Listen
to women from across the Administration tell the stories of their personal
heroes across the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
Share them yourself. Add your own. And honor their legacy in the best possible
way: By committing to encourage a young woman to pursue a
career in science.
They
were leaders in building the early foundation of modern programming and
unveiled the structure of DNA.Their
work inspired environmental movements and led to the discovery of new genes.They
broke the sound barrier — and gender barriers along the way. And
inspiring more young women to pursue careers in science starts with simply
sharing their stories. Let’s
write their stories permanently into history. Listen
to the Stories.
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Grace Hopper
|
Rear
Admiral Grace Murray Hopper was at the forefront of computer and
programming language development from the 1930s through the 1980s. One of the
crowning achievements of her 44-year career was the development of computer
languages written in English, rather than mathematical notation — most notably,
the common business computing language known as COBOL, which is still in use
today. Hopper's legacy is still honored by the annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in
Computing Conference. With commentary from U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith. Source: US Navy
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| Katherine Johnson |
Katherine Johnson, an African-American space scientist and
mathematician, is a leading figure in American space history and has made
enormous contributions to America’s aeronautics and space programs by her
incorporation of computing tools. She played a huge role in calculating key
trajectories in the Space Race -- calculating the trajectory for Alan Shepard,
the first American in space, as well as for the 1969 Apollo 11 flight to the
moon. Johnson is now retired, and continues to encourage students to pursue
careers in science and technology fields. With
commentary by NASA Chief Scientist Dr. Ellen Stofan. Source: NASA
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Rachel Carson
|
Rachel Carson was a marine biologist and environmentalist — whose
groundbreaking book, Silent Spring, has been credited as the catalyst
for the modern environmental movement. Carson passed away in 1964, but her work
has been credited with the legacy of “awakening the concern of Americans for
the environment.”With
commentary from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina
McCarthy. Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Department of the Interior)
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Maria Klawe
|
Despite growing up as a self-described outcast, Maria Klawe pursed her
passion for technology and became a prominent computer scientist. Klawe is now
the first female president of Harvey Mudd College and works hard to ignite
passion about STEM fields amongst diverse groups. During her tenure at Harvey
Mudd College, her work has helped support the Computer Science faculty's
ability to innovate, and has raised the percentage of women majoring in
computer science from less than 15 percent to more than 40 percent today.With commentary from U.S.
Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith. Source: MAKERS
Lydia
Villa-Komaroff is considered to be a trailblazer in the field of molecular
biology.
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Lydia Villa-Komaroff
|
She faced many adversities she faced throughout her lifetime -- at
one point, an advisor told her that women did not belong in chemistry,
fortuitously inspiring her to switch her major to biology -- but she pursued
her passion in spite of opposition. In 1978, Villa-Komaroff made waves with a
published paper detailing her most notable discovery -- that bacteria could be
engineered to produce human insulin. She currently serves as the Chief
Scientific Officer (CSO) at Cytonome/ST. With commentary from Jo Handelsman, Associate
Director for Science in the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Source: NIH and MAKERS
Ada Lovelace is considered to be the founder of scientific computing
and the first
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Ada Lovelace
|
computer programmer. Her algorithm — which history has come to
know as the first one designed for a machine to carry out — was intended to be
used for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, which Lovelace would sadly not
see built during her lifetime. Lovelace passed away in 1852, but her previously
little-known work and "poetical" approach to science has broken
through to inspire present-day young women interested in computer programming. With commentary from U.S.
Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith. Source: MAKERS and Google Blog
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Sally Ride
|
On June 18, 1983, Sally Ride transformed history when she became the
first American woman to fly into space. After her second shuttle flight, Ride
decided to retire from NASA and pursue her passion for education by inspiring
young people. As a result, she founded Sally Ride Science, an organization
dedicated to supporting students interested in STEM. Ride passed away in 2012,
but her work continues to inspire young women across the country. With commentary by NASA
Chief Scientist Dr. Ellen Stofan. Source: NASA
The
Mercury 13, also sometimes known as the “Members of the First Lady Astronaut
Trainees” (FLATs), were a group of women who participated in training to
become
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The Mercury 13
|
astronauts for the country's first human spaceflight program in the
early 1960s. FLATs was never an official NASA program, and was unfortunately
eventually discontinued, but the commitment and determination of these women to
get into space has been credited with paving the way for such astronauts as Mae
Jemison, the first African-American woman in space. With commentary from U.S.
Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith. Source: NASA
The ENIAC Programmers: As part of a secret World War Two project,
six young women programmed the first all-electronic programmable computer. When
the project
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The ENIAC Programmers
|
was eventually introduced to the public in 1946, the women were
never introduced or credited for their hard work -- both because computer
science was not well understood as an emerging field, and because the public's
focus was on the machine itself.
Since
then, the ENIAC Programmers Project has worked hard to preserve and tell
the stories of these six women.
With commentary from U.S. Chief Technology Officer
Megan Smith. Source: ENIAC Programmers Project
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Rosalind Franklin
|
Rosalind Franklin was a British chemist and crystallographer, best
known for her research that was essential to elucidating the structure of DNA.
During her lifetime, Franklin was not credited for her key role, but years later
she is recognized as providing a pivotal piece of the DNA story. Franklin spent
the last five years of her life studying the structure of plant viruses and
passed away in 1958. With commentary from Jo Handelsman, Associate Director for Science in
the Office of Science and Technology Policy. Source:
U.S.
National Library of Medicine (NIH and HHS)
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