Women in STEM
The history of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) from 1900 to the present has been marked by significant progress, although gender disparities and challenges persist. Here's an overview of key milestones and notable women in STEM during this time period:
1900-1950s:
Marie Curie (1867-1934): A pioneer in radioactivity research, Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only person to have won Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields (Physics in 1903 and Chemistry in 1911).
Lise Meitner (1878-1968): A physicist, Meitner contributed to the discovery of nuclear fission. Her work laid the foundation for the development of atomic energy.
Grace Hopper (1906-1992): A computer scientist and Navy rear admiral, Hopper played a significant role in the development of early computers and is credited with coining the term "bug" to describe a computer glitch.
1950s-1970s: 4. Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin (1910-1994): A chemist, Hodgkin was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964 for her work on the structure of important biochemical substances using X-ray crystallography.
Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958): Her research contributed to the understanding of the molecular structure of DNA, RNA, and viruses, although her contributions were often overshadowed during her lifetime.
Chien-Shiung Wu (1912-1997): A physicist, Wu made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics and conducted the "Wu experiment," which provided experimental evidence for the theory of parity violation in weak interactions.
1970s-2000s: 7. Barbara McClintock (1902-1992): A geneticist, McClintock received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her discovery of transposons or "jumping genes."
Mae Jemison (born 1956): Jemison became the first African American woman to travel in space when she flew on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.
Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000): An actress and inventor, Lamarr co-invented frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology, a precursor to modern wireless communication systems.
2000s-Present: 10. Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier: In 2020, these two scientists received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their pioneering work on the development of the CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology.
Katie Bouman: A computer scientist and engineer, Bouman played a key role in capturing the first image of a black hole in 2019 using the Event Horizon Telescope.
Despite these remarkable achievements, women continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields, particularly in leadership positions. Efforts to address gender disparities and promote diversity in STEM are ongoing, with various initiatives aimed at encouraging girls and women to pursue STEM careers and breaking down barriers to their advancement in these fields. The story of women in STEM is one of resilience and determination, as women have overcome numerous obstacles to make significant contributions to science and technology throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
