Jan Davis

Born at Patrick Air Force Base and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, Dr. Jan Davis has been surrounded by aviation and space her entire life. Davis flew as an astronaut on three Space Shuttle missions, spending a total of 28 days in space in the 1990s. She followed up her biomedical engineering degree from Georgia Tech with a mechanical engineering degree from Auburn University and a Ph.D. from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. During her career, she worked for Texaco and for NASA before being selected as an astronaut in 1987. After flying in space, she continued her NASA career in the Senior Executive Service, and then went on to be an industry executive after retiring from NASA. Now a consultant and speaker, she also enjoys traveling, quilting, exploring the outdoors, and working with her non-profit organization, AstraFemina, to encourage girls to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math careers. Her book Air Born: Two Generations in Flight is about her father, a WWII B-17 pilot and POW, her spaceflights, and the common elements among their flying experiences.