Former Shuttle Astronaut to Visit UVa-Wise as Part of University Fellows Program
April 3, 2000

Kathryn C. Thornton, a veteran of four space shuttle missions who holds the record for space walks by an American female astronaut, will visit The University of Virginia's College at Wise April 11-13 as part of the University Fellows program.

The public is invited to attend a presentation by Thornton at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12 in the College's science lecture hall. The Wise County Public School System will host Thornton for a special presentation to teachers, parents and students at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, April 12 at J. J. Kelly High School in Wise.

Thornton left NASA in 1996 to join the faculty of the University of Virginia's School of Engineering and Applied Science. She also is director of U.Va.'s Center for Science, Mathematics and Engineering Education, an interdisciplinary project dedicated to improving science, math and engineering education by offering pre-service and in-service education to K-12 teachers.

In January, Thornton was asked by NASA to be part of a 16-member independent panel investigating what went wrong with the Mars Polar Lander. The group recently completed its work, Thornton is expected to discuss the group's findings during her public lectures.

Thornton received her undergraduate degree from Auburn University, a master's degree in physics from U.Va. in 1977, and a doctorate in physics from U.Va. in 1979.

An Alabama native, Thornton began her career as a physicist for the U.S. Army. In 1984, she was one of about 20 people selected to participate in the shuttle program. She became an astronaut just two years before the Challenger disaster and flew her first mission in 1989, one of the first following the tragic shuttle accident.

During her 12 years as an astronaut, Thornton flew four space missions, including the first mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope. She logged more than 975 hours in space, including more than 21 hours of space walking. The mother of three daughters and two stepsons, Thornton was the first American mother, and only the second American woman, to walk in space.

Thornton was awarded NASA's Distinguished Service Medal for her work on the Hubble telescope. In 1994, she received U.Va's Women's Center Distinguished Alumna Award. That same year the Virginia General Assembly passed a resolution commending her service.

Established in 1998 as a way to forge more direct links between the academic programs at The University of Virginia's College at Wise and the University of Virginia, the University Fellows program provides faculty and students at UVa-Wise with an opportunity to interact with some of the University's most outstanding professors.

For more information, contact the Office of College Relations at 540-328-0130.