1. Choose a woman in STEM from history or today’s world
2. Research her contributions to STEM and impact on society
3. Find the location where she lived, worked, or made her most significant contribution
4. Add a post by clicking the + button and searching for or pinning the location on the map
5. Complete all fields in your post with the required information
6. Add an image of the woman you researched (photo, portrait, or AI-generated image)

In 1953, she began working at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which later became NASA. Johnson specialized in complex mathematical concepts such as orbital mechanics and trajectory analysis. She calculated the flight paths for several important missions, including Alan Shepard’s first U.S. spaceflight in 1961 and John Glenn’s orbit around Earth in 1962. Glenn famously refused to fly until Johnson personally verified the computer’s calculations.

Katherine Johnson faced significant barriers as both an African American and a woman during the era of segregation and gender inequality. She worked in a racially segregated office and had to fight to be included in meetings and discussions dominated by men. Despite these obstacles, her brilliance and persistence earned her the respect of her peers and a lasting legacy in STEM.

Johnson’s work not only helped launch the U.S. space program but also paved the way for women and people of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Her story, highlighted in the book and film Hidden Figures, continues to inspire new generations to reach for the stars.

She also advanced the field of structural virology by determining the structures of a many viruses like the tobacco mosaic virus, and her early research on carbon structures was a valuable aspect for the development of heat-resistant materials and carbon fiber.

Later down the road she moved to Arlington Virginia, and attended Vassar College and got into mathematician and physics. She then received her bachelors in physics and in 1930 earned her masters and then her PhD in mathematics 4 years later.

After college she got into the U.S. Navy but was denied because of her age so that was a big challenge for her, So then she received a spot at Harvard to work on the Mark I computer and joined the Eckertaumchly computer corporation.

Due to her love for what she does she started making huge contributations to Stem (mainly in computer science and programming). She invented the first compiler which is a device that translated programming instructions and also developed CAMBOL (common business orinated language). And after she accomplished that she had a huge impact on society, She especially paved the way for women in technology and also made programming more accessible through all of the innovations she helped with.

Mary primarily worked as a NRRL laboratory technician at the “Ag. Lab”, which is based in Peoria, Illinois. It was in Peoria that she found the cantaloupe containing the strain NRRL 1951, and ultimately made her discovery.

Much of Mary’s life is currently unknown; there is little information regarding her upbringing, childhood, inspirations, etc. Despite this, however, it is known that she studied bacteriology and public health while in college. Mary also married following the discovery, as found in her name change to Mary Stevens.

Due to a lack of information outside of her discovery and work, it is not known for sure what barriers Mary would have dealt with, but it is likely that she experienced sexism as a woman working in 1943. This particular barrier may have also led to the confusion and lack of information surrounding her life and contributions.

She attended MIT where she earned her degrees in mathematics and discovered her love for programming. She was heavily inspired by her parents who were engineers and her interest in mathematics. Radia faced challenges such as gender bias, trouble finding a thesis advisor early in her career, and wanting to design simple systems when things weren't as user friendly.

Though Lamarr was a talented actress, her intellectual curiosity and passion for technology went far beyond the arts. Early discussions with her father about machines sparked her interest in technology. This fascination grew, especially during her marriage to munitions manufacturer Fritz Mandl. Through Mandl, she gained access to high-level military meetings, which fueled her growing interest in engineering and military technology.

Despite her fame, Lamarr faced significant challenges. She was frequently underestimated and dismissed, not just because of her status as a Hollywood actress, but also due to the gender stereotypes of both Hollywood and the scientific community. She was not taken seriously as an inventor, and in fact, her groundbreaking invention was rejected by the U.S. Navy. Despite these challenges, Lamarr's work in frequency hopping during World War II would go on to lay the foundation for modern wireless technologies like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS; technologies now valued in the billions.

In collaboration with composer George Antheil, Lamarr developed a system that used rapidly changing radio frequencies to prevent signal jamming, which was critical to secure military communications. Although initially met with skepticism, her invention proved revolutionary. Unfortunately, at the time, she received no recognition or compensation for her contribution, and the military did not adopt it during the war. It wasn’t until years later that her work was acknowledged for its significance to the future of communication technologies.

Lamarr’s contributions are a prime example of how innovation can emerge from the most unexpected places. Her story serves as an inspiring testament to the power of intellectual curiosity and perseverance, especially for women in STEM fields, showing that groundbreaking advancements can come from anyone; regardless of their primary field of expertise.

Danielle Wood was/is an assistant professor in the MIT Media Lab, where she directs the research group Space Enabled. Prior to joining MIT, Wood worked as special assistant to Dava Newman at NASA. Wood looks to advance justice using technology created in space.

Career-related setbacks, including being rejected by several universities for faculty positions. She persisted and eventually achieved success, becoming a professor at MIT.