Engineering Education Blog: Women Engineers, Computer Scientists and Inventors

Women's History Month 2008 poster
Photo of 4 women involved with ENIAC Women engineering presidents photo
Poster of Grace Hopper Conference 2008

March is Women’s History Month. Below I highlight some of our blogs on women’s contributions to engineering, computer science and entrepreneurship.

Patricia Galloway, first female president of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), blogs on Elsie Eaves - first female engineer in ASCE to be elected as a full member on March 14, 1927.

Lucy Sanders, CEO of the Center for Women in Information Technology blogs on the unveiling of the ENIAC on February 14, 1946, the world’s first digital electronic computer, as well as on the contributions of women in computing.

Jasmina Vujic, Chair of the Nuclear Engineering Department at the University of California at Berkeley, blogs on Lise Meitner and her groundbreaking publication that first introduced the world to nuclear fission on February 11, 1939.

Photo of Sara Breedlove Walker
Photo of Helen Taussig Graphic of Mary Phelps Jacob

Chad-Eric Montgommery blogs on two African American women. On March 1, 1864, Rebecca Lee Crumpler became the first African American woman to receive a medical degree. Also see the blog on Sara Breedlove Walker, the first self-made millionairess hair product inventions for African American women.

Check out Michael Smith blog’s on Josephine Cochrane’s patent for the first commercially successful dishwasher on December 28, 1886.

Pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Helen Taussig, was one of the doctors at Johns Hopkins who performed the first open heart surgery on November 29, 1944.

I enjoyed researching the blog for November 13, 1913  Mary Phelps Jacobs invents modern bra. And also for the one on Dr. Mary Walker, the first female army surgeon to be awarded the Medal of Honor on November 11, 1875. Mary Kies was the first woman to receive a U.S. patnet, on May 5, 1809. My daughter blogs on Florence Rena Sabin as the first woman to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences on April 25, 1925.

Beyond Bias and Barriers Logo for Fairer Science

Check out the Engineering Pathway’s many educational resources on women in engineering, women in information technology, women inventors and gender equity. One of my favorite resources is FairerScience, with practical advice on how to develop gender equitable classrooms and practices in math, science and engineering. We also have community groups in engineering diversity and computing diversity.

For a more indepth analysis of the issues associated with gender equity in our faculties and recommended solutions, read our “most commented” resource - the National Academies’ Beyond Bias and Barriers report. My editorial on the report was published in ASEE Prism, November 2006, vol. 16 (3). Obama and McCain Campaigns both commented on the report and other issues concerning women in science and technology during the election.  Read a side-by-side comparison here. The first one concerns the recommendations of the Beyond Bias and Barriers report. We’d love to hear your comments and suggestions as well.

Posted in Topics: Social Studies, Technology

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6 Responses to “Engineering Education Blog: Women Engineers, Computer Scientists and Inventors”

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