Flashback

 

Before he became a celebrated astronaut, Steve MacLean (BSc ’77; PhD ’83; D.Sc ’93) experienced the exhilaration of hurtling through space while a member of York’s award-winning men’s gymnastics team. A star athlete, MacLean took air on the high bars, and the pommel horse, ascending to the height of Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union all-round national champion in 1976. He soared in his studies as well, receiving in 1977 the Murray G. Ross Award for academic distinction, York’s highest honour for undergraduate achievement. Post-graduation, MacLean joined the Canadian Astronaut Corps, later becoming the second Canadian to walk in space. MacLean credits his university for levelling him up. “York’s approach was interdisciplinary, and that allowed me to have several irons in the fire at once – including training for the gym team and studying physics. Anywhere else it would’ve been difficult to do, so I am eternally grateful for that,” he says. “It was just an amazing balanced environment, and it created the potential for the future.” ■