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Dr Sian Proctor

The world’s first black female astronaut to pilot a spacecraft, selected for the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission and founder of Space2inspire.

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Dr Sian Proctor is a leading astronaut, geoscientist, artist, keynote speaker and founder of Space2inspire, whose revolutionary work is sure to go down in the history books. In 2021 Sian became the first ever African American woman to pilot a spacecraft, the Inspiration4, in the first all-civilian mission to space. Sian has over two decades of experience delivering lectures as a professor since 1999 and is now a highly sought-after keynote speaker who engages and inspires her audiences. Sian is able to give tailored talks on topics such as geology, inspirational leadership, exploration, and imposter syndrome, as a small selection.

Born on the isolated island of Guam, Sian completed her BSc in Environmental Science at Edinboro University, Pennsylvania. She would then go on to complete a master’s in Geology at Arizona State University and her PhD in Curriculum and Instructions: Science Education at Arizona State University which she completed in 2006. Sian has had a truly rich and diverse career; her first role was as a Video Editor for WROC Channel 8.

Alongside her studies, she was a Geology Field School Graduate Teaching Assistant for Arizona State University, this was her first role in education, a sector which she would stay in for over 23 years at South Mountain Community College as a Geoscience and Sustainability Professor. As a testament to her extraordinary teaching ability, Sian was awarded the NISOD Award for Excellence in Teaching for 2010-2011.

Devoted to inspiring others, Sian has given a wide range of keynotes to many different organisations, including women leadership groups, universities, k-12 education and informal STEM and community organisations. Sian uses AfronautSpace to inspire other black women, and encourage the conversation about black women in the industry. As an Analog Astronaut, she has completed a total of four missions: Sensoria Mars 2020 mission at HI-SEAS habitat, the NASA funded 4 months Mars mission at HI-SEAS, a 2 week Mars mission at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) and a 2 week Moon mission in the LunAres Habitat.

Sian’s TEDx talks are on the topics of ‘Eat Like a Martian’ and ‘Imposter Syndrome’; passionate about sustainability both on and off Earth, Sian released the book ‘Meals for Mars’ and believes the technologies which solve their problems in space will help will many of the problems we face on Earth too. As the CEO of Star Harbor, Sian is part of a team dedicated to making sure there is a sustainable thriving future both on Earth and in space for the future generations.

Sian believes in leading by example, and as a board member for numerous Space organisations, including JustSpace Alliance, Science in the Wild, SEDS USA, Explore Mars and the National Science Teaching Association’s Aerospace Advisory Board, there is no doubt that Sian’s expertise and knowledge is in high demand. In her talks, Sian engages the audience and encourages discussions about leadership, making connections, maximising opportunity and exploring our world and beyond.

Key Achievements:

2022 – Member of the National Space Council’s User Advisory Group
2022 – Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Massachusetts Lowell
2021 – Inspiration4 Mission Pilot for SpaceX
2021 – Featured on the front cover of Time Magazine
2020 – Open Education Resources Coordinator for Maricopa Community Colleges
2020 – Vice President of Education for Star Harbor
2019 – Citizen Scientist Astronaut Candidate for Project PoSSUM
2019 – CEO of Flight Ready Systems
2016 – Guest Lecturer at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Arizona State University
2016 – Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassadors Program for the National Science Foundation
2014 – Historical Ecology for Risk Management for PolarTREC
2013 – HI-SEAS Mission 1 for Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation
2007 – ASCEND at South Mountain Community College
2006 – Proposal Reviewer for the National Science Foundation
2004 – NASA Spaceflight and Life Sciences Training Programme
1999 – Geoscience & Sustainability Professor at South Mountain Community College
1996 – Geology Field School Graduate Teaching Assistant at Arizona State University

“Sian has made such an impact on our programme in such a short amount of time! My students, age 50+, immediately fell in love with her presentation style and personality and they could not get enough of her classes. She is intelligent and motivational; she makes learning fun at any age. Aside from her excellent teaching skills, she is a pleasure to work with before and after the event. She responds quickly to all correspondence during the planning stages, arrives early for class, and is prepared with informative and well-thought-out discussion topics. I will hire her again and again!”

“Imagine the power of hearing up-front and intimate the true-life experience of someone who rose above thousands of candidates to the last cut-off for the opportunity of being an astronaut…and not make it…speak on the personal success of that experience, and the transformative power of all of life’s experiences. The takeaway from Sian Proctor’s story is as vital as it is far-reaching. As a scientist, accomplished academic, and highly-regarded science communicator, Dr. Sian Proctor’s story is less a tale of where she has been then it is a description of where she is going and why we should care. The fact is when it comes to pursuing our dreams-and discovering for ourselves the multi-faced value of the journey-we should all care. And upon hearing Sian Proctor speak, believe me when I say, you will care.”

“Dr Sian Proctor has presented at Scottsdale Community College’s TechTalks event on three occasions. Her presentations are engaging and always well-aligned with the theme of our event. Dr Proctor has a strong stage presence and is relatable to a wide array of audiences from students, to teachers, to scientists, she is able to pique their interest, hold their attention and inspire them.”

“Sian Proctor spoke at Edinboro University in October 2017 to a sellout crowd of more than 125 students and faculty. Her talk, “The Power to Connect,” was interactive, motivational, engaging and thought-provoking. The students are still talking about how inspiring she was to them! Many geoscience students attended the event because Sian is a 1992 geosciences graduate of Edinboro University. She showed them that with determination, focus, getting out of your comfort zone and using your connections, you can achieve your dreams!”

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Dr Sian Proctor

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