March is Women's History Month, and the best way for us to kick off a month of celebrations is to highlight some extraordinary women in STEM who have paved the way for us all, our STEM sheroes.
First, we have Dr. Grace Hopper, was a mathematician/computer scientist and an admiral in the US Navy. She worked on developing computer technology and was one of the first programmers of the Harvard Mark I. She also wrote the first computer manual and was the one who created the term "bug" to describe unexplained computer errors and failures. She also designed one of the first compilers. These are only a few of Grace Hopper's achievements, but her advances in technology are used by all in one way or another even today.
Next, we have Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, a physician who was the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States. She was also the first woman to become a member of the Medical Register of the General Medical Council. Elizabeth Blackwell also paved the way for future women in medicine by opening the Woman's Medical College in New York in 1868. She was the first woman in the US to earn a medical degree, but she made sure she wasn't the last!
Up next, we have Dr. Ellen Ochoa. She was the first Hispanic woman to go to space in 1993 on the space shuttle Discovery. She's been to space FOUR times and has spent a THOUSAND hours in orbit, wow! Before being an astronaut, Ellen Ochoa was an engineer and inventor. Ellen Ochoa was also the first Hispanic director of NASA's Johnson Space Center. Ellen Ochoa is a trailblazer and has set the stage for others to be successful in the world of STEM.
We've only highlighted three of MANY amazing women in STEM. We're excited to kickoff Women's History Month with stories about our STEM sheros, and we hope you enjoyed them as well. If you have STEM sheros, be sure to mention 'em in the comments!
