Women throughout history have always been scientists, mathematicians, doctors, and so much more, yet they tend to be overlooked in the history books. Critical innovations have been created by women whose names aren’t nearly as well-known as they should be.
Currently, 45% of STEM students are women; this is opening the door for even more advancements and hopefully a change in the way women in STEM are recognized and appreciated. As we move toward this, let’s take a look back at some of the women who have paved the way in STEM.
Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall was a pioneer in the fields of primatology and conservation. Her time spent in Tanzania changed the way the world viewed apes.
There, she observed the natural behavior of chimpanzees, including tool usage and complex social systems. This was one of the first examples of an animal using a tool, something previously thought to be impossible. Goodall’s research literally redefined the distinction between human and animal.
Goodall’s line of work led her to the world of conservation, where she made an impact advocating for the preservation of Gombe National Park, eventually founding the Jane Goodall Institute, which carries on her legacy after her passing. Goodall spent her final years touring the world, sharing her story with others, inspiring them to leave their mark on the natural world, just as she had.
Dian Fossey
Dian Fossey, a peer of Jane Goodall, also made waves in the same fields; however, her story had a different ending than Goodall’s.
Fossey spent her time in Africa studying mountain gorillas. Her first stint was spent in the Congo, where she was aided by an experienced gorilla tracker. Fossey gained the gorillas’ trust, recording their behaviors and identifying them by their noses.
Due to instability in the Congo at the time, Fossey moved her research to Rwanda. She spent time gaining the trust of these new gorillas, a delicate and time-consuming endeavor. She also worked tirelessly to combat encroaching agriculture and poachers, protecting the gorillas’ habitat.
Fossey’s story comes to an end much earlier than it should have. She was murdered in 1985 in her cabin in Rwanda. A true explanation has never come to light; however, it’s speculated that her controversial methods of conservation played a large part.
Before she passed, Fossey made great strides to protect her beloved gorillas. She established what was originally the Digit Fund (now the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund), named after her favorite gorilla, which was a victim of poachers. She also compiled her experiences in her famous book, Gorillas in the Mist, making her research accessible to everyone.
Rosalind Franklin
Rosalind Franklin’s name went unrecognized for decades, despite her monumental contribution to genetics.
Franklin began her academic journey at Newnham College, majoring in physical chemistry. Her intellect and dedication were apparent; she worked tirelessly in the midst of World War II, so much so that she was awarded a grant for her studies.
After she graduated with her bachelor’s degree, she started her journey in crystallography. While working at the British Coal Utilisation Research Association, she wrote her thesis about the chemical structure of organic materials.
With her expertise in crystallography, Franklin was employed to research the structure of DNA. Her innovation in this task is the sole reason we have Photograph 51, the first ever image of DNA’s shape.
Unfortunately, none of the credit for this discovery actually went to Franklin, as James Watson and Francis Crick used Franklin’s unpublished data to support their work, sharing the double-helix model. They would go on to win a Nobel Prize in Physiology for this publication.
Despite many challenges, Franklin went on to become a renowned crystallographer, using her skills to determine the structure of viruses. Unfortunately, she passed before she could be commended for her work on the double helix. Nowadays, many recognize her as a true pioneer in the world of DNA.
Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson’s life, represented in part in the 2016 movie Hidden Figures, was nothing short of exceptional. Johnson was always gifted, excelling in math from a very young age. When she earned her PhD in mathematics, she became only the third African American to do so. However, that’s only the beginning of her story.
Johnson spent four years working at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ Langley Lab in Flight Research, analyzing flight data. As space travel became a possibility and as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics transformed into NASA, Johnson’s most notable contribution started to take shape.
Lesser known, yet just as important, Johnson worked on trajectory analysis to send Alan Shepard to the moon, the United States’ first manned spaceflight. Her published report made history at NASA, becoming the first time a woman in the Flight Research division was credited for her report.
Two years later, John Glenn was set to take off, and all the calculations for his flight were done by computers. In 1962, computers weren’t up to standard, frequently making mistakes. Glenn didn’t trust them to safely send him into orbit, so he specifically requested Johnson to redo the calculations by hand. Only if they all added up would Glenn agree to fly. All of the calculations were correct, and Glenn made history with his space flight.
Johnson worked in the Langley Lab for 33 years, tremendously aiding in the Space Race. President Barack Obama saw her accomplishments, awarding her the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her invaluable contributions to NASA and our knowledge of space.
I could write entire novels about how these women, and countless others, overcame the gender gap to contribute their valuable knowledge to their respective fields, shaping them into what we recognize today.
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