Women of STEM- Past, Present, and Future
"Let us choose for ourselves our path in life, and let us try to strew that path with flowers."
“All sorts of things can happen when you’re open to new ideas and playing around with things.”
-Stephanie Kwolek, chemist, Lavoisier Medal recipient
Our history is filled with amazing women taking charge of their lives, finding their passion, and pursuing their dreams in the STEM world. Some of these women you may have heard of before, like Marie Curie and her advancements in radioactivity; most of them, however, may surprise you! Not only did these women pursue their dreams, but their contributions to STEM fields have helped pave the way for the current generation of female STEM leaders. Check out some of these amazing historic Women of STEM!
Science- Marie Curie (1867-1934): female STEM Superhero
Marie Curie was a pioneer for women when it comes to Nobel Prizes. Not only was she the first woman to ever win a Nobel Prize,but she also was the first woman to win a second Nobel Prize. And she is the only person to ever win two Nobel Prize awards in two separate sciences! She and her husband won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1903, along with Henri Becquerel, for their work with spontaneous radiation. In 1911, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry due to her continued work in radioactivity.
“I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.”- Marie Curie
Technology- Ada Lovelace (1815-1852): The World’s first Computer Programmer
Ada Lovelace created the first algorithm for a computer-like machine to use. Though this machine was never actually created, her work with the algorithm earned her the title of the first Computer Programmer. Her algorithm was also used as inspiration in the creation of the first modern computer in the 1940s, over 90 years after her passing.
Engineering- Edith Clarke (1883-1959): Electrical Engineer
Edith Clarke was a pioneer in the engineering field for women! In 1922, she earned her employment as an Electrical Engineer, the first woman in the United States to be hired as one, instead of settling for jobs that were more usual for women of the time. She was also thought of as a human “computer”; she worked on complex mathematical problems before computers and calculators were invented! She was also inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2015.
Mathematics- Katherine Johnson (1918-2020): NASA Mathematician
Katherine’s work with NASA was a crucial part of the US’ history into space travel. She calculated trajections for not only the first ever space exploration, but also for the Apollo 11 flight to the moon! In 2015, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by president Obama. Sadly, she passed away in February of 2020 at the age of 101; nevertheless, her contributions and passion for STEM fields will continue to inspire generations to come!
“Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men.” -Katherine Johnson
These women were pioneers in their STEM fields. They helped create a path for the current women of STEM to follow, and have given them the courage to follow their dreams. Check out some of the current inspirational women of STEM!
Science- Dr. Jedidah Isler, PhD: Researcher, TED fellow Speaker
Dr. Isler earned her PhD in Astrophysics in 2014, becoming the first African American woman to earn this degree at Yale University. She studied hyperactive black holes called blazars, and all about their characteristics. Now, she is aspiring to combine STEM courses with topics like social justice and access to education.
Science- Jennifer Doudna: Biochemist
Jennifer Doudna was a part of the team that helped create the CRISPR/Cas9 technique in 2012. This technique is a cheaper way to edit an organism’s DNA, which is helping create new options for treating disease. She is also an advocate for bringing women into science careers. She believes strongly that women can be scientists and still have a life. They don’t have to choose one or the other; they can do both!
“For a lot of women there is a subtle but I think unfortunately effective discouragement of women pursuing STEM fields… We just want to show them women can pursue these fields, they can be feminine, they can be mothers, they can be wives, they really can do all those things and do it on their own terms.” -Jennifer Doudna
Technology- Sharmadean Reid: owner of WAH Nails, MBE recipient
Sharmadean is the owner of WAH Nails in London. She utilized technology like Tumblr to show her nail work, instead of the typical ways of advertising. She is also using technology to empower women in the beauty industry. Some of her tech-beauty work includes a VR Nail Design app, an online platform called ‘Future Girls Corp’ to motivate younger girls and show them they can succeed, and Beautystack- a marketplace that emphasizes the creator and allows people to sell beauty products through photos.
Technology- Laura Weidman Powers: co-founder and CEO of Code2040
Laura founded Code2040 with a classmate of hers from Stanford. Code2040 is an organization to help give minorities access to tech opportunities. She wants to make sure that those that are interested in the tech world have the opportunity to get involved in it. The company helps students with internship opportunities, as well as mentoring and workshops. “Just start… Just start, and accept that failing is a possibility… But if you don’t do anything, you will definitely fail.” - Laura Powers
Engineering- Arlyne Simon, PhD: Biomedical Engineer, Author, Inventor, Entrepreneur
Arlyne Simon is considered a multipotentialite- she has pursuits in many different areas. In the area of biomedical engineering, she has two bachelor's degrees in engineering- Chemical and Biomedical; she also has her doctorate in macromolecular science and Engineering. In the area of inventing, she has created blood tests to help determine if a patient has rejected a bone marrow transplant. As an author, she is currently writing a children’s series titled “Abby Invents”, to help motivate and empower girls and young women interested in STEM areas. The first book in the series “Abby Invents Unbreakable Crayons” is out now. She is also an advocate of STEAM- the initiative to bring the Arts into the STEM world!
Engineering- Dr. Mae Jemison: chemical engineer, doctor, NASA Astronaut
Dr. Jemison is an engineer, a physician, and is the first African American woman to travel to space. Before her adventures into space, she worked as a physician internationally- in Kenya, Cuba, and Cambodia. In 1985, she was selected as one of the 15 to enter the NASA astronaut program. In 192 ,she again was selected as one of six astronauts for the Endeavour mission. “Don’t let anyone rob you of your imagination, your creativity, or your curiosity. It’s your place in the world; it’s your life. Go on and do all you can with it, and make it the life you want to live.” - Mae Jemison
Mathematics- Trachette L. Jackson: Professor, specializing in mathematical oncology
Trachette is using math to take the world by storm! She learned that math can be used to help understand so much of the world around us, and took that knowledge to impact how we study the growth of tumors. She also founded the Marjorie Lee Browne Scholars Bridge to Ph.D Program- this program was founded to help give people in underrepresented areas the opportunity to pursue a Masters and PhD in mathematics.
Mathematics- Danica McKellar: mathematician and actress (The Wonder Years)
You may know Danica for her acting abilities on The West Wing. But did you also know she is a mathematician and co-author of a ground-breaking mathematical physics theorem, that’s even named after her and the other authors. She found a way to bring together math and acting, and turned her knowledge into entertaining math books. Her books, such as “Math Doesn’t Suck” and “Kiss my Math” to name a few, are helping encourage and inspire middle and high school girls in math. “If you’re beautiful, you’re led to believe that you can’t also be smart. But you can be fun and fit and social and be really smart. And the smarter you are, the more capable you’ll be to handle whatever challenges come up in life.” -Danica McKellar
These current pioneers in STEM areas are actively carving their own path. They are building on what the historic women of STEM did, and are continuing to show how amazing STEM careers are. And that anyone can make a career in STEM if they are passionate about the area and are willing to fight for what they want.
To the future of STEM: go out and pursue your dreams. Find your place in the STEM fields and continue the path that these amazing women have laid before you. Find your dream. Live your best life. Go for what you want. These women are cheering you on, and they know you can do it!
References
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Kirsch, M. (2018, August 23). 20 Inspiring Women in Technology Who Are Redefining STEM. Retrieved July 19, 2020, from https://www.sheknows.com/living/slideshow/3303/inspiring-women-in-technology/5/
Palindrome Puzzles on Twitter! (n.d.). Retrieved August 01, 2020, from https://danicamckellar.com/
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Ustik, G. (2018, September 07). Beautystack CEO Sharmadean Reid is fixing beauty tech. Retrieved August 01, 2020, from https://thenextweb.com/tech/2018/09/04/beautystack-is-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-female-centric-tech/
Whyman, A. (n.d.). The Women Who Changed The Tech World. Retrieved July 21, 2020, from https://www.globalapptesting.com/blog/the-women-who-changed-the-tech-world