Jersey City (April 11, 2006) — Dr. Greg Olsen, the third private citizen to orbit the earth, will discuss My Voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) at Saint Peter’s College on Wednesday, April 19 at 4 pm in Pope Hall in the 55th Annual Mendel Lecture.
“We are pleased to have Dr. Olsen talk about his incredible journey as one of only three private citizens to have traveled into space,” said Dr. Katherine Wydner, a Biology Professor and organizer of the series. “His insights into the benefits of space travel and what he has gained through a diverse and prolific career as a researcher are invaluable.”
Dr. Olsen launched into space aboard a Soyuz spacecraft on a 10-day trip to the ISS in September of last year. Dr. Olsen, a scientist and entrepreneur, paid $20 million to accompany the Russian team into space. He completed over 900 hours of training in Star City, Russia in preparation for the mission. He logged almost 4 million miles of weightless travel in space during the mission. Dr. Olsen participated in a research program of the European Space Agency while aboard the ISS. The research focused on the human body’s response to the microgravity environment and examined the possible cause of nausea and lower back pain.
Dr. Olsen is president of GHO Ventures in Princeton. He received a BS in Physics, BSEE and MS in Physics from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He earned a Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Virginia. He performed post-doctoral studies at the University of Port Elizabeth (South Africa), taught elementary physics classes, and worked as a research scientist at RCA Labs (Sarnoff Center) from 1972-1983. He has been awarded 12 patents and written more than 100 technical papers.
The Mendel Lecture is the longest running lecture series in the College’s history. This year’s event is co-sponsored by the Biology Department and the Mendel Biology Society, a student-run organization, and will take place in the Pope Lecture Hall on the Jersey City campus.
Saint Peter’s College is the Jesuit College of New Jersey. Founded in 1872, Saint Peter’s has an enrollment of approximately 3,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The main campus is located in Jersey City. The College has a branch campus for adults in Englewood Cliffs and also offers courses at various corporate sites at the Jersey City waterfront and in South Amboy.