A futurist poet, artist, and astronaut-explorer, Dr. Sian Leo Proctor shares her extraordinary story of breaking barriers and reaching for the stars.
Dr. Sian Leo Proctor is a visionary artist, futurist, and explorer who made history as the first artist officially selected to go to space with the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission—also becoming the first African-American woman to pilot a spaceship.
Born on Guam to a father who worked at NASA's tracking station during the Apollo missions, Proctor's artistic vision has been shaped by a lifelong connection to space and Earth sciences. Today, her work bridges the worlds of science, space exploration, humanity, and creative expression.
With advanced degrees in Environmental Science, Geology, and Science Education, Proctor's art is deeply informed by her scientific background. As a geoscience professor at Maricopa Community College, she honed her ability to communicate complex ideas through creative expression, laying the groundwork for her unique artistic style.
Proctor's journey as a space artist gained momentum through her experiences as an analog astronaut, participating in multiple simulated space missions, including a NASA-funded four-month Mars simulation. These experiences profoundly influenced her artistic themes, exploring human adaptation, isolation, and discovery.
Dr. Proctor is the founder and CEO of Space2inspire, an art and media entertainment company. Her nonprofit is the Proctor Foundation for Art and Science where she sends community college students and faculty to Space Camp. She is an international speaker and science communicator and has authored multiple books, including the science book Earthlight.
She is currently a member of the National Space Council Users’ Advisory Group and serves on the STEM Education subcommittee and Climate and Societal Benefits subcommittee. She is also the U.S. Department of State Science Envoy for Space.
- Space2inspire: Dynamic Leadership Across Time and Space
- DR. SIAN PROCTOR will share her unique space story and how she learned to overcome imposter syndrome and became the first black female pilot of a spacecraft. In this motivating keynote, she breaks down how preparation, persistence, opportunity, and responsibility have transformed her life and how you can use your unique space to inspire those within your reach and beyond.
- Space2inspire: A Renaissance Roadmap to the Future of Education
- DR. SIAN PROCTOR will share her unique space story while engaging in a thought-provoking and inspiring discussion on how we are currently writing the narrative of human spaceflight and how that has implications for the future of education. In this motivating keynote, she breaks down how Open Educational Resources and the evolving Web3 space are rapidly transforming the way we learn, live, work, and play as we extend humanity to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
- Earthlight Impact: An Orbital Perspective on Sustainability
- DR. SIAN PROCTOR will share her unique space story and how experiencing Earthlight impacted her perspective as a geoscientist and environmentalist. In this motivating keynote, she breaks down how solving for space actually solves for Earth as she invites the audience to discover ways in which they can make a difference for themselves and our planet.
- Manifesting a J.E.D.I. Space (Just, Equitable, Diverse, and Inclusive)
- DR. SIAN PROCTOR will share her unique space story and how she has found her authentic voice through a life-long journey of exploration and discovery. In this motivating keynote, she will take participants into a future centered around creating a just, equitable, diverse, and inclusive space (J.E.D.I. space) both on Earth and beyond.
- The Art of Inspiration
- DR. SIAN PROCTOR will share her unique space story and how she won her seat to space as an artist and poet. In this inspiring keynote, she will take participants on a journey of discovery, loss, perseverance, and celebration through the sharing of her stunning Afrofuturism art and the reading of her poetry.