Yesterday on Facebook, I read two posts on Women in Science that we should know, one from CNN and the other from A Mighty Girl. Of the 20 women listed, I knew 4 (indicated with asterisks). That is pathetic.
How many do you know?
Mary Anning (1799-1847) discovered the first known ichthyosaur fossil.
Alice Ball (1892-1916) discovered a treatment for leprosy.
Rosalind Franklin (1920-1958) first to demonstrate the basic DNA strands.
Dorothy Hodgkin (1910-1994) determined the structure of biochemical
structures.
Grace Hopper (1906-1992) developed multiple computer languages.
Barbara McClintock (1902-1992) botanist.
Lise Meitner (1878-1968) responsible for advancements in nuclear physics.
* Sally Ride (1951-2012) astronaut.
Tu YouYou (1930- ) treatment for malaria
Maria Winkelman (1670-1720) discovered a comet
Chien-Shiung Wu (1912-1997) physicist
* Maria Sklodowska Curie (1867-1934) discovered radioactivity
Henrietta Leavitt (1868-1921) astronomer
Gerty Cori (1896-1957) chemist
Helen Taussig (1898-1986) founded field of pediatric cardiology
* Rachel Carson (1907-1964) launched environmental movement
Rita Levi-Montalcini (1909-2012) discovered nerve growth factor
Gertrude B. Elion (1919-1999) invented treatment for leukemia
Maria Tharp (1920-2006) created 1st scientific maps of ocean floor
* Jane Goodall (1934- ) world's foremost expert on chimpanzees.
When I read their mini-bios, I was appalled by those whose male partners and even some husbands who took credit for the women's research and either claimed it as their own or gave a mere footnote about their help when the women made the discoveries. After watching the movie Hidden Figures about the contributions women made to NASA, so I guess I should've known better.
I didn't intend that this post be a rant on men who cheated women. But that struck me, when I should have been learning more about women who excelled in the sciences. As you can see from the list, these women are not recent. Most are older than me, older than my mother. Most were my grandmother's contemporaries. Astronaut Sally Ride is the only one on the lists who was younger than me.
When I was in school, girls were expected to be homemakers. Until they were married they were nurses, teachers, secretaries, or telephone operators. Girls didn't go into sciences. Yet, not only did the women in the two articles go against the norm, they excelled. Did we ever read about them in school? Were they ever held up as role models?
Today, we read about the many STEM programs. I am so proud that Girl Scouts of the USA offers many STEM opportunities to encourage girls to explore the sciences, to discover and stimulate their love of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
If you want to encourage youngsters in fun STEM projects, check out the games on Amazon. I love the LEGOS Women of NASA Space Heroes.
Along with the mini-bios in the A Mighty Girl article, books about these fantastic women are listed. Great gifts.
Not all girls want to be scientists, engineers, etc. They want to dance ballet, sing, write, paint, or play sports. That's okay, too. We need to give them as many opportunities as we can to help them explore and not limit them.
18 comments:
What a great post! I'd just had a discussion with other writer friends about women authors whose husbands or mentor published their work because it either wasn't accepted under their names or was dismissed. We've come a long way, baby, but we're not there yet! If my grandguy was still into Legos, I'd have bought those Space Heroes for him!
Great post! Amazing to see all the wonderful accomplishments of these women and sad that they often don't get the credit they deserve.
What an interesting post. I enjoyed learning a lot I didn't know.
These women were the kind I love to read about! I'm so glad my daughters and granddaughters are encouraged to be who and what they want.
While I do remember a few girls in my school excelling in math and science (way back in the day), I have to wonder how many of them went on to careers in those fields. I'm glad that today more girls are encouraged to live their dreams and reach their goals. My own daughter is now a library director, and I'm so proud of her. It's sad that more women's names aren't known across the spectrum, but we can hope things are starting to change. Thanks for sharing these names.
Lovely post! Thank you!
Nice post. I belong to AAUW (American Association of University Women) and each year we raise money for STEM scholarship for at least ten women. We are beginning to make strides in the science,technical, engineering and mathematical fields, thank goodness.
Thanks, Nancy. The movie Big Eyes told the tale of a husband who took credit for his wife's art. It took a court case for her to win.
Maureen, it's such a shame many never won major awards (like the Nobel Prize) when they deserved it.
Thanks, Linda.
Patty, you're right. One of my granddaughters loves dance. I give her books about scientists so she knows options and learns about interesting women. If she chooses not to go into the sciences, her mother and I are fine with that. Her choice!
Thanks, Lucy. I used to think I was aware of famous women. When those posts popped up on Facebook, I couldn't believe how ignorant I am. I hope others will be enlightened, too.
Thanks, Kara.
Judy, that is wonderful. AAUW is a fantastic organization.
So many women I've never heard of before on this list!
Add Ada Lovelace, who wrote the first computer algorithm and was the poet, Lord Byron's daughter.
Thanks for adding Ada's name. I didn't know about her.
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