Oakland, CA - Mills College will mark the beginning of academic year 2005-06 at Convocation on Friday, September 30, 2005 with featured speaker Sally Ride, a former NASA astronaut and the first American woman in space. The event will be held in the College’s Concert Hall at 10:15 a.m. Every fall, Convocation formally celebrates the new academic year, honors student and faculty achievements with special awards, and recognizes the year’s graduating class.

Following Convocation, Mills will host a Groundbreaking Ceremony at 12:30 p.m. in the Life Sciences Building. The event launches the future of science education at Mills with a state-of-the-art, two-story Natural Sciences Building to be constructed as a centralized facility for biology, psychology, chemistry, and physics programs.

Dr. Ride is the president and CEO of Sally Ride Science, a company that creates programs and publications dedicated to supporting girls’ interests in math, science, and technology. She is a professor of physics at the University of California at San Diego.

Dr. Ride was aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1983 and 1984. During those flights, she deployed communications satellites, operated the robot arm, and conducted experiments.

Dr. Ride was a member of both the Presidential Commission investigating the Challenger accident, and the board investigating the Columbia accident. She is the only person to serve on both investigation boards. Dr. Ride created and was the first director of NASA’s Office of Exploration. She has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the Astronaut Hall of Fame, and twice received the National Spaceflight Medal.

Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering innovative degree programs for undergraduate women, and graduate degree and certificate programs for women and men. Consistently ranked among the top 75 liberal arts colleges in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Mills is also recognized as one of the country’s 20 most diverse colleges. The Princeton Review selected Mills as one of only 11 new colleges included in its Best 361 Colleges – 2005.

Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California on 135 lush acres, Mills provides a dynamic liberal arts education fostering women’s leadership, social responsibility, and creativity..

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Deborah Dallinger
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