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What Does STEM Stand For?
The term STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. According to The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in 2019 it is recorded that only 29% of STEM federal workers were women.
Diverse Women in STEM Careers
Despite these odds (as well as many experiencing racism), these powerful women followed their dreams and several are the “firsts”: first Black woman astronaut, first Hispanic woman astronaut, among others.
Be sure to save this post for later!
Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating, illustrated by Marta Alvarez Miguens
Eugenie Clark was a Japanese-American ichthyologist (zoologist who studies fishes). In a time when women were discouraged from continuing their education, Eugenie followed her passion for all things sharks.
This book follows her from her first discovery of her love of fish to her discovery of three different types of fish and ends by highlighting her advocacy for the value and protection of sharks.
The Astronaut with a Song for the Stars by Julia Finley Mosca, illustrated by Daniel Rieley
Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman in space. A unique part about her story is that she went to college to become a professional flautist, and in college discovered a passion for engineering.
Dr. Ochoa graduated from Stanford with her PhD in electrical engineering from Stanford University and continued to follow her passion to NASA. While at NASA, she not only has journeyed to space four times, she became the director of the Johnson Space Center. I loved this book as an example to my own children that they can be multi-passionate and follow all their dreams, even if they don’t seem like they “go together.”
Computer Decoder: Dorothy Vaughan, Computer Scientist by Andi Diehn, illustrated by Katie Mazeika
Dorothy Vaughn was one of the women in the Hidden Figures book, but her incredible story deserved its own book. Dorothy was an original computer – meaning, her job was to make computations, which were used by NASA. This work was done during Jim Crow segregation, and she became not only NASA’s first African-American manager but also one of the first people to learn to use the earliest electronic computers.
The end of the book listed some of the inventions Dorothy saw in her lifetime, having died in 2008. I pointed out to my kids that Dorothy Vaughn was alive when I was 18, and my children responded with “wait, you were alive when they still used VCRs?”
Learn more about Ms Vaughan’s amazing life here.
Queen of Physics: How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secrets of the Atom by Teresa Robeson
Wu Chien Shiung (also known as Chien Shiung Wu in some places) was born in China, at a time when the government did not agree that girls should be allowed to go to school – but she was born to parents who believed that girls were just as capable as boys.
Eventually, her thirst for knowledge (especially her love of physics) led her to the United States. She created and ran experiments that earned three Nobel prizes (though she was not honored by in any of them), and was the first woman to teach at Princeton University.
I loved this book for so many reasons: the author highlights how the belief of her parents helped her believe in herself, the incredible contributions of immigrants, and how she fell in love with physics and followed her passions to make a change in the world.
The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Mongague by Julia Finley Mosca
Another woman to overcome racist and sexist hurdles, Raye Montague worked extra hard to prove her abilities and follow her dreams.
As a young child, Raye wanted to work with submarines, and had a special ability for complex math problems.
When she went above and beyond, she proved she had earned a place – but that didn’t mean she was treated differently.
Read the inspiring story of Raye Montague, the woman who overcame every obstacle and became a submarine engineer.
Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars by Laurie Wallmark, illustrated by Brooke Smart
Elizebeth learned to decipher codes when she joined a group trying to prove a man named Bacon was the original author of Shakespeare’s plays. She became such a skilled crypotologist that the government hired her as part of their new CIA cryptology sector. During the Prohibition, she used her pencil and paper to bust smuggling rings, including one involving mob boss Al Capone.
During the World Wars, she deciphered Nazi codes and was able to act as a spy. Her involvement in the wars was highly classified and only revealed in 2015, thirty-five years after her death.
Be sure to read this book to learn about the amazing Elizebeth Friedman.
Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed
You might recognize this book from the Diverse NASA Astronauts post, but the first African American woman astronaut in space belongs on this list as well!
Mae Jemison loved space ever since she was a little girl. As her interest grew, so did the amount of people who told her things like “that’s not a job for a girl.” But Mae didn’t listen, and after becoming a practicing medical doctor, returned to her first love of space and flew on the Endeavor on September 12, 1992.
A Computer Called Katherine by Suzanne Slade
Katherine Johnson was one of the four Hidden Figures responsible for helping to send Neil Armstrong to the moon.
This story focuses on Katherine’s love for math. This love helped her graduate high school at age fourteen and enter college at fifteen. After she graduated, she found a job as a “computer” and continued to battle racism and sexism to get respect in her career.
She earned it in spades. Check out this book about Katherine Johnson to inspire any math lover.
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly
I have shared this book before, back when I did full individual book reviews. The four women who together made up the team now monikered the “Hidden Figures,” were Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Christine Darden.
These women were nicknamed as such because their accomplishments were largely hidden by NASA – because in the 1960s, the country was still deep in the struggle for Civil Rights. All these women faced brutal sexism and racism, but together made huge strides for the entire country.
Who else should be added to the list? Be sure to leave a comment of other incredible diverse women in STEM careers who deserve to be highlighted!
