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EXAMPLE                              Mrs. Martel                    Rosalind Franklin             

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EXAMPLE                              Mrs. Martel                    Rosalind Franklin             

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The discovery of DNA's structure relied on the work of Rosalind Franklin.  She had nearly figured out the molecule’s structure when Maurice Wilkins, a researcher she worked with, showed one of Franklin’s X-ray images to James Watson and Francis Click.

Watson, Crick and Wilkins won a Nobel Prize in 1962 for their discovery. Franklin was excluded.

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When Hillary Clinton was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2001, she became the first American first lady to win a public office seat. In 2016, she became the first woman in U.S. history to become the presidential nominee of a major political party.

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Ruth Rogan Benerito was an American chemist and pioneer in bioproducts. Benerito is credited with saving the cotton industry in post-WWII America through her discovery of a process to produce wrinkle-free, stain-free, and flame-resistant cotton fabrics. In addition to this work, Benerito also developed a method to harvest fats from seeds for use in intravenous feeding of medical patients.
-Valerie

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Amalie Emmy Noether was a German mathematician who made many important contributions to abstract algebra. She discovered Noether's theorem, which is fundamental in mathematical physics. She invariably used the name "Emmy Noether" in her life and publications.

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Linda Brown Buck is an American biologist best known for her work on the olfactory system. She was awarded the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, along with Richard Axel, for their work on olfactory receptors. She is currently on the faculty of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle -David Vargas

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Gleason began helping out in her father’s toolmaking business when she was 11 years old. She briefly attended Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, in 1884 and 1888. Returning to her father’s business, she became secretary and treasurer of the firm in 1890. Her position made her the firm’s chief sales representative as well, and she was evidently the first woman to travel in such a line of goods. Her representation of the firm in the United States and Europe helped bolster its profits and made possible an expansion of the factory.

-Alexa Castaneda

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Barbara McClintock June 16, 1902 – September 2, 1992 was an American scientist and cytogeneticist who was awarded the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. McClintock received her PhD in botany from Cornell University in 1927. There she started her career as the leader in the development of maize cytogenetics, the focus of her research for the rest of her life. From the late 1920s McClintock  studied chromosomes and how they change during reproduction in maize.

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Virginia Apgar, M.D., the first woman to become a full professor at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, designed the first standardized method for evaluating the newborn's transition to life outside the womb—the Apgar Score. Newborn babies still benefit from Dr. Virginia Apgar's groundbreaking research into the effects of anesthesia during childbirth and advocacy on the prevention of birth defects.

-Jonathan Rosales

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Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-born American actress, inventor, and film producer. She appeared in 30 films over a 28-year career in Europe and the United States, and co-invented an early version of frequency-hopping spread spectrum communication, originally intended for torpedo guidance. - yasmine

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Mary Elizabeth Anderson was an American real estate developer, rancher, viticulturist and inventor of the windshield wiper blade. On November 10, 1903 Anderson was granted her first patent for an automatic car window cleaning device controlled from inside the car, called the windshield wiper.

-Carlos Alba

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Marie Curie is remembered for her discovery of radium and polonium, and her huge contribution to finding treatments for cancer.

- Erin Williams

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Patricia E. Bath, an ophthalmologist and laser scientist, was an innovative research scientist and advocate for blindness prevention, treatment, and cure. Her accomplishments include the invention of a new device and technique for cataract surgery known as laserphaco, the creation of a new discipline known as "community ophthalmology," and appointment as the first woman chair of ophthalmology in the United States, at Drew-UCLA in 1983.
-Katherine Mejia

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Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman in space on the space shuttle Discovery in 1993 and logged almost 1,000 hours in orbit. As a research engineer, she focused on optical systems. She went on to serve as Director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.

- Salome Chica

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Your Name                        Female Scientist's Name      

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Your Name                        Female Scientist's Name      

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Research a female scientist from the website (below) and explain their contributions to the field of STEM. Include a picture of the scientist.

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By Amy Cowen on February 25, 2021 12:00 PM
March is Women's History Month! Learn more about women in science history and get inspired by these 50+ scientists and engineers!
Women's History Month: 50+ Scientists to learn more about!

Update! This post has been updated for 2021 to highlight additional scientists and engineers.

There have always been women in science. Whether recognized at the time or not, women interested in science and engineering have made important discoveries, conducted game-changing research, and pursued careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Uncovering and sharing these stories and encouraging girls to see themselves as future scientists is important, ongoing work for science educators.

There are, of course, far too many women in science history to put on a single list, but the more scientists you and your students know about, the better! This resource can be used during Women's History Month and year-round to celebrate, recognize, and talk about inspiring women in science. We encourage educators to pair learning more about women in STEM with student reflection on personal interests and possible career paths, too.

We hope seeing lists like this (and the related lists for Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month) broadens awareness and helps inspire students to learn more about these scientists and to explore related science projects, activities, and careers.

How to Use this Resource

For each scientist, we have included a short biographical note, a link to a hands-on science project or activity related to the scientist's area of study, a link to a relevant science career profile, and a link to a biography to help students learn more about individual scientists. Educators can use this career worksheet to guide student exploration and reflection about STEM careers.

Women in Science and Engineering

Further Reading

Preschool/Elementary School

Grades 5+ / Middle School

High School/Adult

For additional STEM reading suggestions, see our STEM reading list.

Images: public domain or fair use, with exception of:
June Almeida (credit: Joyce Almeida)
Linda Buck (CC BY-SA 3.0; The Royal Society)
Emmanuelle Charpentier (CC BY-SA 4, Emmanuelle Charpentier)
Jennifer Doudna (CC BY-SA 3, The Royal Society)
Gertrude Elion (CC BY-SA 4.0; GSK Heritage Archives)
Thelma Estrin (CC BY-SA 3.0; User:Achituv)
Irene Fischer (CC BY-SA; Digital Commonwealth Massachusetts Collections Online)
Biruté Galdikas (CC BY-A 2.0)
Andrea Ghez (credit John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation)
Jane Goodall (GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2; Muhammad Mahdi Karim)
Stephanie Louise Kwolek (CC BY-SA 3.0; Science History Institute)
Esther Lederberg (The Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg Trust)
Inge Lehmann (CC BY-SA 4; The Royal Library, National Library of Denmark and University of Copenhagen University Library)
Sara Seager (CC BY-SA 3.0; Science History Institute)

You Might Also Enjoy These Related Posts:

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Women's History Month: 50+ Women in Science and Engineering to Learn More About | Science Buddies Blog

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By Amy Cowen on February 25, 2021 12:00 PM March is Women's History Month! Learn more about women in science history and get inspired by these 50+ scientists and engineers! Women's History Month: 50+ Scientists to learn more about! Update! This post has been updated for 2021 to highlight additional scientists and engineers.