University of Texas Arlington

ARLINGTON - Astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, is the next speaker in The University of Texas Maverick Speakers Series.

Sally Ride

Ride will speak on "Leadership and America's Future in Space" at 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 15, in Texas Hall, 701 W. Nedderman Drive. The event is free but tickets are required. Tickets are available at www.utatickets.com.  

Ride became the first American woman in space when she joined the STS-7 crew June 18, 1983. She was 32 and the youngest person to enter space. Ride flew two Shuttle missions, totaling more than two weeks in space.

In the wake of the 1986 Challenger disaster, Ride was named to the Presidential Commission investigating the accident. She later authored NASA's first strategic plan and served on the Space Shuttle Columbia Accident Investigation Board in 2003.

Ride is a physics professor at the University of California at San Diego and is president and CEO of Sally Ride Science, which focuses on building interest in science among children, especially girls.

Ride's lecture also is part of the 50^th anniversary celebration of UT Arlington's College of Engineering.

This year's Maverick Speaker Series concludes with a March 24 lecture by CNN legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin.

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The University of Texas at Arlington is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer.