Even in this day and age, women face many barriers and obstacles to the same opportunities and experiences as men. The glass ceilings that have been absolutely shattered by women is nothing short of astonishing. As a bioinformatics major who is also an aspiring physician, I love learning about women who have made particularly significant contributions to the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) field. Given that it’s Women’s History Month, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight some women in STEM who have really inspired me!
- Elizabeth Blackwell
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In 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first female physician (M.D., Medical Doctor) in America. She was motivated to pursue an M.D. degree when her friend told her that she felt that she would have been treated better if her physician was a female. Dr. Blackwell paved the way for many future female physicians. Given that I am hoping to be accepted into medical school, I like to think about Dr. Blackwell from time to time to appreciate the obstacles she crossed to make this a career possibility for myself and so many others.
- Katherine Johnson
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To be totally honest, I didn’t know who Katherine Johnson was until I saw the movie “Hidden Figures,” but now that I do know, I will always be in awe of her contributions to space exploration and mathematics. It was her calculations that made the US competitive with the USSR and helped astronaut Glenn return safely from orbiting around the Earth. It is famously recalled that the astronaut said to “get the girl,” and “if she says they’re good, then I’m ready to go.” The amount of faith put in her mathematical abilities was well worth it, as the expedition was a success.
- Rosalind Franklin
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As a pre-medical student, I can’t ever imagine overlooking the contributions of Rosalind Franklin to biology. It was through her work that we were able to learn that DNA has a helical structure. Her photographs of the DNA structure were taken without her permission and given to two other scientists (Watson and Crick) who ended up publishing the finding as their own and winning a Nobel Prize in Physiology.
The contributions of these women (and many others!) to STEM have been remarkable. Moreover, the avenues that these women have opened for women now are unforgettable. The contributions that women of the past and present have and are making for the future of women have made a huge impact on my life. I’m grateful for the sacrifices and troubles they went through in order to make it possible for me and future generations to close the gap between opportunities available to men and women.