Annie Easley, an African American mathematician, and computer scientist was born in April 1933 in Birmingham, Alabama. Her entire childhood was spent dreaming of becoming a nurse, but once she attended high school, she slowly switched her interest to pharmacy. After attending Xavier University in 1951, she married a man in the U.S. military and worked as an educator in Jefferson County. In between her time as an educator, she helped those in her community study for literacy tests so they could obtain the ability to vote. Despite the endless discrimination and disapproval from others, she persevered to help as many people as possible. Soon enough, she unsuccessfully continued her degree in pharmacy, and in 1955 switched to an interest in the computer field. In Ohio, she worked as a “human computer” at the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory, which was transported to become the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA). As a result, she started up a new career as a computer scientist and mathematician for NASA. Easley continued this job for 34 years, and although she didn’t have the necessary credentials, she was able to successfully fulfill her position.
Over the next couple of years, Easley was on the front line of space research, and in the early 1960s, began working on nuclear-powered rocket systems. At this time, and after the successful launch in 1963, she learned computer programming languages such as the Formula Translating System (Fortran) and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP). Her work in NASA and the legacy she has left behind continue to inspire those in the STEM community today.

Three Barrington High School computer science students have written and illustrated a picture book which aims to convince other girls that computer coding and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) aren’t just for boys. “Breaking the Code with Gabriella” tells the story of a young girl who joins a robotics club where she discovers she is the only girl. The boys in the club mock her until they realize that she is skillful at robotics. The authors avoid a predictable ending to create a believable story. In addition to the plot, the book includes many easy-to-understand definitions and explanations of robotics and STEM. Authors Hafsah Khan, Sarah Pinto, and Cindy Wang are actually members of the Despicable Machine robotics team, which is coached by computer science teachers Kristen Lewis and Thomas Bredemeier. Bredemeier emphasized that the three young ladies created the book completely on their own, without input from him or Lewis. Khan said that Pinto was the person who decided they should write the picture book because a friend of hers had created a picture book that explained a complicated subject in a way that was understandable for children. The young authors decided that a picture book, which could be appropriate for kids as young as first or second grade, “showing a girl on a robotics team, would help with breaking the gender barriers.

Christopher Nolan’s highly-anticipated movie “Oppenheimer,” set for release July 21, 2023, depicts J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. But while the Manhattan Project wouldn’t have been possible without the work of many accomplished female scientists, the only women seen in the movie’s trailer are either hanging laundry, crying or cheering the men on. As a physics professor who studies ways to support women in STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – fields and a film studies professor who worked as a screenwriter in Hollywood, we believe the trailer’s depiction of women reinforces stereotypes about who can succeed in science. It also represents a larger trend of women’s contributions in science going unrecognized in modern media. The Manhattan Project would not have been possible without the work of physicist Lise Meitner, who discovered nuclear fission. Meitner used Einstein’s E=MC² to calculate how much energy would be released by splitting uranium atoms, and it was that development that would prompt Einstein to sign a letter urging President Franklin Roosevelt to begin the United States’ atomic research program.

Inspired by the women who came before her, a local volunteer is working to pave the way for the next generation of computer scientists. Gabby Doran says that she’s driven to make a difference, and she’s getting her start at a community center in north Minneapolis. Doran's passion for computer science started young, saying during an interview with FOX 9's Bisi Onile-Ere, "I had always been interested in coding as a little girl." Today, she’s a senior business intelligence analyst for Comcast, after years of study and training, the mentee is now a mentor. "A college professor was my first mentor, and she changed my life. Because she was the first person to ever tell me that I could have a future in a technical field if I wanted to," said Doran. "Now that I’m in a place in my career where I’m feeling some measure of success, it’s important for me to start pouring that back into people as soon as possible." This summer, Doran is leading a program called "Girls Who Code" at the Phyllis Wheatley community center in north Minneapolis. "It’s a safe, supportive, fun environment for girls to come and explore their interest in these things and be told that they could have a future in this," said Doran. When asked why she believes that it's important to expose girls to code, Doran responded, "We have fewer women in computer science now than we did in the 1990s. So, we’ve actually gone backward." But Doran is moving forward. Volunteering one day a week, she teaches girls how to build animations, games and applications. "These girls, they’re digital natives, right? They grew up with the internet, but they haven’t necessarily been exposed to what happens behind the scenes or under the hood of all of the devices that they use every day," said Doran.In the realm of Science-Technology-Engineering-and Math (STEM), Doran says the goal is to show young girls what’s possible."If we can create spaces where girls can build their confidence and learn that they have every right to do these things just as much as boys, then we can start to fix the problem of not enough women in tech," said Doran.

Peggy Whitson, PhD, is a biochemistry researcher and a retired NASA astronaut. She has spent 675 days in space, more than any other American or woman, placing her eighth on the all-time space endurance list. Her career has been filled with a surfeit of firsts. Whitson was the first woman commander of the International Space Station, and the only woman to serve as International Space Station commander twice. She was the first woman, and first non-pilot to serve as Chief of the NASA Astronaut Office. She is the first woman to complete 10 space walks, and the first woman to command a private space mission with Axiom Space.

In the SWE newest episode of Diverse: a SWE Podcast, we dive into the SWE Awards Program with FY24 SWE President Alexis McKittrick, FY24 Awards Implementation Lead Pamela Morison, and FY23-24 Director Inaas Darrat! They share the significance of recognizing women in STEM, the history of the SWE Awards Program, and the upcoming changes that will make the program more inclusive.

September is Update Your Resume Month. With the current job market becoming more competitive, it’s critical that you differentiate yourself from others. Behnaz Akbari highlights key tips from the AWIS webinar “Resume and Interview Tips to Get Noticed and Get the Job.”

The innovator section of TikTok strikes again. How efficient would it be if mathematical instructions could translate different dialects of sign language? A TikToker put it to the test with a quick demonstration of her process. Under the username @ Mrembo, the TikToker shared that she built a machine- learning algorithm to turn Kenyan sign language into audio. Although she had the idea, she was initally unfamiliar with the type of artifical intelligence (AI). However, with the help of YouTube and a machine learning course, @Mrembo was caught up to speed on building out her machine learning model.

A famous photo shows the control room at Kennedy Space Center on the day of the historic Apollo 11 launch packed with hundreds of men in white shirts and skinny black ties — and, among them, a single woman sits at a console. As Apollo 11 began its flight to the moon on July 16, 1969, 28-year-old instrumentation controller JoAnn Hardin Morgan became the first woman ever permitted in the launch firing room, which is locked down in advance of a space flight. Morgan, who was the first female engineer at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, would go on to have a 40-year-long career at NASA. While she encountered challenges along the way, including being "the only woman there for a long time" and spending the first 15 years working "in a building were there wasn't a ladies rest room," Morgan says that "I had such a passion that overrode anything else, the lonely moments, the little bits of negative. They were like a mosquito bite. You just swat it and push on."

After a 20-year career as a mathematics professor, teaching at the college level and doing research in nonlinear integral equations and natural resource modeling, she became the Executive Director of the American Mathematical Society, which is the professional society for research mathematicians. This Fall, she will begin a new role as CEO of the Consortium for Mathematics and Its Applications.