On this International Women's Day, we celebrate the phenomenal women making strides in the field of engineering. From leading tech companies to breaking records in space, these five women are truly STEM heroines. They are pushing boundaries, breaking barriers, and proving that women have a significant role to play in engineering and technology.
Find a Google Slides of all of our 2023 STEM Heroes: Int. Women Day in Engineering edition that you can make a copy of or download as a PowerPoint for class, home, school, or lab!
Limor “Ladyada” Fried
Founder, CEO, and Chief Engineer at Adafruit Industries, Limor Fried has proven that women can indeed excel in the world of technology. Fried founded Adafruit to provide learning electronic products for makers of all ages and skill levels. Her impact in the tech world has not gone unnoticed. In 2018, she was named one of “America’s Top 50 Women in Tech” by Forbes. A photograph of Fried can be seen on Github.com and Adafruit Industries.
Mary Teresa Barra
Another woman making waves in the male-dominated industry is Mary Teresa Barra, the Chairman and CEO of General Motors Company. She made history by becoming GM’s first female CEO and the first woman to lead any major automaker. Barra is not just a leader but an innovator, steering the transformation of personal mobility through advanced technologies like connectivity, electrification, autonomous driving, and car sharing. Pictures of her can be found on her LinkedIn page and GM Wieck.
Kimberly Bryant
Kimberly Bryant, the Founder and CEO of Black Girls Code, is another engineering heroine. As an Electrical Engineer, she founded Black Girls Code to teach basic programming concepts to girls who are underrepresented in technology careers. Her work is playing a crucial role in promoting diversity in the tech world. Her pictures can be seen on sd2.org and Vanderbilt University Magazine.
Christina Koch
Christina Koch, an engineer and NASA astronaut, has made her mark in the universe, literally. Koch broke the record for the longest single space flight by a woman while working at the International Space Station in December 2018 on her first spaceflight. She also took part in the first all-female spacewalk in October 2019. Her images can be viewed on NASA's official website.
Evelyn Wang
Last but not least, we celebrate Evelyn Wang, the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at MIT. Wang is an internationally recognized leader in phase change heat transfer on nanostructure surfaces, focusing on high-efficiency energy and water systems. She is also transforming the engineering curriculum by implementing new educational models and grand research challenges. Her pictures can be found on MIT News and DRL by MIT.
These five women are truly STEM heroines. They are proof that women are not just capable of excelling in engineering and technology, but can also lead and drive innovation. They are an inspiration to all aspiring female engineers and coders out there. So, here's to celebrating women in engineering, not just on International Women's Day, but every day!
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