Women making scientific history

Women’s History Month celebrates the contributions of women and their vital role in American history and contemporary society. Scientific history is no exception — women have made incredible contributions to scientific exploration and are an irreplaceable asset in the American science and engineering enterprise.

The National Science Board’s Science and Engineering Indicators 2018 reports that while women remain underrepresented in science and engineering (S&E), it is less so than in the past. According to the report: “In 2015, women constituted 50 percent of the college-educated workforce, 40 percent of employed individuals whose highest degree was in an S&E field, and 28 percent of those in S&E occupations.” Since 1993, this is an increase of 7 percent, 10 percent, and 5 percent, respectively.

Although women’s representation in science has increased overall, their representation across different S&E fields varies. Women make up 48 percent of the workforce in life sciences, but only 26 percent in computational and mathematical sciences.

In honor of Women’s History Month, here are some women who made incredible contributions to scientific history and inspired future generations of women scientists and engineers.

Eugenie Clark (1922–2015)

Also known as “Shark Lady,” Eugenie Clark was a pioneer in marine biology, specifically the field of shark research. She led the way in using scuba gear in underwater scientific research and helped inform the world about sharks from the 1950s onward. Over the course of her career, Clark not only made ocean dives but also 71 dives in submersibles to a maximum depth of 12,000 feet — something most explorers never do once. She is widely credited with improving the reputation of sharks in the public eye through her writing and documentary appearances.

Florence Bascom (1862–1945)

Bascom is generally considered the first female geologist in the United States. She was also the first woman to ever receive a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. The firsts didn’t stop there, though. She was the first woman hired by the U.S. Geological Survey and went on the found the geology department at Bryn Mawr College. She was an expert in mineralogy and a leader in the field of education and research, paving the way for more women in the field of geosciences, though they remain underrepresented.

Vera Rubin (1928–2016)

At 10 years old, Vera Rubin built a telescope with her father and began watching the skies outside her bedroom window in Washington, D.C. She pursued a degree in astronomy at Vassar College and went on to get her Ph.D. in astronomy at Georgetown University. Although her early went mainly unnoticed by colleagues, Rubin and another astronomer, Kent Ford paired up to study spiral galaxies. Their calculations of galaxy rotation provided some of the first convincing evidence of the existence of dark matter in the universe. She received the National Medal of Science in 1993.