NASA Astronaut to Receive Highest Honor by Institute of Polish Culture

NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski, a veteran of five spaceflights, will receive a Gold Medal from The American Institute of Polish Culture Inc. The Gold Medal will be presented during the 36th International Polonaise Ball in Miami at the Surf Club on Feb. 2. The black tie gala begins at 7 p.m.

The Gold Medal is the highest distinction given by the Institute. Previous recipients include President Lech Walesa, Professor Norman Davies, Senator Barbara Mikulski and actress Stefanie Powers. This year’s event will emphasize contributions by scientists and scholars whose works and innovations helped change the world.

Since being selected by NASA in 1992, Parazynski has logged almost 1,400 hours in space, including more than 47 hours in seven spacewalks, and traveled more than 23 million miles.

Parazynski received a Bachelor of Science in biology from Stanford University in 1983, continuing on to graduate with honors from Stanford Medical School in 1989. He served his medical internship at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Harvard Medical School (1990) and completed 22 months of a residency program in emergency medicine in Denver before being selected to the astronaut corps.

Last fall, Parazynski served as lead spacewalker for STS-120 which launched Oct. 23 from Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The crew delivered the Harmony module. The flight featured an unprecedented spacewalk by Parazynski to repair a damaged solar array. The 15-day mission landed on Nov. 7 after traveling 6.2 million miles.

For more information about Parazynski and STS-120, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts120/index.html

For more information about the American Institute of Polish Culture, visit: http://www.ampolinstitute.org.ic.pl/_engine/page_render.asp

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For more information about the International Polonaise Ball, contact Beata Paszyc, American Institute of Polish Culture Inc., at 305-864-2349. To schedule an interview with Parazynski, contact Brenda Cabaniss, Astronaut Appearances Office, at 281-244-8860.