Astronaut Bernard Harris Jr., M.D., to Speak at Ursinus College

Ursinus College’s Center for Science and the Common Good
presents NASA astronaut Bernard A. Harris Jr., M.D., Sept. 3, at 6:45 p.m. in
Lenfest Theater in the Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Center. He will speak on
“An Astronaut’s Perspective: Healthcare Is a Human Right.”

Defining
himself as a “dreamer who believes nothing is impossible,” Dr. Harris
is a NASA astronaut, physician and businessman. He currently serves as
president of The Harris Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization he
founded in 1998 to develop math/science education and crime prevention
programs for America’s youth. Because he credits his personal
achievements to self-empowerment and self-determination, he uses this
foundation to inspire young people.

The Center for Science and the Common Good provides
opportunities for all Ursinus students to consider the impact of science
on the common good and is a resource for students on the impact of
science and society. It is funded by a grant from the Howard Hughes
Medical Institute.

Dr. Harris has accomplished much throughout his life. In
1990, he was selected as a NASA astronaut and flew his first mission
three years later. A payload commander of STS-63, the first flight of
the joint Russian-American space program, Harris fulfilled his childhood
dream by walking in space, becoming the first African American to do
so. At the time of his retirement from NASA in 1996, he had logged more
than 438 hours in space and traveled over 7.2 million miles.

Equally
impressive as his NASA career is Dr. Harris’s career in business and
development. He served as Vice President of SPACEHAB, Inc., where he was
involved in business development and marketing of the company’s
space-based products and services. He also was Vice President of
Business Development for Space Media, Inc., establishing an
international space education program for students. In addition, he is a
member of the board of some of the leading technology companies in the
world. Collectively, Harris has 37 years of total experience in
research, management and hardware/product development, and has authored
numerous scientific publications.

A native Texan born in 1956,
Harris earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of
Houston and later a doctorate of medicine from Texas Tech University
School of Medicine. A trained aerospace flight surgeon, he completed his
residency at the Mayo Clinic and fellowship at

the NASA Ames Research Center. He also has earned a Master of
Medical Science from the University of Texas Medical Branch at
Galveston, a Master of Business Administration from the University of
Houston Clear Lake and was the recipient of honorary degrees from
Morehouse School of Medicine and Stony Brook University (SUNY).

He
holds several faculty appointments including Associate Professor in
internal medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch and
Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Harris serves on
several federal, state and corporate boards. He is also a licensed
private pilot. He was elected as a Fellow of the American College of
Physicians, received the NASA Award of Merit and the 2000 Horatio Alger
Award.

The Center for Science and Common Good provides
opportunities for all Ursinus students to think, speak, and write about
the impact of science on the common good by maintaining a seminar
series, hosting a Science Writer in Residence, and developing new
courses. In addition, the Center encourages further leadership
development among Fellows of the Center, who are prepared explicitly for
both scientific and civic leadership, and FUTURE Students of the
Center, members of underserved populations in science who are given
research opportunities to ensure that they remain in science and have
the opportunity to become Fellows of the Center.