:Sian Proctor

Sian Proctor was born on 28 March 1970, in Hagåtña, Guam, to Edward Langley Proctor Jr. and Gloria Deloris. Her father was a Sperry Corporation UNIVAC engineer working for NASA at the Guam Remote Ground Terminal during the Apollo era.{{cite web |last1=Mehrotra |first1=Kriti |title=Inspiration4's Dr. Sian Proctor: Everything We Know |url=https://thecinemaholic.com/inspiration4s-dr-sian-proctor-everything-we-know/ |website=The Cinemaholic |date=6 September 2021 |access-date=16 August 2023}} She is the youngest of four children, with two brothers, Edward Langley Proctor III and Christopher Proctor, and sister Robyn Selent. After the moon landings, Proctor's family moved to Minnesota and later to various Northeastern states while her father changed jobs. Her family moved to Fairport, New York, when she was 14 where she later graduated from Fairport High School.{{Cite web |title=Dr. Sian Proctor's Transformative Space |url=https://www.maricopa.edu/about/sian-proctor |access-date=8 March 2023 |website=Maricopa Community Colleges |page=About the District }}{{Cite news |last=Drake |first=Nadia |date=7 October 2021 |title=Sian Proctor, first Black woman to pilot a spacecraft, opens up about her journey |pages=Science |work=National Geographic |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/sian-proctor-first-black-woman-to-pilot-a-spacecraft-opens-up-about-her-journey |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007190751/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/sian-proctor-first-black-woman-to-pilot-a-spacecraft-opens-up-about-her-journey |url-status=dead |archive-date=7 October 2021 |access-date=8 March 2023}}

She studied at Arizona State University, where she received an undergraduate degree on environmental sciences and later a masters degree in Geology in 1998. In 2006 she obtained a PhD in Science education.{{cite thesis |title=Cognitive process strategies and performance on a contour map memory test |date=2006 |institution=Arizona State University |degree=PhD |last=Proctor |first=Sian Hayley |id={{ProQuest|305357112}} |oclc=759870195}} That same year, Proctor got her pilot's license.{{cite news |last1=Connor |first1=Holly J. |title=Dr. Sian Proctor, The First Black Woman To Pilot A Spacecraft, Makes History: "A Phoenix Rising" |url=https://blackeoejournal.com/2021/10/dr-sian-proctor-first-black-woman-pilot-spacecraft-makes-history-phoenix-rising/ |website=Black EOE Journal |date=13 October 2021 |publisher=DiversityComm |access-date=16 August 2023}}

She is a member of the Association of Space Explorers. Furthermore in December 2022 she was selected as a member of the National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group.{{Cite news |title=Association of Space Explorers |pages=United States |work=Space-explorers |url=https://www.space-explorers.org/USA |access-date=8 March 2023}}{{cite web |last=The White House |date=16 December 2022 |title=Vice President Harris Announces Selections to the National Space Council's Users Advisory Group |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/12/16/vice-president-harris-announces-selections-to-the-national-space-councils-users-advisory-group/ |url-status=live |access-date=18 December 2022 |website=White House |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607052825/https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/12/16/vice-president-harris-announces-selections-to-the-national-space-councils-users-advisory-group/ |archive-date=7 June 2023 }} As part of her training as pilot of the Inspiration4 flight, she trained in a Cessna CitationJet CJ3{{cite web |last1=Kraus |first1=J. |title=Sian Proctor Citation CJ3 jet training |url=https://noirlab.edu/public/images/ann21031g/ |website=NOIRLab |publisher=National Science Foundation |access-date=16 August 2023}} and (under the tutelage of veteran pilot Isaacman) a MiG-29.{{cite tweet |url-access=limited |title=Register |user=rookisaacman |number=1424933167740465161 |url=https://twitter.com/rookisaacman/status/1424933167740465161}}

In 2022 she received the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from University of Massachusetts Lowell.{{Cite news |last1=Gowdey-Backus |first1=Emily |last2=Cicco |first2=Nancy |date=28 April 2022 |title=National COVID Response Leader, First Black Woman Commercial Astronaut To Address Class of 2022 |pages=Press Release |work=UMASS Lowell |url=https://www.uml.edu/news/press-releases/2022/commencementspeakersrelease042722.aspx |access-date=8 March 2023}}

In 2023 she participated in the space camp Space 2101 at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.{{Cite news |date=30 January 2023 |title=KAUST Space 2101 offers KSA students an 'Out-Of-This-World' STEAM-Learning Experience |work=Saudi Gazette |location=Thuwal |url=https://www.saudigazette.com.sa/article/629372/SAUDI-ARABIA/KAUST-Space-2101-offers-KSA-students-an-Out-Of-This-World-STEAM-Learning-Experience |access-date=8 March 2023}}

Proctor was a finalist for the 2009 NASA Astronaut Selection Process. She was one of 47 finalists competing against over 3,500 applicants. Nonetheless, during the final round, she was not one of the nine astronaut candidates selected for the 2009 NASA Astronaut Group.{{Cite web |title=Dr. Sian Proctor's Transformative Space |url=https://www.maricopa.edu/about/sian-proctor |access-date=8 March 2023 |website=Maricopa Community Colleges |page=About the District }}

File:Inspiration4 crew visits NASA's JSC.jpg

Proctor went to space as a commercial astronaut and pilot of the Crew Dragon orbital spaceflight mission Inspiration4, which launched on 15 September 2021. The Prosperity seat, was obtained as she won an entrepreneur competition. During the flight training she received the call sign Leo.{{Cite news |last1=Bardhan |first1=Ashley |last2=Brown |first2=Mike |date=3 September 2021 |title=Inspiration4: Why it's going higher than the ISS |work=Inverse |url=https://www.inverse.com/innovation/inspiration4-why-its-going-to-fly-higher-than-the-iss |url-status=dead |access-date=9 March 2023 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210917195330/https://www.inverse.com/innovation/inspiration4-why-its-going-to-fly-higher-than-the-iss |archive-date=17 September 2021}}{{Cite news |last=Kan |first=Michel |date=16 September 2021 |title=Inspiration 4 Successfully Blasts Off for the First All-Civilian Orbital Space Flight |pages=Science & Space |work=PC Magazine |url=https://www.pcmag.com/news/how-to-watch-inspiration-4-blast-off-for-the-first-all-civilian-orbital |access-date=9 March 2023}}{{Cite news |last=Chang |first=Kenneth |date=1 February 2021 |title=To Get on This SpaceX Flight, You Don't Have to Be Rich, Just Lucky |pages=SpaceX's Astronaut Launch |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/science/spacex-jared-isaacman.html |url-status=dead |access-date=9 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210201222557if_/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/01/science/spacex-jared-isaacman.html |archive-date=1 February 2021}}{{Cite news |last=Thompson |first=Amy |date=15 September 2021 |title=Inspiration4's call signs: The crew of SpaceX's all-civilian mission have special nicknames |pages=Spaceflight |work=Space |location=Cape Canaveral |url=https://www.space.com/spacex-inspiration4-call-signs |access-date=9 March 2023}}

She was joined by Jared Isaacman, Hayley Arceneaux, and Chris Sembroski, for the first all-civilian human spaceflight mission. In August 2021 she was featured on the cover of a Time magazine double issue with the rest of the crew of Inspiration4.{{Cite news |last=Thompson |first=Amy |date=22 October 2021 |title=Inspiration4 astronaut Sian Proctor reflects on historic SpaceX spaceflight experience |pages=Spaceflight |work=Space |url=https://www.space.com/inspiration4-spacex-mission-sian-proctor-reflection |access-date=25 January 2022}}{{Cite magazine |last=Kluger |first=Jeffrey |date=10 August 2021 |title=Four Civilian Astronauts. Three Days in Orbit. One Giant Leap. Meet the Inspiration4 Crew |pages=Science: Space |magazine=Time |url=https://time.com/magazine/us/6089812/august-23rd-2021-vol-198-no-7-u-s/ |access-date=15 September 2021}}{{Cite magazine |last=Kluger |first=Jeffrey |date=23 April 2021 |title=Meet the Inspiration4 Team, the World's First Non-Professional Astronaut Space Crew |pages=Science: Space |magazine=Time |url=https://time.com/5957244/inspiration4-crew/ |access-date=9 March 2023}}

As a scientist-astronaut, Proctor was selected to be a U.S. Science Envoy in 2024 to represent the United States Department of State's global initiative to promote civil use of space in order "to build peer-to-peer connections with foreign researchers, promote space science education, and raise awareness of the importance of space science to society."{{cite web |title=Announcement of the 2024 Cohort of U.S. Science Envoys |url=https://www.state.gov/announcement-of-the-2024-cohort-of-u-s-science-envoys/ |website=U.S Department of State |publisher=USA |access-date=19 August 2024}}{{cite web |title=FACT SHEET: Strengthening U.S. International Space Partnerships |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/12/20/fact-sheet-strengthening-u-s-international-space-partnerships/ |website=White House |date=20 December 2023 |publisher=USA |access-date=19 August 2024}} The 2024 Cohort of U.S. Science Envoys is the first all-female cohort in the history of the U.S. Science Envoy Program.{{cite web |title=Announcement of the 2024 Cohort of U.S. Science Envoys |url=https://www.state.gov/announcement-of-the-2024-cohort-of-u-s-science-envoys/ |website=White House |publisher=USA |access-date=19 August 2024}}

Proctor acted as education outreach officer for the NASA-funded Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) mission. The purpose of the mission was to investigate food strategies for long duration spaceflight and missions to the Moon or Mars.

During the four-month simulation, Proctor was hired by Discover Magazine as the photographer for Kate Greene's article Simulating Mars on Earth. She also filmed the Meals for Mars YouTube series while in the Mars simulation.{{Cite news |last=Greene |first=Kate |date=10 May 2013 |title=What the First Martian Settlers Will Eat (Maybe) |work=Discover |url=http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/fieldnotes/2013/05/10/what-the-first-martian-settlers-will-eat-maybe/#.WShDURPyuEI |url-status=dead |access-date=26 May 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130711050412if_/http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/fieldnotes/2013/05/10/what-the-first-martian-settlers-will-eat-maybe/ |archive-date=11 July 2013}}{{Cite web |last=Proctor |first=Sian |date=October 2018 |title=Eat Like a Martian |url=https://www.ted.com/talks/sian_proctor_eat_like_a_martian |access-date=9 March 2023 |website=TED |publication-place=Tucson Salon }}{{Cite web |last=Proctor |first=Sian |date=2013 |title=Meals For Mars |url=https://www.youtube.com/user/HISEASMars |access-date=25 January 2022 |website=YouTube }}

In 2014, she was selected as a PolarTREC teacher, which is a program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that connects teachers with scientists conducting research in the arctic and Antarctic regions. As part of this program, she spent a month in Barrow, Alaska learning historical ecology for risk management and investigating the impact of climate change on the coastline and community.{{Cite web |last=Proctor |first=Sian |date=5 February 2014 |title=Sian Proctor |url=https://www.polartrec.com/member/sian-proctor |access-date=26 May 2017 |website=PolarTREC |page=Member |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Cornelius |first=Keridwen |date=8 December 2018 |title=Curiosity Rover |pages=People |work=Phoenix |url=https://www.phoenixmag.com/2018/12/01/curiosity-rover/ |access-date=9 March 2023}}

In 2016, she was selected as a ACEAP Ambassador. A program from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that sends K–16 formal and informal astronomy educators to US astronomy facilities in Chile. During the summer of 2016, she joined eight other ambassadors as they visited Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), Gemini South Observatory, and the Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA).{{Cite web |last=Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program |date=2016 |title=ACEAP 2016 Ambassadors |url=https://www.astroambassadors.com/2016ambassadors/ |url-status=live |access-date=10 June 2018 |publisher=Associated Universities, Inc. |website=Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program |page=ACEAP 2016 Ambassadors |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609073533/https://www.astroambassadors.com/2016ambassadors/ |archive-date=9 June 2023 }}

Proctor returned to San Pedro, Chile in 2017 to engage in STEM education outreach activities with the local high school and surrounding community.

She participated in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Teacher at Sea program in 2017. The program was started in 1990 and provides teachers with research experience working at sea. In her case, during three weeks she conducted pollock research in the Bering Sea on the fisheries vessel Oscar Dyson and detailed her experience for the blog of NOAA.{{Cite web |last=Proctor |first=Sian |date=2 August 2017 |title=Sian Proctor: A Fast Farewell! |url=https://noaateacheratsea.blog/author/sproctor2017/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607094803/https://noaateacheratsea.blog/author/sproctor2017/ |archive-date=7 June 2023 |access-date=25 January 2022 |website=NOAA Teachers at Sea Blog |page=Past Seasons |publication-place=Gulf of Alaska }}

File:Astronauts in KAUST 3.jpg in 2023]]

She is an international speaker, communicating about science education, leadership, spacial simulations, sustainable foods and diversity in science. Furthermore, she has given several TEDx Talks.{{Cite web |last=Proctor |first=Sian |title=International Speaker |url=https://www.drsianproctor.com/speaker/ |url-status=live |access-date=9 March 2023 |page=Appearances |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305155342/https://www.drsianproctor.com/speaker/ |archive-date=5 March 2023 }}{{Cite web |last=Proctor |first=Sian |title=Imposter Syndrome: Overcoming the Voice From Within |date=7 February 2019 |url=https://www.ted.com/talks/sian_proctor_imposter_syndrome_overcoming_the_voice_from_within |access-date=9 March 2023 |publisher=TED |format=mp4 |publication-place=South Mountain Community Library}}{{Cite web |last=Proctor |first=Sian |title=Our Transformative Space |date=10 September 2019 |url=https://www.ted.com/talks/sian_proctor_our_transformative_space |access-date=9 March 2023 |publisher=TED }}

Proctor is a life-long artist, painter, and poet. She is a noted Afrofurist artist, working in digital, multi-media, and painting mediums. Proctor is known for her expressions of connection, source, and the divine that she calls AfroGaia.{{cite web |last1=Koren |first1=Marina |title=Seeing Earth From Space Will Change You |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/01/astronauts-visiting-space-overview-effect-spacex-blue-origin/672226/ |website=theatlantic.com |date=10 December 2022 |publisher=The Atlantic |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230106221802/https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/01/astronauts-visiting-space-overview-effect-spacex-blue-origin/672226/ |access-date=14 August 2023|archive-date=6 January 2023 }} Following her spaceflight, her work frequently makes reference to and is inspired by the space orbit phenomenon of sunlight reflecting off the Earth and back into space and onto spacecraft and astronauts in orbit known as Earthlight (astronomy).{{cite journal |last1=MICHEL |first1=CAROLINA LONDONO |title=1.6 EarthLight |url=https://open.maricopa.edu/hazards/chapter/1-6-earthlight/ |website=maricopa.edu |date=7 June 2021 |publisher=Mariposa Community College}} She is an artist-in-residence at Arizona State University.{{cite web |last1=Baker |first1=Lori |title=1st Black woman to pilot a US spacecraft lands new position at ASU |url=https://news.asu.edu/20220930-creativity-1st-black-woman-pilot-us-spacecraft-lands-new-position-asu |website=asu.edu|date=30 September 2022 }} While aboard the orbiting Crew Dragon spaceship, she became the first African-American to paint in space.{{cite web |last1=Prlich |first1=Donna |title=Impact: Explore 2023 Shows How Planet Data Aims To Change The World |url=https://www.planet.com/pulse/illumination-inspiration-and-impact-explore-2023-shows-how-planet-data-aims-to-change-the-world/ |access-date=14 August 2023}}

Dr Proctor has made multiple appearances on television series and documentaries.{{Cite episode|series=Genius by Stephen Hawking |url=http://www.pbs.org/genius-by-stephen-hawking/episodes/episode-2/ |access-date=10 June 2018|title=Are We Alone? |website=PBS |number= 2 }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/strange-evidence/ |title=Strange Evidence |website=Science Channel |access-date=10 June 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612140229/https://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/strange-evidence/ |archive-date=12 June 2018}}{{Cite web |last=Proctor |first=Sian |title=Lights, camera, action! |url=https://www.drsianproctor.com/about/on-camara-personality/ |url-status=live |access-date=9 March 2023 |page=On camera personality |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230306130215/https://www.drsianproctor.com/about/on-camara-personality/ |archive-date=6 March 2023 }}

• EarthLight: The Power of EarthLight and the Human Perspective (2024) {{ISBN|1733765441}}
• Space2inspire: The Art of Inspiration (2022) {{ISBN|1733765425}}
• An Analog Astronaut Living and Cooking in a Simulated Mars Mission (2019) {{ISBN|1733765409}}

{{Reflist}}

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• {{official website|drsianproctor.com}}
• [http://www.southmountaincc.edu/directory/faculty-staff/sian-proctor/ Sian Proctor's South Mountain Community College Website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191101182222/http://www.southmountaincc.edu/directory/faculty-staff/sian-proctor/ |date=1 November 2019 }}
• [http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/tourists/english/proctor_sian.htm Tourist Biography: Sian Proctor]

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Category:1970 births

Category:21st-century African-American scientists

Category:21st-century African-American women

Category:21st-century American geologists

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Category:African-American women scientists

Category:Arizona State University alumni

Category:American astronauts

Category:American women astronauts

Category:Pennsylvania Western University, Edinboro alumni

Category:HI-SEAS

Category:Inspiration4

Category:Living people

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Category:Space artists

Category:Spaceflight participants

Category:SpaceX astronauts

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