DR. SALLY RIDE

Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space, cofounded Sally Ride Science in 2001 to inspire young people—especially girls—to stick with their interest in science and to consider pursuing careers in science and engineering. She served as CEO of the company until her death on July 23, 2012, after a 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. 
Sally was finishing her Ph.D. in physics at Stanford University in 1977 when she answered a NASA newspaper ad seeking astronaut candidates. When she blasted off aboard the space shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983, she became the first American woman—and, at 32, the youngest American—in space. Sally's historic flight made her a symbol of the ability of women to break barriers and a hero to generations of adventurous young girls. She flew on Challenger again in 1984 and later was the only person to serve on both panels investigating the nation's space shuttle disasters—the Challenger explosion in 1986 and the breakup of the shuttle Columbia on reentry in 2003. 

After retiring from NASA, Sally became a physics professor and an award-winning author of science books for children. She used her high profile to champion a cause she cared about passionately—igniting students' enthusiasm for science and piquing their interest in careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. At Sally Ride Science, she guided the creation of innovative classroom programs, classroom materials, and professional development programs for teachers and students. 

In 2013 Sally was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest
civilian honor.