Stephanie Gannaway-Osborn (September 23, 1960 - ), who also writes as Steph Osborn and Stephanie Osborn, is an American scientist and science fiction author who has worked on the Space Shuttle program. Her first novel, Burnout was released on April 15, 2009 by Twilight Times Books.[1]
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Stephanie Gannaway was born September 23, 1960, in Clarksville, Tennessee, the eldest daughter of Stephen and Colene Gannaway. She has a younger sister, Judith Johnson. Miss Gannaway attended Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, where she had a triple major in physics, mathematics, and chemistry with a minor in geology, and Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, where she received a MSc in physics and astronomy.[2][3] She married Darrell Osborn, a graphic artist and stage magician, in 1983.[4] She is currently owned by a cat, Elrond Half-Siamese.
She is a licensed minister from the North Tennessee Bible Institute in Clarksville, TN; an ACE-certified personal trainer; NWS-certified storm spotter; and an Alabama certified substitute teacher.
Ms. Gannaway-Osborn started working for Teledyne Brown Engineering in Huntsville, Alabama in 1985, specializing in programs involving the Space Shuttle and International Space Station.[5] She spent several years working on Spacelab programs involving the Space Shuttle, experience which led to the writing of Burnout. The first draft of Burnout, which involves loss of a fictional re-entering space shuttle, was complete prior to loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia, which flew several of the Spacelab missions she had supported; she also helped train Kalpana Chawla, who was lost aboard Columbia.[6]
Ms. Gannaway-Osborn retired from the space industry in 2006 to pursue her writing career, and also works as a tutor and community volunteer. She was space scientist guest at MarsCon in Bloomington, Minnesota, in 2005,[7] and an author guest at Con†Stellation in Huntsville, Alabama in 2008[8] and 2009.[9] She was also an author guest at Imagicon in Birmingham, Alabama in 2009 and 2010,[10] MidSouthCon in Memphis, Tennessee in 2009, 2010, and 2011,[11] Libertycon in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2009 and 2010, Chattacon in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2009, 2010, and 2011 Hypericon/DeepSouthCon in Nashville, Tennessee in 2009, Literary Guest for Outsidecon in Montgomery Bell Park, Tennessee, in 2009, Nifty Guest for Penguicon in Troy, Michigan in 2011[12]. She will be the Science Guest of Honor for Libertycon and Toastmistress for Con†Stellation in 2011.