Maria Sibylla Merian - Entomologist & Scientific Illustrator

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’re sharing portraits of some pioneering women in STEM.

Born in Frankfurt in 1647, Maria Sibylla Merian went on to become one of the biggest contributors to the field of entomology through her highly-accurate illustrations. Cut off from the universities and academies of men, Merian was a self-taught naturalist who worked out of her kitchen. Instead of following the tradition of illustrating specimens lifelessly pinned down, Merian depicted insects actively transforming through stages of metamorphosis.

After 8 years of study, she was awarded a grant by the city of Amsterdam to travel to South America. At the time, this type of grant was an honor only men could expect to receive. Since the purpose of her trip was entirely scientific, Merian could be considered the first person to go on a scientific expedition. Malaria caused her to return to Europe after two years. Once back, she published her major work, Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium, in 1705. Her observation and documentation on the metamorphosis of the butterfly have enshrined her in scientific history.

7 years ago

Sara Josephine Baker - Physician & Pioneer of Preventative Medicine

In celebration of International Women’s Day, we’re sharing portraits of some pioneering women in STEM.

Born in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1873, Sara Josephine Baker went on to become one of America’s most accomplished physicians. She enrolled in the Women’s Medical College of the New York Infirmary in 1894 where she failed only one course: ‘The Normal Child’. Upon retaking the course, she became fascinated with children’s healthcare.

In 1901 Baker joined the New York Department of Health, and in 1907 she apprehended “Typhoid” Mary Mallon – the woman responsible for two separate typhoid fever epidemics in New York City. The following year, Baker was appointed the first director of the newly formed Bureau of Child Hygiene.

In that position, she changed the way the world thought about public health. In the days before antibiotics and modern medicine, the chance of a child surviving an ailment was slim. So, Baker pioneered and implemented preventative healthcare policies. By the time she retired in 1923, the infant mortality rate in New York City dropped from 144 per 1,000 live births to 66, one of the lowest in Western Civilization at the time.

Baker is credited with creating the position of the school nurse, and inventing a disposable infant eyedropper kit for inserting sterile silver nitrate solution into the eyes of infants following childbirth; the solution was used at the time to prevent blindness. She was the first woman to earn a doctorate of public health in the United States. In addition to her work in healthcare, she was a very vocal suffragette.

7 years ago

Meet the real women behind Hidden Figures.

In the early days of the Space Race, Dorothy Vaughan headed the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ (NACA) West Area Computing unit. It was an important but segregated unit of mostly female mathematicians doing aerospace calculations by hand. When NACA became NASA in 1958, the Analysis and Computation Division desegregated and Vaughan became a sought-after expert on FORTRAN  – a programming language used on IBM mainframes.

Vaughan is one of the women whose work inspired the film Hidden Figures — a true story of three African American mathematicians who helped NASA launch the first Americans into space.

Feeling inspired? See how coding might figure into your life. Uncover more about Dorothy Vaughan →

7 years ago

Meet the real women behind Hidden Figures.  

Mary Jackson’s unbelievable career trajectory saw her go from math teacher, to human computer, to aeronautical engineer. During the 1950s it’s likely she was the only black female in her field. When she made the transition to NASA in 1958, her research on aerodynamics and early IBM technology would help launch the first man into space.  

Jackson is one of the women whose work inspired the film Hidden Figures — a true story of three African American mathematicians who helped NASA launch the first Americans into space.

Feeling inspired? See how engineering might figure into your life. Uncover more about Mary Jackson →

7 years ago

Meet the real women behind Hidden Figures.

Before electronic computers were common, NASA hired mathematicians like Katherine Johnson to do the computing. Even after NASA began using IBM computers to plan its missions, Astronaut John Glenn trusted Johnson’s abilities so much that he personally requested she recheck the computer calculations that helped him become the first American to orbit the Earth.

Johnson is one of the women whose work inspired the film Hidden Figures — the true story of three African American mathematicians who helped NASA launch the first Americans into space.  

Feeling inspired? See how math might figure into your life. Uncover more about Katherine Johnson →

7 years ago

Tanmay Coding Tip #5

We’re wrapping up Computer Science Education Week with one final tip for aspiring developers from 13-year-old cognitive coder Tanmay Bakshi. Here’s what he had to say about sharing your newfound skills:

“Share. Share your knowledge, your experience, and your achievements. Doing this helps others, strengthens your own knowledge, and inspires others to do the same. If we can all do this, the programming world will be a better place.”

Learn from Tanmay’s code, check it out on github →

8 years ago

Tanmay Coding Tip #4

13-year-old cognitive coder Tanmay Bakshi is sharing his top tips for aspiring developers to celebrate Computer Science Education Week. Here’s what he had to say about keeping at it:

“Persevere. Don’t be afraid of errors! Errors are your friends. Why? Well, every problem has a solution, and once you find the solution to your error, you will never face it again, and you learn how to tackle similar problems in the future.”

Try coding with Tanmay, check out his tutorials →

8 years ago

Tanmay Coding Tip #3

It’s Computer Science Education Week, so we asked 13-year-old cognitive coder Tanmay Bakshi to share his top tips for aspiring developers. Here’s what he had to say about learning to code:

“Learn at your own pace, and be open to learn. Take your time! This gives you a solid foundation and understanding of coding. However, you also need to be open to different learning media, such as books, YouTube, blogs, fora, documentation, and more.”

Learn to code with Tanmay, check out his tutorials →

8 years ago

Tanmay Coding Tip #2

13-year-old cognitive coder Tanmay Bakshi is sharing his top tips for aspiring developers with us for Computer Science Education Week. Here’s what he had to say about improving your skills:

“Practice coding in your area of interest. Just like any other sport or subject, coding needs practice; and while there are many different ways you can practice your coding skills, I’d recommend you tie in your areas of interest with your coding skills. By ‘areas’, I mean Math, Science, Gaming, Robotics, and more!”

Practice coding with Tanmay, check out his tutorials →

8 years ago

Tanmay Coding Tip #1

The world’s youngest cognitive coder Tanmay Bakshi is helping us celebrate Computer Science Education Week by sharing his top tips for aspiring developers. Here’s what he had to say about getting started:

“Start Small, start Easy, start Playful. Make sure to have fun while you code, and as I like to say, code when & what you want to, not when & what you need to!”

Start coding with Tanmay, check out his tutorials →

8 years ago