Tag: Women in STEM
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Mary Dixon Kies
Mary Dixon Kies deserves more than a Women’s History Month trivia mention. In 1809, she became the first woman widely recognized as receiving a U.S. patent in her own name, for a process of weaving straw with silk or thread to make hats and bonnets. That may sound quaint until you remember hats were an…
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Mary Anderson
In 1902, Mary Anderson watched a streetcar driver lean his face into a sleet storm because he could not see through the glass.
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Ada Yonath
Ada Yonath, a trailblazing scientist, dedicated her career to mapping the ribosome, a critical cellular machine. Despite encountering skepticism and adversity, she pioneered techniques like cryo-bio-crystallography, significantly advancing structural biology. Her groundbreaking work earned her the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009, highlighting the importance of women in scientific discovery.
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Peggy LeMaux
Peggy Lemaux, initially steered away from math by a high school counselor, defied early limitations to become a pioneering figure in biotechnology, contributing to vital advancements in genetically engineered crops. Despite her significant achievements, many projects were never commercialized due to market constraints and public resistance, yet she continues to pursue impactful research on drought-resistant…
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Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Jocelyn Bell Burnell: The Nobel She Didn’t Win, and Says She Didn’t Deserve Picture ninety-six feet of paper. Every single night, another ninety-six feet. That is what a chart recorder spat out at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory outside Cambridge in 1967, and a twenty-four-year-old graduate student named Jocelyn Bell read all of it. By…
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The Women of ENIAC
The story of the six women who programmed the ENIAC, often overlooked in history, highlights their vital contributions to early computing. Despite their groundbreaking work, they were often misidentified as mere models. The narrative surrounding them raises awareness about the ongoing erasure of women’s contributions in technology and the importance of acknowledging all contributors.
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Hypatia of Alexander
They Called Her A Witch and She Became the Symbol of Everything Bad-Ass Women in History — Hypatia of Alexandria, c. 360–415 CE Philosopher • Mathematician • Astronomer • The Symbol They Made of Her They dragged her from her chariot in March 415 CE. They killed her in a church. They burned her body…
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Hedy Lamarr
She commanded 1,800 ships and 80,000 sailors—a fleet larger than most national navies. She defeated three empires, negotiated her own retirement, and died wealthy and free. Meet Ching Shih: the most successful pirate in history and the woman who made the world blink.
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Ada Lovelace
The Enchantress of Numbers Poet’s Daughter • Visionary • 100 Years Too Early — Ada Lovelace wrote the first algorithm in 1843. The computer it was meant to run wouldn’t be built for another hundred years. She was almost forgotten. London, England • 1815–1852 • Bad-Ass Women in History — There is a particular cruelty…