The Brown & White

Sally Ride, the first American woman to travel to space, stressed the importance of teaching science and technology to children.

Ride spoke at Zoellner Arts Center on Tuesday for the distinguished lecture series.

Ride said the U.S. is behind other countries in research of science and technology because American universities are not graduating enough students in the subjects.

But it is not the university's fault. The problem starts before college, Ride said. And even before high school.

Children in elementary school are genuinely interested in science and math, but social pressure in middle school filter students, especially women, away from science, she said.

Ride said America can change these stereotypes and retain children's interest in science by making science fun, popular and interesting.

She said emphasizing the education of science and technology will improve the position of the U.S. in the world today.

"All we have to do is sustain and support that interest they already have," she said.

In an attempt to do just that, Ride founded and is the CEO of Sally Ride Science, a science education program for children ranging from third to ninth grade.

Her program attempts to show students science is fun, creative and collaborative, she said.

As a part of the distinguished lecture series and through Sally Ride Science, Ride met with 16 girls from local fourth grade classes. Ride told the class her story, and emphasized the opportunities available for young women.

"There are tons of opportunities available in science and engineering when you grow up," Ride said she told the students. "Right now you're in the stage of building the foundations to help you later on."

Ride was a young child during the 50s, a time when the government really pushed interest toward the sciences. Ride's interest continued into her college years.

While at Stanford University Ride was inspired to apply to the NASA astronaut program.

She said she was eating in the cafeteria at 8 a.m. on a Tuesday when she saw the ad in The Stanford Daily.

"I ripped the ad out of the paper and applied that afternoon," Ride said.

Ride was one of 35 selected by NASA out of an applicant pool of 8,000.

"The applicant pool was so large because it was the first time in 10 years that NASA was hiring new astronauts," Ride said. "It was also a big deal because it was the first time that NASA announced that they were accepting women into the space program."

Ride traveled to space in 1983 aboard the Challenger Space Shuttle. After returning from NASA, Ride worked as a professor of Physics at the University of California San Diego.

Ride said her experiences could be the future for many of today's children.

Gary Lutz, interim dean of the College of Education, said he was particularly struck by how this stigma for girls to be involved in science related fields still persists at such a pervasive level

Lutz said Ride was chosen to speak because of her emphasis on the education of young women in the fields of math and sciences.

"I think Dr. Ride made the point that the universities are at the mercy of the previous schools," Lutz said. "She is such a splendid role model for young girls."

Mackenzie Barth, '12, said Ride's determination and success impressed her.

"It gave me the confidence and courage to accomplish the goals that I have set out for myself," Barth said.

As a part of the distinguished lecture series, Ride follows many notable speakers.

Wangari Maathai, the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, and Thomas Friedman, author of The World is Flat are part of the series.