Science can change and even save lives. It\’s really impossible to name all of the ways that science impacts modern life, from curing viruses and diseases to improving agriculture to helping us to live healthier lives. Thankfully, there are many legendary women in science who have been, and currently are, a big part of the positive changes that science can make.
Get to know these three important females in science. They\’ve all changed history. They all deserve plenty of praise. By the way, I\’m a STEM graduate. So, I love giving these women the spotlight. Let\’s do it.
Wally Funk
Wally Funk rose to science fame as part of the Mercury 13, a group of women who had to go through difficult physical and psychological testing in the early 1960s as part of a private program to find out whether women were able to meet NASA\’s standards for spaceflight. Even though she performed well, or even better, than her male counterparts, Funk and the Mercury 13 were excluded from spaceflight. Why? Because they were women. It\’s really crazy to think that that kind of discrimination existed, but it did. What\’s really cool is that Funk became the oldest person to fly in space at the age of 82. Also, find out more about Funk here.
Lise Meitner
How awesome would it be to have an element named after you? Lise Meitner has that honor. The element that takes her name is the element with the atomic number 109, and it\’s called meitnerium. Also, she\’s one of only two women who have an element named after them. (Marie Curie is the other woman with her own element: curium.) Moreover, Meitner is credited with discovering what causes the Auger Effect, explaining how nuclear fission works, and finding the element protactinium.
Dr. Mireya Mayor
Dr. Mireya Mayor is a primatologist and explorer who has risen to popularity with the National Geographic network. She was part of an expedition that discovered a new species of lemur, the smallest primate. What\’s more, it\’s a brand new species to science. She has quite an active social presence. So, she\’s a great scientist to follow online. Also, find more about Mayor and link up on socials, go here.
Dr. Diva Amon
Diva Amon is a well-known Trinbagonian deep-sea biologist. You might have caught her on television: she has appeared on National Geographic, BBC, and CNN International. She also appeared in Will Smith\’s National Geographic documentary, Welcome To Earth, where she took him over 3,00 feet below the surface of the ocean. Amon is founder of SpeSeas, an organization dedicated to marine science, education, and advocacy in her home country, Trinidad and Tobago. Follow Dr. Amon on Instagram, and check out her website.
Dr. Jane Goodall
Dr. Goodall is the world\’s foremost and most famous primatologist. A Ph.D., DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, and United Nations Messenger of Peace, she is a conservationist and animal activist, but also an icon who still resonates as she turns 90. Follow her on Instagram.
