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Roberta Lynn Bondar
NRC/CSA Astronaut
Born	December 4, 1945 (1945-12-04) (age 64) Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Other occupation	Neurologist, Scientist, Educator, Author, Photographer
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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Post-NASA career

Bondar giving a 2007 presentation on environmentalism

[edit] Physician scientist

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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.

[edit] Consultant, public speaker and spokesperson

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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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] See also

• List of Canadian university leaders

[edit] References

[edit] External links