9 Notable Women in STEM to Honor on International Women’s Day

March 8, 2020 is International Women’s Day, a day to recognize the social, economic, cultural, and political accomplishments of women globally. Here at Sphero, we admire the women who have contributed to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). From NASA space scientists to brilliant mathematicians, these women motivate us everyday to think #BeyondCode. Check out nine of these courageous, determined and forward-thinking leaders below!

• Florence Nightingale — Revolutionary social reformer & statistician; known as the the inventor of modern nursing. During the Crimean War (1853–1856) she was noted to have reduced the death rate from 42% to less than 5%, b. 1820 — d. 1910
• Elizabeth Blackwell — Remarkable Physician; first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States in 1849; co-founder of the New York Infirmary for Women and Children in 1857, b. 1821 — d. 1910
• Rear Admiral “Amazing” Grace Hopper — Groundbreaking Inventor & Computer Scientist; responsible for creating the first programming language to use english words (Common Business-Oriented Language), b. 1906 — d. 1992
• Chien-Shiung Wu — Outstanding nuclear physicist; know as the “Queen of Nuclear Research”; key contributor to the Manhattan Project and disproved the hypothetical law of conservation of parity, b. 1912 — d. 1997
• Katherine Johnson — Extraordinary NASA Space Scientist; responsible for calculations on the first flight path for America’s first space mission and first moon landing, b. 1918 — d. 2020
• Rosalind Franklin — Exceptional chemist and X-ray crystallographer; worked on central development of understanding DNA structure, b. 1920 — d. 1958
• Roberta Bondar — Courageous astronaut; first female Canadian astronaut and the world’s first astronaut-neurologist, b. 1945
• Carol Shaw — Phenomenal game designer; One of the first female game and programming designers in the video game industry, b. 1955
• Ginni Rometty — Determined systems engineer; first woman to become CEO of IBM from 2012 until January 2020, b. 1957

These are just a few of the many inspiring women who have contributed to the evolution of STEM. With all of their efforts women dare to dream big, inspire others, and go above and beyond the norms. In the words of famous ethologist Dr. Jane Goodman, “If you really want something, and work really hard, and take advantage of opportunities and never give up, you will find a way.”

Do these incredible women have you feeling inspired today? Let us know who sparks your inspiration by tweeting us @Sphero.