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A determined and influential woman in STEM, Dr Sian Proctor has continually defied stereotypes and barriers to become the World’s first Black female astronaut to pilot a spacecraft. In 2021, Sian was selected to board the first-all civilian orbital mission to space, joining the crew of SpaceX’s Inspiration4 and journeying into space. Throughout her career, Sian has pioneered the STEM sector, working on many missions simulating life on the Moon and Mars, studying the isolation and stresses of space exploration. Now hired as a speaker for corporate events, Sian covers topics of analogue astronaut simulations, STEM education, diversity in STEM and personal development.
Before achieving her dream of becoming an astronaut, Sian joined the NASA Spaceflight and Life Sciences Training Programme in 2004, completing a summer research traineeship for science students. She also began working in education, appointed as a Geoscience and Sustainability Professor at South Mountain Community College and a Geology Field School Graduate Teaching Assistant at Arizona State University. She has also worked as a Proposal Reviewer for the National Science Foundation, a Citizen Scientist Astronaut Candidate for Project PoSSUM, an Open Education Resources Coordinator for Maricopa Community Colleges and on the HI-SEAS Mission 1 for Hawai’i Space Exploration Program for the National Science Foundation. She spent four months living on the side of a Hawaiian volcano, investigating the isolation and stresses of travelling to Mars for NASA.
In 2009, Sian applied among 3500 other people for a mission to space with NASA, reaching the selection of 47 finalists, before unfortunately being cut from the selection. Despite this setback, Sian went on to apply a further two times, unfortunately not making a selection on three occasions. Nevertheless, Sian remained hopeful and applied to join the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission. As the Founder of Space2Inspiration, an initiative that encourages change in the world, Sian was selected to pilot the SpaceX Inspiration4, a feat that was documented in Netflix’s Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space. In addition to her space travels, Sian has also authored the Meals for Mars Cookbook and Space2Inspire: The Art of Inspiration.
A pioneer of civilian space exploration, Dr Sian is now highly sought after for corporate and educational speaking engagements. Internationally revered as a motivational speaker, Sian inspires audiences around the globe with her passion for science education and communication. Combining her experience of Earth missions and her adventures in space, Sian also shares her provoking messages as the Founder of Space2Inspire. Inspiring audiences to believe in themselves and strive to achieve their dreams, Sian specialises in topics such as leadership, sustainable food solutions, diversity in STEM, personal development, networking, the future of education, living in a Mars simulation and how to create opportunity. A seasoned speaker, Sian has also previously delivered two TEDx talks, titled Imposter Syndrome and Eat Like A Martian. If you are looking for an inspirational woman in STEM to speak at your next event, don’t hesitate in hiring Dr Sian Proctor today!
“Dr Sian Proctor has presented at Scottsdale Community College’s TechTalks event on three occasions. Her presentations are engaging and always well-aligned with the theme of our event. Dr Proctor has a strong stage presence and is relatable to a wide array of audiences from students, to teachers, to scientists, she is able to pique their interest, hold their attention and inspire them”
“Sian has made such an impact on our program in such a short amount of time! My students, age 50+, immediately fell in love with her presentation style and personality and they could not get enough of her classes. She is intelligent and motivational; she makes learning fun at any age. Aside from her excellent teaching skills, she is a pleasure to work with before and after the event. She responds quickly to all correspondence during the planning stages, arrives early for class, and is prepared with informative and well-thought-out discussion topics. I will hire her again and again!”
“Sian Proctor spoke at Edinboro University in October 2017 to a sellout crowd of more than 125 students and faculty. Her talk, “The Power to Connect,” was interactive, motivational, engaging and thought-provoking. The students are still talking about how inspiring she was to them! Many geoscience students attended the event because Sian is a 1992 geosciences graduate of Edinboro University. She showed them that with determination, focus, getting out of your comfort zone and using your connections, you can achieve your dreams!”
The Diversity and Inclusion Speakers Agency has been one of the UK’s leading bureaus for inspirational figures of different races, genders, sexualities and abilities since 2020. We supply speakers for corporate and public events across the world, and cater to both in-person occasions and online webinars. Our roster includes athletes, psychologists, celebrities and more, to ensure that audiences of all industries receive tailored, impactful advice on diversity and inclusion.
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