Celebrating International Women’s Day
“International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women – while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender balance.”
Celebrating International Women’s Day
Today, in honor of International Women’s Day, we are celebrating and honoring females in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) past and present, who have paved, and continue to pave, the way for the future.
Marie Curie (1867-1934)
Marie Curie was a Polish physicist and coined the term “radioactivity.” She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person to win twice. Curie was outspoken in ensuring she was given credit for her work.
Jane Goodall (1934-Present)
Jane Goodall is well-known for her work with chimpanzees and has spent 55 years living with them and researching their behavior. Today, Goodall is an activist and a world leader in conservation and animal rights. She also founded the Jane Goodall Institute in 1977.
Elizabeth Blackwell (1821-1920)
Elizabeth Blackwell was the first woman to graduate from medical school in the United States. She faced discrimination and found difficulty practicing. Through her work, including her work with the New York Infirmary for Women and Children, Blackwell was truly a pioneer in opening up the medical profession to women.
Jennifer Doudna (1964-present)
Jennifer Doudna is an American biochemist and professor at UC Berkeley. She helped to develop CRISPR a genetic engineering method. CRISPR is considered to be one of the most significant discoveries in biology.
Barbara McClintock (1902-1992)
Barbara McClintock won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her discovery of mobile genetic elements. She proved that “genetic elements can sometimes change positions on a chromosome and that this causes nearby genes to become active or inactive.”
Marie M. Daly (1921-2003)
Marie M. Daly was the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in chemistry in the United States. According to Biography, “Her groundbreaking work helped clarify how the human body works.”
Flossie Wong-Staal (1947-present)
Flossie Wong-Staal is a Chinese-American virologist and molecular biologist. She was the first woman in her family to work outside the home or study science. Although she was not initially interested in science, her research was a major contributor to learning that HIV causes AIDS.