5 Female STEM Role Models Who Empower and Inspire
Female representation matters—and particularly in historically male-dominated STEM fields, female role models can motivate women and girls to pursue STEM. Their accomplishments show others that success is possible, even with the existence of gender disparities and other potential barriers to success. These role models empower and inspire in the STEM fields, offering guidance to women and girls in their careers and even beyond.
This article will highlight a few women in STEM who act as role models for women and girls. Especially for those aspiring to join the STEM fields, these women prove that women in STEM are capable of great things!
5 Female STEM Role Models for Women and Girls
- Katherine Johnson (1918–2020)
Katherine Johnson was an American mathematician and trailblazer in the STEM field. She is especially known for her work at NASA, where she used her mathematics skills (including orbital mechanics) to help send astronauts to the moon and return them home safely. She is one of the women who inspired the 2016 movie “Hidden Figures,” which celebrates Johnson and other female pioneers who were critical to the success of some of the first US crewed spaceflights.
Johnson was also one of the first black women to integrate West Virginia’s graduate schools in the 20th century, paving the way for those to come. She has received many accolades for her work, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award that can be bestowed upon a civilian.
- Marie Curie (1867–1934)
Dr. Marie Curie was a Polish-French physicist and is most known for her work on radioactivity. She discovered radium and polonium, and her research was crucial in the development of x-rays for surgery.
Dr. Curie was also the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and the first person ever to win it twice: once in 1903 for Physics and once in 1911 for Chemistry. Her legacy cements her as one of the most influential scientists of all time.
- Laurence Tubiana (1951–present)
Laurence Tubiana is a French economist and diplomat with many accomplishments in the environmental field, including:
- CEO of the European Climate Foundation
- Chair of the Board of Governors at the French Development Agency
- France’s Climate Change Ambassador and Special Representative for COP21
- Key architect of the Paris Agreement
Tubiana’s work in the environmental field has been extremely important in encouraging countries around the world to be more sustainable and work together to preserve the planet. Her achievements also extend to academia, with experience as a professor at Sciences Po, Paris and Columbia University, New York.
Not to mention: Tubiana also endorsed “The Wildlife Warriors: Saving Their Habitats,” a children’s book written and illustrated by No Limit International Co-Founder Orlyola Tantchou that explores the dangers of climate change and promotes climate activism. This endorsement encourages all young people (especially young girls) to be wildlife warriors and contribute to environmental conservation efforts.
“Orlyola Tantchou’s beautiful story captures the importance of working together to protect our wonderful, fragile, natural world,” Tubiana says. “Her wisdom—typical of her generation—gives me hope that we can still win the fight to stop climate change.”
See also: “The Wildlife Warriors: Saving Their Habitats” Inspires a More Sustainable World
- Dr. Mae Jemison (1956–present)
Dr. Mae Jemison is an American engineer, physicist, and scientist. Dr. Jemison was the first woman of color in the world to become an astronaut in 1987 and travel to space in 1992, joining six other NASA astronauts aboard the space shuttle Endeavor.
During her career, Dr. Jemison has actively advocated for diversity in STEM fields, including STEM education. Her advocacy and accomplishments encourage women and other minorities to pursue STEM and push beyond the boundaries of the fields.
- Dr. Patricia Bath (1942–2019)
Dr. Patricia Bath was an American ophthalmologist, scientist, and humanitarian. In the late 20th century, she invented the Laserphaco probe, a medical device used to remove cataracts using laser technology. Dr. Bath was also the first female member of the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA and the first woman to lead a post-graduate training program in ophthalmology.
Dr. Bath is extremely recognized in the ophthalmology field, with her achievements and honors helping to bring eye services to a multitude of underserved communities. Her legacy includes various breakthroughs in the healthcare industry, including not just eye care but also blindness prevention and health equity.
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