“A pina colada would have been really nice,” joked University of Wisconsin alumna Laurel Clark as she complained about the high temperatures aboard the space shuttle Columbia last week.
Clark, 41, along with six other space shuttle Columbia crewmembers, died tragically early Saturday morning aboard the shuttle.
To Clark, the NASA mission was not only a great step for the understanding of science in space, but also a personal achievement of hard work and success that she attributed in part to her past at UW.
In 1979, Clark began as an “undecided” major when she moved into the Elizabeth Waters dormitory. She became a science major and graduated in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in zoology.
“I loved my zoology classes, but I also remember many wonderful classes that were unrelated to what I ended up doing,” said Clark in an interview shortly before the mission commenced. “Taking this broad range of classes really fostered my appreciation of the depth of the education that I was getting.”
Clark continued on to UW Medical School and received her doctorate in medicine in 1987.
Almost 20 years after Clark’s graduation, her passion for science continued with work for NASA. Out of a group of more than 100 astronauts, she was selected as a Missions Specialist for a research mission to perform approximately 80 science experiments during 16 days aboard the Columbia. Two experiments were led by UW’s Wisconsin Center for Space Automation and Robotics, in which Clark had specifically requested to take part.
“I myself never thought about being an astronaut until I was in my 30s,” Clark had said. “I feel very fortunate every day that I’ve been chosen to do what I’m going to do. I think that sometimes life takes you in very unexpected ways.”
During another interview in June 2002, Clark told Phillip Certain, dean of the College of Letters and Science, that she was excited about the mission for many reasons, one of which was “because we’re flying an experiment that’s actually from the University of Wisconsin.”
Even aboard the Columbia, Clark’s connection and bond to her past at the university lingered heavily. She brought on board a medical school medallion and a Wisconsin-made teddy bear as keepsakes. The teddy bear, named Ursula Minor, had “UW-Madison” and “Zoology” embroidered across the heart of its jacket.
“Laurel said she would like to recognize the role the University of Wisconsin has played in her life by flying [with] an item from her undergraduate school,” Certain said.
Before her flight, Clark regretfully stated, “I really haven’t been able to visit Madison as much as I would like to … I’m actually very much looking forward to coming back and sharing with people there some of the places I’ve been and some of the things I’ve done.”
“I have so many strong memories of those years. It was a wonderful place that expected excellence and emphasized independence. It was an environment that really taught me to think on my own,” Clark said.
In turn, UW will forever remember Clark as an individual, an alumna and a hero, medical school Dean Paul M. DeLuca said.
“We are extremely saddened by the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and our alumna, Dr. Laurel Clark. Laurel was an extraordinary young woman who contributed much to science and space flight.”
DeLuca continued by sending his condolences to Laurel’s family and friends.
“Laurel will be remembered as a dedicated physician and talented researcher. Her warm spirit and vision will continue on in her achievements,” DeLuca said.
