If you’re a woman in the math and engineering programs at Waterloo, you may notice that your classes are dominated by your male peers. Because of the gender imbalance in these fields, women are hardly recognized for their work in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Historically, women have had their contributions in the STEM fields erased or attributed to men.
Tuesday, October 13th, marked Ada Lovelace Day – “an international celebration of the achievements of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.” In honour of Ada Lovelace Day, Her Campus commemorates some of the most important minds in STEM history!
SCIENCE – Elizabeth Blackwell
Elizabeth Blackwell (1821 – 1910) was a British medical practitioner, known for being the first woman to receive a degree in medicine in the United States.
Blackwell became adamant to study medicine after a friend dying of a painful disease told her that a female doctor would have made her treatment more comfortable. When she moved to Philadelphia in hopes of studying medicine, she was rejected almost everywhere. She was told to take up a disguise as a man to study medicine. She found acceptance at Hobert College where she was able to finish her degree, and thus became the first woman to achieve a medical degree in the US.
TECHNOLOGY – Ada Lovelace (First Computer Programmer)
Ada Lovelace (1815 – 1852) was an English mathematician and writer, widely recognized as the first computer programmer.
Lovelace began working on Charles Babbage’s computer prototype in June 1833. Because of her sharp intellect, he dubbed her The Enchantress of Numbers. She made notes on Babbage’s Analytical Engine which included a detailed method for calculation, a sequence of Bernoulli numbers using the Engine – which has been considered as the first computer program. Due to her significant contribution to the field of Computer Science, Ada Lovelace became the namesake for the annual Ada Lovelace Day, where the influence of women in STEM are celebrated.
ENGINEERING – Irmgard Flugge-Lotz
Irmgard Flugge-Lotz was a German mathematician and engineer, widely regarded for her work in aerodynamics and for being the first female engineering professor at Stanford University.
Despite being the only woman in her college class, Lotz furthered her studies in engineering by earning a doctorate. As a woman in a male-dominated field, it became challenging for her to find engineering jobs. When she finally found a job at the Aerodynamics Institute at Gottingen, she was promoted to team leader for solving a particularly difficult equation, which is now called the Lotz-Method. She went on to work as a professor at Stanford where she established new engineering courses on the mathematics of aerodynamics.
MATHEMATICS – Émilie du Châtelet (French Physicist, Mathematician and Author)
Émilie du Châtelet (1706 – 1749) was a French mathematician, physicist and, author who is widely known for her commentary on Isaac Newton’s Principia Mathematica.
Through her friendship with the poet Voltaire, du Châtelet was able to quench her thirst for science and mathematics. She published scientific articles which included her research of the science of fire, predicting infrared radiation; and her hypothesis of the conservation of total energy where she is credited for recognizing the first term of Einstein’s expansion of E=mc^2, 150 years before Einstein completed his theory. Today, Emilie du Chatelet is portrayed with mathematical symbols such as a pair of dividers or a page of mathematical calculations.
We hope these women have inspired you to keep kickin’ butt!