is the study of how the eye and brain work together to generate vision. This highly specialized training made her an optimal candidate for a space program into which only six Canadian astronauts were selectively admitted out many thousands of applications. Roberta landed one of the coveted positions, and began training as an astronaut in December of 1983, just around the time of her 38th birthday. Finally, it was time to blast off.
Recognizing the value of her unique qualifications, NASA hand-picked her to take part in a very special project by appointing her Payload Specialist for the first International Microgravity Laboratory Mission. This mission would use state of the art technology from around the world to conduct experiments on the effects of weightlessness on the human body. The mission’s crew would work throughout the 8-day mission studying the impact of weightlessness on every aspect and function of our biology, including the neuro-opthalmological processes in which Roberta had internationally distinguished expertise. On January 22, 1992, she flew on the space shuttle Discovery, the first Canadian woman, and the first neurologist, in space.
While being a woman astronaut in such a strongly male-dominated scientific field as space exploration was a source of great pride to Roberta, ultimately the opportunity to represent her country as a Canadian astronaut meant far more to her. As the first neurologist to accompany a NASA space mission, she went on after the mission to win numerous awards and honorary degrees for her ongoing research, and two public schools in Canada were renamed "Roberta Bondar Public School" in her honor. Roberta’s career path as researcher and educator led her back to the university system, where faculty appointments awaited at McMaster University and other institutions where she was once a young student herself.
In her continuing role as a Canadian scholar, scientist, teacher, and pioneer of neurological space studies, she imparts one message above all others to a new generation of intellectual explorers: reach for the stars.
I did the first one today. It's short, so tell me if it makes the bile rise in your throats or any other side adverse side affects. I haven't done much writing for teens:
ROBERTA BONDAR
Roberta Bondar knew at a very early age that she wanted to be an astronaut when she grew up. Even as a schoolgirl in the 1950s, at a time when girls were routinely steered away from scientific interests in favor of the more traditionally female arts and humanities, Roberta instead delighted in building model rockets and satellites as a hobby. She studied anything available to her about space travel, the solar system, and outer space. At night as she gazed up at the clear Canadian sky above her hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, she had faith that one day she was destined to shoot for the stars.
Born Roberta Lynn Bondar in 1945, she attended her town’s local high school, where she channeled her energies most strongly into her science and math studies. Her hard work and passion for the sciences earned her admission to The University of Guelf, where she studies zoology and agriculture and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1968.
Roberta’s graduate studies would last thirteen years and would lead her across the country to several of Canada’s leading universities. At a time when women were still frequently discouraged from pursuing careers in the applied sciences, she earned a Masters of Science degree in experimental pathology in 1971 from The University of Western Ontario. She completed her doctorate in neurobiology from the University of Toronto in 1974. In 1977 she went on to become an MD at McMaster University, and took a fellowship at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1981. Though still earthbound and longing for the reaches of outer space, she trained as a pilot and became licensed to fly an airplane before she was even licensed to drive a car.
During her medical training at McMaster, Roberta developed a concentrated interest in neuro-opthalmology, which is the study of how the eye and brain work together to generate vision. This highly specialized training made her an optimal candidate for a space program into which only six Canadian astronauts were selectively admitted out many thousands of applications. Roberta landed one of the coveted positions, and began training as an astronaut in December of 1983, just around the time of her 38th birthday. Finally, it was time to blast off.
Recognizing the value of her unique qualifications, NASA hand-picked her to take part in a very special project by appointing her Payload Specialist for the first International Microgravity Laboratory Mission. This mission would use state of the art technology from around the world to conduct experiments on the effects of weightlessness on the human body. The mission’s crew would work throughout the 8-day mission studying the impact of weightlessness on every aspect and function of our biology, including the neuro-opthalmological processes in which Roberta had internationally distinguished expertise. On January 22, 1992, she flew on the space shuttle Discovery, the first Canadian woman, and the first neurologist, in space.
While being a woman astronaut in such a strongly male-dominated scientific field as space exploration was a source of great pride to Roberta, ultimately the opportunity to represent her country as a Canadian astronaut meant far more to her. As the first neurologist to accompany a NASA space mission, she went on after the mission to win numerous awards and honorary degrees for her ongoing research, and two public schools in Canada were renamed "Roberta Bondar Public School" in her honor. Roberta’s career path as researcher and educator led her back to the university system, where faculty appointments awaited at McMaster University and other institutions where she was once a young student herself.
In her continuing role as a Canadian scholar, scientist, teacher, and pioneer of neurological space studies, she imparts one message above all others to a new generation of intellectual explorers: reach for the stars.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-12 02:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-12 03:28 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-12 02:33 pm (UTC)Born Roberta Lynn Bondar in 1945 because in 1946 she turned into someone entirely different. :) I know, Iknow, it's a convention. Always one that got to me. I would be tempted to push for "Robert Lynn Bondar was born in 1945" instead.
But other than that, I am amazed at this woman. She really has done some wonderful things that are off the beaten path. Your emphasis on her achievements that reached outside of societal norms is an obvious bias that, as Americans in general - and Canadians, we strive to achieve. That message is loud and clear.
What you might also consider is this...was it so significant that she was female, or that she overcame the prejudices of the time? What can her example do for young men of today as well as the women? Is it significant that she was a woman or that she was a rule breaker? A little boy reading this can't be proud of his femininity but he could be proud that he had this person in his country or on his side. She broke the constraints of the times and THAT he can relate to.
I think it's important to remember that the audience you write to is co-educational. Being a woman is important, being a hero is something we can all lay claim to or build a dream on.
Your writing is clear, it's easy to read and
(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-12 03:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-12 03:34 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-12 08:47 pm (UTC)From http://www.senecac.on.ca/bondar/qabondar.html:
"Being a Canadian astronaut rather than a female astronaut was more important to Dr. Bondar and it was great to be able to represent one's country on a space flight."
I'm also curious about what kinds of experiments she did in flight...she has a BSc in Agriculture, University of Guelph, a MSc in Experimental Pathology, University of Western Ontario, a PhD in Neurobiology, University of Toronto and a MD, McMaster University. (or as it was put on this website http://www.senecac.on.ca/bondar/bondar.html: Received a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology and agriculture from the University of Guelph in 1968, a Master of Science degree in experimental pathology from the University of Western Ontario in 1971, a doctorate in neurobiology from the University of Toronto in 1974, a Doctor of Medicine degree from McMaster University in 1977 and was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as a specialist in neurology in 1981. She has certification in scuba diving, parachuting, and holds a private pilot's license.) What sorts of things would those, put together, help her to achieve in space?
Those sorts of degrees are not easy for a woman. She obviously faced a great deal of "you don't belong here" moments, there has to be more! (info from http://canadaonline.about.com/library/bl/blbondar.htm by the way, in case you need to footnote).
I'm trying to find more places with better information about her actual studies, something that can speak to "interesting" for a 12 year old.
There appears to be a book she wrote called "touching the Earth" out in paperback. You might check that.
I just think that you should give a kid something to grab onto, something that will stick in their heads as achievable or visionary, that will relate to them so they can remember it for the inevitable pop quiz that will follow.
Check out http://www.senecac.on.ca/bondar/bondar.html for what she's up to nowadays. All good stuff!
(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-12 08:06 pm (UTC)i love what you wrote in weirdjews
Date: 2004-11-12 08:33 pm (UTC)i would definitely be interested in such a community. i seem to share simillar interests, as well as having a simillar jewish backgroud to you.
let me know, k?
Re: i love what you wrote in weirdjews
Date: 2004-11-13 08:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-12 08:59 pm (UTC)it is certainly well-written, and I think that I'd just ask what others have already, is what is the main focus you want the reader to come away with. that she was a woman rising up through a male field? that she persevered and followed her dream?
(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-16 10:47 am (UTC)