
Famous Women In STEM: Celebrating Their Impact
Women in STEM are truly admirable.
The STEM industry is, still to this day, largely male-dominated. According to 2021 data from the NCSES, there are 34.9 million STEM professionals. Men make up 22.6 million (65%), while women account for 12.3 million (35%).
But despite this, some women (especially our female role models in South Africa) stand up against longstanding societal and cultural stereotypes and have made significant contributions in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
To celebrate their impact on our lives, we’re highlighting some of the most famous women in STEM.
1. Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr changed history.
She was born in 1914 in Austria-Hungary. She was an Austrian-American actress and inventor. She is best known for her Hollywood acting career, but she was also a co-inventor of spread spectrum technology that is still used today in WiFi and Bluetooth devices.
At the start of WW2, she and George Antheil developed a radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes. It used spread spectrum and frequency hopping technology to block radio jamming.
She helped create the technology that’s the foundation for today’s WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth systems.
2. Baratang Miya
Baratang Miya is the founder and CEO of GirlHYPE: Women Who Code.
GirlHYPE empowers women and girls to be the best they can be by giving them the power and skills to pursue careers in tech.
Miya has received numerous awards for her contributions to social entrepreneurship and technology education.
The awards include the Anzisha Prize for African youth entrepreneurship and the TechWomen Emerging Leader Award from the U.S. Department of State.
3. Ada Lovelace
Ada Lovelace was the daughter of the famous poet Lord Byron, but she did not follow in her father’s footsteps.
Instead, she became a gifted mathematician.
In 1843, she wrote what is considered to be the first computer program ever created for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine. Her notes on the engine included an algorithm for calculating Bernoulli numbers, which is recognised as the first computer program.
She is often called the “first computer programmer”, and her work has been influential in digital computing.
4. Emma Dicks
Emma Dicks is the co-founder and director of CodeSpace Academy and founder of Code4CT.
Code4CapeTown enables young girls to learn computer skills and IT knowledge.
She is passionate about uplifting South Africa with technology education and commits to educating others about entrepreneurship.
Dicks wants to leave a legacy in the South African Education system, where people are given opportunities to learn about technology, regardless of their background.
5. Edith Clarke
Edith Clarke is one of the industry’s first female electrical engineers.
She was born in 1883 and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a degree in mathematics and astronomy.
She became the first woman to be employed as an electrical engineer for General Electric Company, where she worked for over 30 years.
Clarke made important contributions to the analysis of power transmission systems that led to more efficient and reliable electricity distribution.
In 1947, she became the first female professor of electrical engineering at the University of Texas at Austin.
6. Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu
Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu, also known as the “First Lady of Physics,” was a Chinese-American physicist who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics.
During World War II, she was asked to become a senior scientist for the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project was a research and development project that produced the first nuclear weapons during World War II.
In 1956, theoretical physicists Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen Ning Yang approached Wu to design an experiment that would test their groundbreaking theory on the violation of the law of conservation of parity.
Using her expertise in experimental physics, Wu successfully carried out the experiment and proved Lee and Yang’s theory to be true. They named it the Wu Experiment in her honour.
7. Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson was a black American mathematician who played a crucial role in NASA’s early space missions.
She was part of the team that calculated trajectories for the Mercury and Apollo programs, including the historic Apollo 11 moon landing.
Her mathematical skills were essential in ensuring the safety and success of these missions. Despite facing discrimination as a woman and as an African American, she persevered and became one of the most accomplished mathematicians in NASA’s history.
In 2015, at the age of 97, President Barack Obama awarded Johnson the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her contributions to the space program.
Her story gained widespread recognition through the book and movie “Hidden Figures,” which highlighted her and other black female mathematicians’ pioneering work at NASA.
Why Are We Celebrating Women In STEM?
At Tutor Doctor, we believe that celebrating women in STEM is important for many reasons.
- Firstly, it helps to highlight the significant contributions that women have made and continue to make in these fields. Often, women’s achievements in STEM are overlooked or overshadowed, and celebrating them helps to bring attention to their important work.
- Secondly, it serves as an inspiration for future generations of women. Successful women in STEM can encourage young girls to pursue careers in these fields and break the existing gender barriers.
- Thirdly, celebrating women in STEM can help to address the gender imbalance that currently exists in these fields. By recognising and promoting the achievements of women in STEM, we can work towards creating a more diverse and inclusive environment for everyone.
Let’s Help Make a Change!
Supporting women in STEM is not just about recognising past achievements; it’s about actively shaping a future where everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed.
At Tutor Doctor, we are proud to be at the forefront.
Our personalised science tutoring and math tutoring services nurture curiosity, build confidence, and equip students – especially young girls.
Together, we can break barriers and create a world where more women can excel in STEM.