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African Americans |
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The following is a list of notable African-American women who have made contributions to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
An excerpt from a 1998 issue of Black Issues in Higher Education by Juliane Malveaux reads: "There are other reasons to be concerned about the paucity of African-American women in science, especially as scientific occupations are among the most pivotal and highly compensated in the occupational spectrum. Yet, both leaks in the pipeline and gender stereotyping contribute to the under-representation of African-American women in the sciences.
There are organizations that offer scholarships in STEM in the hopes of attracting more women and minority candidates, like Ralph W. Turner Foundation and UNCF STEM Scholarships for undergraduate education, however many students remain unaware of their availability. The US National Science Foundation also makes efforts to support women in STEM.
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz | chemical engineer and environmental engineer | Developer of technologies that turn agricultural waste into a filtration system for water | [1] | |
![]() | Rediet Abebe | computer scientist | 1991- | First female computer scientist to be appointed to the Harvard Society of Fellows | [2] |
![]() | Lilia Ann Abron | chemical engineering and environmental engineering | 1945- | First African-American woman to earn a PhD in chemical engineering | [3] |
Stephanie G. Adams | engineer and academic administrator | Dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Texas at Dallas since 2019 | [4] | ||
![]() | Lucile Adams-Campbell | epidemiology | 1953- | First African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in epidemiology in the United States. Serves as the Professor of Oncology at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and associate director for Minority Health at the Georgetown University Medical Center. | [5] |
![]() | Javaune Adams-Gaston | psychologist and academic administrator | President of Norfolk State University since 2019. | [6] | |
Paris Adkins-Jackson | epidemiology | Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Sociomedical Sciences in the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York. | [7] | ||
![]() | Modupe Akinola | organizational scholar and social psychologist | 1974- | Researches the science of stress, creativity, and how to maximize human potential in diverse organizations. | [8] |
Jacqueline Akinpelu | applied mathematician, operations researcher | 1953- | Research manager at the Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University, and developed a pipeline for students from Morgan State University to mentor them into careers in STEM fields. | [9] | |
Delores P. Aldridge | sociologist | 1941- | First African-American woman faculty member of Emory University and founding director of the first African-American and African-Studies degree-granting program in the South. | [10] | |
![]() | Claudia Alexander | geophysics, planetary science | 1959-2015 | Project manager for NASA's Galileo mission and Rosetta mission | [11] [12] |
Beverly Anderson | mathematician | 1943- | Emeritus professor at the University of the District of Columbia, and in the 1990s, worked at the National Academy of Sciences as Director of Minority Programs for the Mathematical Sciences Education Board | ||
Cheryl Anderson | epidemiologist | Professor at and founding Dean of the University of California San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science | [13] | ||
Giovonnae Anderson | electrical engineering | First African-American women to earn a Ph.D. in electrical engineering at the University of California, Davis (1979): Giovonnae Anderson | [14] | ||
Gloria Long Anderson | chemistry | 1938- | Pioneer of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, known for work with fluorine-19 and solid rocket propellants | ||
![]() | Ayana Holloway Arce | physicist and professor | Associate professor of Duke University who works on particle physics, using data from the Large Hadron Collider to understand phenomena beyond the Standard Model | [15] | |
Treena Livingston Arinzeh | biomedical engineering | 1970- | Researcher of adult stem-cell therapy | ||
Ludmilla Aristilde | engineer | Professor at Northwestern University whose research considers environmental biochemistry and bioengineering | [16] | ||
Elayne Arrington | mathematician and engineer | 1940- | First African-American woman to graduate with a bachelor's degree from the School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh | [17] | |
![]() | Valerie Ashby | chemist | Chemist and university professor currently serving as president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County | [18] | |
![]() | Estella Atekwana | Biogeophysics; tectonphysics | 1961- | Dean of the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment at the University of Delaware | |
Balanda Atis | cosmetic science | Cosmetic chemist at L'Oréal USA who expanded range of cosmetics available for people of color | |||
Donna Auguste | businesswoman, computer scientist | 1958- | Senior engineering manager for the Newton personal digital assistant (PDA) | ||
![]() | Wanda Austin | aerospace engineering | 1954- | Former president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation | |
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aziza Baccouche | physicist and science filmmaker | 1976-2021 | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mass Media Science and Engineering fellow at CNN and founder and CEO of media company Aziza Productions | [19] | |
![]() | June Bacon-Bercey | meteorology | 1932- | Believed to be the first African-American woman to gain a degree in meteorology and known to be the first African-American woman to be a televised meteorologist. | |
![]() | Erica Baker | software engineer | 2006- | Engineer and engineering manager in the San Francisco Bay Area, known for her outspoken support of diversity and inclusion. | |
![]() | Alice Augusta Ball | chemistry | 1892-1916 | First woman and African-American to receive a master's degree from the University of Hawaii | |
Martha Banks | clinical psychologist | 1951- | Expert on issues involving women, race, trauma, disability, religion, and their intersectionality. Banks is a research neuropsychologist and computer programmer at ABackans DCP Inc. | [20] | |
Nina Banks | economist | Associate professor of economics at Bucknell University and former president of the National Economic Association (NEA) | [21] | ||
Gilda Barabino | biomedical engineer and chemical engineer | 1956- | Professor of biomedical and chemical engineering, Barabino served as the second president of Olin College of Engineering from 2020-2025 | [22] | |
![]() | Patricia Bath | ophthalmologist, inventor | 1942-2019 | Pioneered laser surgery to remove cataracts | |
Scarlett Bellamy | mathematician | ??- | Chair and Professor of Biostatistics at Boston University School of Public Health [23] | ||
![]() | Regina Benjamin | physician | 1956- | 18th Surgeon General of the United States | |
Emma Benn | biostatistician | Associate professor in the Department of Population Health Science, affiliated with the Center for Biostatistics and the associate dean of faculty well-being and development, and the founding director of the Center for Scientific Diversity at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai | [24] [25] | ||
Adia Benton | anthropologist | 1977- | Associate professor of anthropology and African Studies at Northwestern University | [26] | |
Angela Benton | internet entrepreneur | 1981- | Founder of NewME, Streamlytics, and Black Web 2.0 | ||
![]() | Joanne Berger-Sweeney | neuroscientist | 1958- | First woman and the first African American to lead Trinity College (Connecticut): Joanne Berger-Sweeney | [27] |
![]() | Marie Bernard | physician and researcher | Previously, NIH senior geriatrician, overseeing research focused on aging and Alzheimer's disease | [28] | |
![]() | Carlotta Berry | electrical engineer, professor, roboticist | 1970- | Professor of electrical engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and textbook author | |
![]() | Matilene Berryman | oceanographer, lawyer | 1920-2003 | Professor of marine science at the University of the District of Columbia and textbook author | |
Sarah Boone | inventor | 1832-1904 | Second African-American woman to attain a U.S. patent | ||
Katie Booth | biomedical chemist and civil rights activist | 1907-2006 | Worked in the Department of Pharmacology at the Chicago Medical School (part of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science), specializing in preventative health measures, children's health, prenatal care, and treatments for sickle cell anemia | [29] | |
![]() | Aisha Bowe | aerospace engineer and STEM advocate | 1986- | Founder and CEO of STEMBoard, a technology company, and LINGO, an educational tech company featuring tutorials and online resources featuring NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace. | |
Sylvia D. Trimble Bozeman | mathematician | 1947- | Researcher of functional analysis and image processing, member of Obama's Presidential Committee on the National Medal of Science, founder of Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education | ||
Lillian K. Bradley | mathematician and mathematics educator | 1921-1995 | First African-American woman to earn a doctorate in any subject (mathematics education) at the University of Texas at Austin | ||
Khalia Braswell | computer scientist | 2014–present | an American computer scientist, educator, and technologist. INTech Camp for Girls | ||
Carolyn Brooks | microbiologist | 1946- | Researcher in immunology, nutrition, and crop productivity | [30] | |
![]() | Beth A. Brown | astrophysicist | 1969-2008 | NASA astrophysicist with a research focus on X-ray observations of elliptical galaxies and black holes. She earned a Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Michigan in 1998, becoming the first African-American woman to do so. | |
Deborah Washington Brown | computer scientist and speech recognition | 1952-2020 | First African-American woman to earn a doctorate in computer science (then a part of their applied math program) at Harvard University | [31] | |
![]() | Dorothy Lavinia Brown | surgeon | 1919-2004 | First African-American female appointed to a general surgery residency in the racially segregated South. | [32] |
| Jeannette Brown | organic medicinal chemist, historian, and author | 1934- | First African-American woman to achieve a master's degree from the University of Minnesota in organic chemistry | [33] |
![]() | Quincy K. Brown | computer scientist | Director of Engagement and Research at AnitaB.org, a global nonprofit organization whose primary aim is to recruit, retain, and advance women in technology. Senior Fellow at Federation of American Scientists. Formerly Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. | [34] [35] | |
Marjorie Lee Browne | mathematician | 1914-1979 | Third African-American woman to receive a PhD in mathematics | [36] | |
Amanda Bryant-Friedrich | chemist | Dean of the graduate school and a professor in the college of pharmacy and health sciences at Wayne State University | [37] | ||
![]() | Kimberly Bryant | electrical engineer | 1967- | Founder of Black Girls Code | |
![]() | Joy Buolamwini | computer scientist | 1989- | Founder of Algorithmic Justice League; Rhodes Scholar, Fulbright fellow, Stamps Scholar, Astronaut Scholar and Anita Borg Institute scholar | |
![]() | Ursula Burns | engineer, CEO | 1958- | CEO of Xerox; first Black woman to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company and the first woman to succeed another as head of a Fortune 500 company | |
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Naiomi Cameron | mathematician and combinatorics | Associate professor at Spelman College as well as the vice president of National Association of Mathematicians | [38] [39] | ||
![]() | Alexa Canady | neuroscience | 1950- | First Black woman to become a neurosurgeon | |
Carolyn Cannon-Alfred | pharmacologist | 1934-1987 | Professor and co-author of Medical Handbook for the Layman | ||
Peggy G. Carr | developmental psychology and statistics | First African American to be appointed Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics | [40] | ||
April Carson | epidemiologist | Associate professor of epidemiology and associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health | [41] | ||
![]() | Majora Carter | developer, activist | 1966- | Founder of Sustainable South Bronx | |
![]() | Etosha Cave | mechanical engineering | Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Twelve, a startup that recycles carbon dioxide | [42] | |
Sherita Ceasar | mechanical engineering | First African-American president of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) | [43] | ||
![]() | Karen Chin | paleontologist and taphonomist | Considered one of the world's leading experts in coprolites | [44] | |
![]() | May Edward Chinn | physician | 1896-1980 | First African-American woman to graduate from NYU School of Medicine, first African-American woman to intern at Harlem Hospital | |
Gloria Chisum | experimental psychologist | 1930- | Developed eye protection for pilots; first African-American woman to join the University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees | ||
![]() | Juanita Christensen | government official and electronics engineer | First African-American woman from Redstone Arsenal, Alabama to join the Senior Executive Service SES. | [45] | |
![]() | Mamie Phipps Clark | social psychologist | 1917-1983 | Researched self-esteem and self-concept in African-American children, which was used in 1954 civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas | [46] |
![]() | Yvonne Clark | engineer | 1929-2019 | first woman to get a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering at Howard University, the first woman to earn a master's degree in Engineering Management from Vanderbilt University, and the first woman to serve as a faculty member in the College of Engineering and Technology at Tennessee State University | |
Jewel Plummer Cobb | biologist, professor | 1924-2017 | Elected to the Institute of Medicine in the National Academy of Sciences in 1974 in recognition for her research achievements | [47] | |
Robin Coger | biomedical engineer and academic administrator | Formerly the provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at East Carolina University. Her research as a biomedical engineer has focused on artificial organs and particularly on liver support systems | [48] | ||
![]() | Johnnetta Cole | anthropologist, educator and museum director | 1936- | Spelman College's seventh president and the first Black woman to lead the institution | [49] |
![]() | Rebecca Cole | physician | 1846-1922 | Second African-American woman physician | |
![]() | Bessie Coleman | aviator | 1896–1926 | First African American and Native American woman to hold a pilot license | [46] |
Betty Collette | veterinary pathologist | 1930-2017 | Sole African-American pathology researcher at Georgetown University School of Medicine in the 1950s | ||
Margaret S. Collins | zoologist | 1922-1996 | First African-American female entomologist and the third African-American female zoologist | [50] | |
![]() | Kizzmekia Corbett | viral immunologist | 1986- | Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Shutzer Assistant Professor at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute since June 2021 | |
Carol Blanche Cotton | psychologist | 1904-1971 | Researched cognitive ability in children diagnosed with spastic paralysis | ||
![]() | Carla Cotwright-Williams | mathematician | 1973- | Second African-American woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics at the University of Mississippi | [51] |
![]() | Patricia S. Cowings | aerospace psychophysiologist | 1948- | First African-American woman scientist to be trained as an astronaut by NASA | |
![]() | Marian Croak | engineer | 1955- | Engineer known for her Voice over IP (VoIP) related inventions. In 2022, she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for her work with VoIP | |
![]() | Monica Cox | engineering education | First African-American woman to earn tenure in engineering at Purdue University | [52] | |
Rebecca Lee Crumpler | physician | 1831–1895 | First African-American woman to become a physician in the United States | ||
Lesia L. Crumpton-Young | engineer and academic administrator | Served as the 13th president of Texas Southern University from 2021 to 2023. Previously provost and chief academic officer of Morgan State University | [53] | ||
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shaundra Daily | electrical engineer and computer science | 1979– | American professor and author known for her work in the field of human-centered computing and broadening participation in STEM. She is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science at Duke University. | ||
![]() | Marie Maynard Daly | biochemist | 1921–2003 | First African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in chemistry | |
Theda Daniels-Race | nanoengineering, electronic engineering | Michael B. Voorhies Distinguished Professor in the Division of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Louisiana State University, 19th African-American woman to obtain a PhD in a physics-related field in the US | [54] | ||
![]() | Christine Darden | aerospace engineer | 1942- | Researcher at NASA who pioneered the design of supersonic aircraft | [46] |
Geraldine Claudette Darden | mathematician | 1936-???? | 14th African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics | ||
![]() | Jane Eleanor Datcher | botanist | 1868-1934 | First known African-American woman to earn an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and the first African-American woman in the U.S. to earn a degree in botany (1890) | [55] |
![]() | Felecia Davis | architect, engineer and educator | Principal of FELECIA DAVIS STUDIO where she bridges art, engineering, design and architecture. Davis is known for her work in computational textiles. | [56] | |
Mary Deconge | mathematician | 1933-???? | 15th African-American woman to earn her Ph.D. in mathematics | ||
Giovonnae Dennis | electrical engineer | One of the first African-American women to earn a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, and one of the few at a primarily white institution rather than a historically Black institution (HBCU); Founded Software Tailoring | |||
Elaine Denniston | Keypunch operator, lawyer | 1939- | Supported the Apollo program as a keypunch operator | [57] | |
![]() | Helen Octavia Dickens | physician | 1909–2001 | First African-American woman to be admitted to the American College of Surgeons | |
![]() | Darlene Dixon | veterinary scientist and toxicologic pathologist | Researches the pathogenesis/carcinogenesis of tumors | [58] | |
Oluwami Dosunmu-Ogunbi | roboticist, engineer, and educator | In 2024, first African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in Robotics from the University of Michigan | [59] | ||
![]() | Tracy Drain | flight systems engineer | 1954- | Deputy chief engineer for NASA's JUNO mission, which arrived at Jupiter in June 2016 | [60] |
Georgia Mae Dunston | Human Geneticist | 1944- | Professor at Howard University and founder of the National Human Genome Center | ||
Lisa Dyson | scientist, physicist, and entrepreneur | Founder and CEO of Air Protein, a food tech company, reinventing how food is produced using elements of the air | [61] | ||
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Annie Easley | mathematician and rocket scientist | 1933–2011 | Leading member of the software development team for the Centaur rocket stage, and one of the first African Americans to work at NASA | |
Ranthony Edmonds | mathematician | Postdoctoral fellow in the department of mathematics at the Ohio State University specializing in commutative ring theory, factorization theory, and applied algebraic topology | [62] | ||
Cecile H. Edwards | nutritionist | 1926–2005 | Researcher focused on improving nutrition and well-being of disadvantaged people | ||
![]() | Joycelyn Elders | pediatrician | 1933- | Second woman, second person of color, and first African American to serve as Surgeon General | |
![]() | Lola Eniola-Adefeso | chemical engineer | Co-founder and chief scientific officer of Asalyxa Bio, researcher of biocompatible functional particles for targeted drug delivery | ||
Anna Epps | microbiologist | 1930- | first female dean of the School of Medicine at Meharry Medical College, possibly the first African-American woman with a PhD to lead a medical school | ||
![]() | Jeanette J. Epps | astronaut and aerospace engineer | 1970- | Second woman and first African-American woman to have participated in CAVES | |
![]() | Aprille Ericsson-Jackson | aerospace engineer | 1963- | First African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Howard University and the first African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in Engineering at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center | |
Carol Espy-Wilson | electrical engineer | c. 1957- | First African-American woman to get a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), first African-American faculty to have tenure in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Maryland in 2001, and first African-American full professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 2007. | [63] | |
Christina Eubanks-Turner | mathematics education | Research includes graph theory, commutative algebra, mathematics education, and mathematical sciences diversification | [64] | ||
Brittney Exline | software engineer | Youngest African-American female to be accepted into an Ivy League school, at 15; United States' youngest African-American engineer | [65] | ||
![]() | Cassandra Extavour | evolutionary biologist | Director of EDEN, a national research collaborative encouraging use of non- Drosophila model organisms | [66] | |
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Etta Zuber Falconer | mathematician | 1933-2002 | One of the earlier African-American women to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics | ||
Angella D. Ferguson | pediatrician | 1925-???? | Pioneer researcher of sickle cell disease, created the blood test which is still used as the standard for sickle cell detection at birth | ||
![]() | Evelyn J. Fields | oceanographer | 1949-???? | Fields was the first woman, and first African American to head the NOAA Corps, first woman and first African American to command a NOAA ship, and the first woman to command a ship in the United States uniformed services for an extended assignment | |
Stacey Finley | chemical engineering and materials science | Thuan Q. Pham Professor and associate professor of chemical engineering and materials science, and quantitative biology and computational biology at the University of Southern California | |||
![]() | Njema Frazier | nuclear physicist | 1974-???? | Nuclear physicist as National Nuclear Security Administration, former staff member for the Committee on Science at the U.S. House of Representatives | |
A. Oveta Fuller | virologist | 1955-2022 | Researcher who significantly advanced knowledge of Herpes simplex virus | ||
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Florence S. Gaynor | nurse and hospital administrator | 1920-1993 | First African-American woman to head a major teaching hospital in the United States | [67] | |
![]() | Timnit Gebru | computer scientist | 1983- | Founder of the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (DAIR), researcher of algorithmic bias and data mining | |
![]() | Lisa Gelobter | computer scientist | 1971- | Credited with developing the animation technology used to create GIFs. Chief Digital Service Officer for the United States Department of Education during President Barack Obama’s administration. | |
Gloria Ford Gilmer | mathematician | 1928-2021 | First African-American woman to publish a non-PhD thesis | ||
Sarah E. Goode | inventor | 1855–1905 | One of the first known African-American women to receive a United States patent | ||
Christine Grant | chemical engineer | 2022 President of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Associate Dean of Faculty Advancement at North Carolina State University | [68] | ||
Evelyn Boyd Granville | mathematician, computer science | 1924-2023 | Performed pioneering work in the field of computing | ||
Michelle Gray | neuroscientist | Professor of neurology and neurobiology at the University of Alabama Birmingham researching the biological basis of Huntington's disease (HD) | [69] [70] | ||
Hadiyah-Nicole Green | medical physicist | 1981- | Known for the development of a method using laser-activated nanoparticles as a potential cancer treatment. [71] [72] | ||
![]() | Bettye Washington Greene | chemist | 1935-1995 | First African-American female Ph.D. chemist to work in a professional position at the Dow Chemical Company, considered an early African American pioneer in science | |
![]() | Eliza Ann Grier | physician | 1864–1902 | First African American woman licensed to practice medicine in the U.S. state of Georgia | |
Margaret Grigsby | physician | 1923-2009 | First African American woman to become a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the first woman to preside over a major medical division at Howard University Hospital | ||
Bessie Blount Griffin | physical therapist, inventor | 1914–2009 | Holder of multiple patents for assistive devices for amputees, including the first electric device for self-feeding | ||
![]() | Theanne Griffith | neuroscientist and children's book author | Assistant professor of Physiology and Membrane Biology at the University of California, Davis | [73] | |
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sossina M. Haile | materials scientist | 1966- | Developed the first solid acid fuel cells | [74] | |
![]() | Clara W. Hall | chemist | 1930-2014 | Research chemist at the National Institutes of Health from 1959 to 1999 | [75] |
![]() | Cynthia Hall | nuclear scientist | 1922/3? - ? | Worked on the Manhattan Project at the Argonne National Laboratory, where she was one of the few female African American scientists assigned to the project. | |
![]() | Paula T. Hammond | Chemical Engineer | 1963- | Koch Professor of Engineering, Department Head of Chemical Engineering, Koch Institute of Integrative Cancer Research, MIT | |
![]() | Evelynn M. Hammonds | History of science | 1953- | In 2008, first African-American and the first woman to be appointed dean of Harvard College and was the 4th black woman to receive tenure within the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University | [76] |
Betty Harris | chemist | 1940- | Patented a spot test for detecting TATB in the field, still used by the Federal Department of Homeland Security to screen for nitroaromatic explosives | ||
Mary Styles Harris | geneticist | 1949- | one of the first African Americans to enroll at Miami Jackson High School; one of the first women to enroll at Lincoln University; founder of BioTechnical Communications | ||
![]() | Alma Levant Hayden | chemist | 1927-1967 | one of the first African-American women to gain a scientist position at a science agency (The NIH) in Washington, D.C.; may have been the first African-American scientist at the FDA; led the team that exposed the common substance in Krebiozen | |
Linda B. Hayden | mathematics education and applications of mathematics in geoscience | 1949- | Professor and associate dean of mathematics and computer science at Elizabeth City State University | [77] | |
![]() | Euphemia Lofton Haynes | mathematician | 1890-1980 | First African-American woman to earn a PhD in Mathematics | |
![]() | Ruby Puryear Hearn | biophysicist | 1940- | Researcher and advocate for maternal, infant, and child health; AIDS; substance abuse; and minority medical education | |
Gloria Conyers Hewitt | mathematician | 1935- | 4th African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in mathematics; first African American woman to chair a math department in the United States | ||
![]() | Joan Higginbotham | electrical engineer and former NASA astronaut | 1964- | Third African-American woman to go into space, after Mae Jemison and Stephanie Wilson | [78] |
Raegan Higgins | mathematician | Co-director of the EDGE program for Women Also one of the co-founders of the website Mathematically Gifted & Black, which highlights the accomplishments of Black mathematicians | |||
Mary Elliott Hill | chemist | 1907-1969 | Believed to be one of the first African-American women to be awarded with a master's degree in chemistry | ||
Felicia Hill-Briggs | social scientist and behavioral scientist | 1965-2023 | Diabetes behavioral scientist who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 9 | [79] | |
![]() | Jane Hinton | veterinarian | 1919-2003 | pioneer in the study of bacterial antibiotic resistance and one of the first two African-American women to gain the degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine; co-developed the Mueller–Hinton agar | |
![]() | Brenda Swann Holmes | chemist | Appointed to the National Research Council to perform chemical research at the U. S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) studying nuclear magnetic resonance techniques | [80] | |
Dorothy Evans Holmes | psychoanalyst and psychotherapist | 1943- | Psychoanalytic thinker known for her work on racial and cultural trauma | [81] | |
Esther A. H. Hopkins | chemist, lawyer | 1926-2021 | Best known for her career as a biophysicist and research chemist at American Cyanamid along with research in the Polaroid Corp Emulsion Coating and Analysis Laboratory | [82] | |
![]() | Ayanna Howard | roboticist | 1972- | The first woman to lead the Ohio State College of Engineering. | |
![]() | Ruth Winifred Howard | psychologist | 1900-1997 | One of the first African American women to earn a Ph.D. in Psychology | |
Rebecca Hubbard | biostatistician | Research interests include observational studies and the use of electronic health record data in public health analysis and decision-making, accounting for the errors in this type of data | [83] | ||
Jacqueline Hughes-Oliver | statistician | Retired professor of the Statistics Department of North Carolina State University (NCSU) | [84] | ||
![]() | Fern Hunt | mathematician | 1948- | Leader in applied mathematics and mathematical biology research | |
![]() | Yasmin Hurd | neuroscientist | Researcher of neurological effects of cannabis and heroin | ||
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
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Folami Ideraabdullah | geneticist | Associate professor in the Department of Genetics and the Department of Nutrition at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | [85] | ||
Nia Imara | astrophysicist and artist | First African-American woman to earn a PhD in astrophysics at the University of California, Berkeley | |||
![]() | Tasha Inniss | mathematician | Vice provost for research at Spelman College | [86] | |
Jedidah Isler | astrophysicist | First African-American woman to complete her PhD in astrophysics at Yale; member of Joe Biden's presidential transition Agency Review Team; founder of Vanguard: Conversations with Women of Color in STEM (VanguardSTEM) | |||
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
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Deborah J. Jackson | aeronautical engineer | First African American woman to receive a Ph.D. in physics from Stanford University | |||
Fatimah Jackson | biological anthropologist | Researcher of human-plant co-evolution and anthropological genetics; first African-American to receive the Charles R. Darwin Lifetime Achievement Award | |||
![]() | Lisa P. Jackson | chemical engineer | 1962- | Served as the administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2009 to 2013. She was the first African American to hold that position | |
![]() | Mary Jackson | mathematician and aerospace engineer | 1921-2005 | Mathematician and aerospace engineer at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which in 1958 was succeeded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) | |
Monica C. Jackson | statistician and academic administrator | Deputy provost and dean of faculty at American University. Her research focuses on spatial statistics and disease monitoring | [87] | ||
![]() | Shirley Ann Jackson | physicist | 1946- | President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; first African-American woman to have earned a doctorate at MIT; second African-American woman in the United States to earn a doctorate in physics | |
Trachette Jackson | mathematician | 1972- | Professor of mathematics at the University of Michigan and is known for work in mathematical oncology | [88] | |
![]() | Chavonda Jacobs-Young | paper scientist | 1967- | First African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in paper science | |
![]() | Mae Jemison | astronaut and physician | 1956- | First African American woman to travel in space | [89] |
Allene Johnson | chemist | 1933– | Educational advisor for the New Jersey American Chemical Society | [90] | |
![]() | Ashanti Johnson | geochemist and oceanographer | First African American to earn a doctoral degree in oceanography from Texas A&M University | ||
![]() | Ayana Elizabeth Johnson | marine biologist | 1980 or 1981- | Co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for ocean-climate policy in coastal cities, [91] [92] and the Roux Distinguished Scholar at Bowdoin College. [93] | |
![]() | Katherine Johnson | mathematician | 1918-2020 | calculated the trajectories for many NASA missions, including Apollo 11; one of the first African-American women to work as a NASA scientist | |
![]() | Marian Johnson-Thompson | virologist | 1946- | Formerly professor at the University of the District of Columbia. She was elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | [94] |
Sandra Johnson | electrical engineering | First African-American woman to earn a doctorate in electrical engineering at Rice University | [95] | ||
Tracy L. Johnson | molecular and cell biologist | Researcher of gene regulation, chromatin modification, RNA splicing | |||
![]() | Anna Johnson Julian | sociologist | 1903-1994 | First African-American woman awarded a PhD in sociology by the University of Pennsylvania | |
Angie Jones | computer scientist, software engineer and automation architect | Software engineer with 26 patents in the United States and China | |||
![]() | Chonnettia Jones | geneticist and developmental biologist | Served as the executive director of the non-profit Addgene since 2022. Jones was previously the vice president of research at the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and the director of Insight & Analysis at the non-profit Wellcome Trust | [96] | |
Eleanor Jones | mathematician | 1929-2021 | One of the first African-American women to achieve a Ph.D. in mathematics, and encouraged women and minorities to pursue careers in science and mathematics [97] | ||
Elva Jones | computer scientist | Professor and founding chair of the Department of Computer Science at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU), a position she has held since 1991 | [98] | ||
Shelly M. Jones | mathematics educator | 1964– | Associate professor of mathematics education at Central Connecticut State University | [99] | |
Stacey Franklin Jones | computer scientist and academic administrator | Fifth chancellor of Elizabeth City State University from 2014 to 2015 | [100] | ||
Lynda Marie Jordan | biochemist | 1956– | Third Black woman to receive a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology | [101] | |
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sinah Estelle Kelley | chemist | 1916–1982 | Worked on mass production of penicillin | [102] | |
Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner | inventor | 1912–2006 | Holder of five patents, including the adjustable sanitary belt | [103] | |
Chawne Kimber | mathematician | 1971– | Vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Pitzer College | [104] | |
Angie Turner King | chemist, mathematician, and educator | 1905–2004 | First African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics education (University of Pittsburgh, 1955) and professor of chemistry and mathematics at West Virginia State College | [105] [106] | |
Emeline King | automotive designer | 1957– | Former automotive designer for Ford Motor Company (1983–2008), author | [107] [108] | |
Karen D. King | mathematics educator | 1971–2019 | Mathematics educator, program director at National Science Foundation and a 2012 AWM/MAA Falconer Lecturer | [109] | |
![]() | Reatha King | chemistry | 1938– | Former vice president of the General Mills Corporation; the former president, executive director, and chairman of the board of trustees of the General Mills Foundation | |
![]() | Ruth G. King | Educational psychologist | 1933– | First woman president of the Association of Black Psychologists | [110] |
Valencia Koomson | electrical engineer | Principal investigator for the Advanced Integrated Circuits and Systems Lab at Tufts University | [111] | ||
Ariangela Kozik | microbiologist, computational biologist, and science communicator | Co-founder and vice president of the Black Microbiologists Association and serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan | [112] [113] | ||
![]() | Shiriki Kumanyika | obesity researcher | Emeritus professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and co-chair of the International Association for the Study of Obesity International Obesity Task Force | [114] | |
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Blanche J. Lawrence | biochemist | 1920-1989 | Research assistant in the Health Division of the University of Chicago's Metallurgical Laboratory during the Manhattan Project | [115] |
![]() | Margaret Morgan Lawrence | pediatric psychiatrist | 1914–2019 | Researched negative psychological effects of segregation on Black children | [116] |
![]() | Janez Lawson | chemical engineer | 1930–1990 | A NASA human computer. The first African-American hired into a technical position at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). She programmed the IBM 701. | |
Katheryn Emanuel Lawson | radiochemist | 1926–2008 | One of the first few female African American chemists who worked in Sandia National Laboratories | [117] | |
Danielle N. Lee | biologist | 19??– | Assistant professor of biology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, best known for her science blogging and outreach efforts focused on increasing minority participation in STEM fields. | ||
![]() | Lillian Burwell Lewis | zoolologist | 1904-1987 | First African-American woman to receive a doctorate degree from the University of Chicago | [118] [119] |
Chekesha Liddell | material science and engineering | Researcher of colloidal materials, and the relationship between micron and submicron length scales | |||
Ruth Smith Lloyd | anatomist | 1917-1995 | First African-American to earn a PhD in anatomy | ||
![]() | Irene Long | aerospace medicine | 1951-2020 | First female chief medical officer at the Kennedy Space Center | |
![]() | Dawn Lott | applied mathematician | 1965- | Researches numerical partial differential equations in solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, and biomechanics | [120] |
![]() | Farah Lubin | Neuroscientist | Prominent researcher of epigenetic mechanisms underlying cognition | ||
![]() | Sophie Lutterlough | entomologist | 1910-2009 | Restored hundreds of thousands of insects, classifying thousands at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History | [121] |
| Kennda Lynch | astrobiologist and geomicrobiologist | Primarily affiliated with NASA, Lynch identifies environments on Earth with characteristics that may be similar to environments on other planets | [122] | |
![]() | Beebe Steven Lynk | chemist | 1872–1948 | Professor of medical Latin botany and materia medica at the University of West Tennessee | [123] |
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kelly Mack | mathematician | Vice President at the Association of American Colleges and Universities and executive director of Project Kaleidoscope | [124] [125] | ||
Carolyn Mahoney | mathematician | 1946- | Served as president of Lincoln University of Missouri Researched combinatorics, graph theory, and matroids | [126] [127] | |
![]() | Shirley M. Malcom | zoologist | 1946- | Senior Advisor and Director of SEA Change at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | [128] |
![]() | Vivienne Malone-Mayes | mathematician and professor | 1932-1995 | Studied properties of functions, as well as methods of teaching mathematics. [129] She was the fifth African-American woman to gain a PhD in mathematics in the United States, and the first African-American member of the faculty of Baylor University | |
![]() | Miriam D. Mann | mathematician and human computer | 1907-1967 | One of the first Black female computers for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) | |
Karla-Sue Marriott | forensic scientist | Professor in the School of Justice Studies at Roger Williams University and the director for the RWU Forensic Science program | [130] | ||
![]() | Brandeis Marshall | data science, computer science and education | 19??- | Data scientist, CEO of DataedX Group, a data ethics and strategy management agency. | |
Jessica O. Matthews | inventor and venture capitalist | 1988- | Co-founder of Uncharted, which made Soccket, a soccer ball that can be used as a portable power generator | ||
Shirley McBay | mathematician | 1935-2021 | Founder and president of the Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network, a nonprofit dedicated to improving minority education | [131] | |
![]() | Worta McCaskill-Stevens | physician-scientist and medical oncologist | 1949-2023 | Specialized in cancer disparities research, management of comorbidities within clinical trials, and molecular research for cancer prevention interventions | [132] |
![]() | Earyn McGee | herpetologist and science communicator | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) IF/THEN Ambassador and a 2020 AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellow. In response to the racism faced by Black birdwatcher Christian Cooper in the Central Park birdwatching incident, McGee co-organized Black Birders Week to celebrate Black birders | [133] | |
Camille McKayle | mathematician and provost | 1964- | Provost of the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) | ||
Marta Dark McNeese | physicist | First African-American woman to receive a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Virginia | [134] | ||
Linda C. Meade-Tollin | biochemist and cancer researcher | 1944- | At the University of Arizona, studied DNA damage, angiogenesis, and cancer invasion & metastasis; directed the Office of Women in Science and Engineering there; and was the first female chairperson of the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE) | [135] [136] | |
![]() | Juanita Merchant | gastroenterologist and physiology researcher | Studies gastric response to chronic inflammation and is chief of the University of Arizona Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology | [137] | |
Reneé H. Moore | biostatistician | Professor of research in the Drexel University Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in Drexel's Dornsife School of Public Health | [138] | ||
![]() | Ruth Ella Moore | microbiologist and bacteriologist | 1903-1994 | First African-American woman to be awarded a Ph.D. in a natural science, and a professor of bacteriology at Howard University | |
Tiara Moore | marine science | Leader in organizing the Black in Marine Science week and pursuing social activism | [139] | ||
Willie Hobbs Moore | physicist and engineer | First African-American woman to earn a PhD in physics | [140] | ||
Lenora Moragne | nutritionist | 1931–2020 | Headed the Division of Nutrition Education and Training at the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 1972 to 1977 | [141] | |
![]() | Melba Roy Mouton | mathematician | 1959 - 1973 | Mathematician who served as Assistant Chief of Research Programs at NASA's Trajectory and Geodynamics Division in the 1960s [142] and headed a group of NASA mathematicians called "computers". [143] She served as Head Mathematician for Echo Satellites 1 and 2 before becoming Head Computer Programmer and then Program Production Section Chief at Goddard Space Flight Center. | |
Diane Powell Murray | software engineer and program manager | In 2006 received Computerworld's Premier 100 Technology Leadership Award, and in 1982 the Candace Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women | [144] | ||
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Shelia Nash-Stevenson | Physicist, integration engineer | integration engineer for the Planetary Programs Missions Office at Marshall Space Flight Center | ||
Felecia M. Nave | chemical engineer and academic administrator | 20th president of Alcorn State University and the first female to serve in the position | [145] [146] | ||
Ann T. Nelms | nuclear physicist | 1929- | Studied persistence of nuclear radioactivity which was cited in reports on nuclear fallout and human health | ||
Virginia Newell | politician, mathematics educator and author | 1917-2025 | Founder of the computer science program at Winston-Salem State University | ||
Lyda D. Newman | Inventor | 1885- | Patented novel durable hairbrush with synthetic bristles which is still used today | ||
![]() | Corina Newsome | ornithologist, birder, and science communicator | Newsome and Earyn McGee co-organised Black Birders Week, a weeklong series celebrating Black birders and Black nature enthusiasts on social media | [147] | |
Dara Norman | astronomer | First African-American woman to earn her Ph.D. in astronomy at the University of Washington | [148] | ||
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grace O'Connell | biomechanical engineer | Research interests include biomechanics of the human spine and degeneration and regeneration of spinal tissue | [149] | ||
Wendy Okolo | aerospace research engineer | First African-American woman to obtain a Ph.D. degree in aerospace engineering from University of Texas at Arlington and aerospace research engineer in the Intelligent Systems Division at NASA Ames Research Center | [150] | ||
Melanie Harrison Okoro | environmental scientist | 2009–present | Okoro is known for her efforts in promoting diversity in STEM fields, and she has held multiple positions in several organizations related to diversity and inclusion. Okoro has served on the council of the American Geophysical Union as an early career scientist and was the Diversity & Inclusion task-force chair. | ||
Janis Oldham | mathematician | 1956-2021 | Mathematician specializing in differential geometry and mathematics education and known for her efforts in mentoring mathematics students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds | [151] | |
Yewande Olubummo | mathematician | 1960–present | Research interests include functional analysis and dynamical systems | [152] | |
![]() | Omayra Ortega | mathematician and mathematical epidemiology | Associate professor of mathematics & statistics at Sonoma State University in Sonoma County, California, and the president of the National Association of Mathematicians (NAM) | ||
![]() | Ida Stephens Owens | physiology and biochemistry | One of the first two African Americans to receive a doctorate from Duke University and known for her work with drug-detoxifying enzymes. | [153] | |
Joan Murrell Owens | marine biologist | 1933-2011 | Described a new genus and three new species of button corals | [154] |
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Dina N. Paltoo | epidemiologist | Epidemiologist specializing in open science, data science, and public access. In 2024 Paltoo was named Acting Deputy Director of Policy and External Affairs, National Library of Medicine | [155] | |
![]() | Carolyn Parker | mathematician, physicist | 1917–1966 | worked on the Dayton Project, the plutonium research and development arm of the Manhattan Project first African-American woman known to have gained a postgraduate degree in physics | |
Jennie Patrick | chemical engineering | 1949– | one of the first African American women in the United States to earn a doctorate in traditional chemical engineering; pioneer in supercritical fluid extraction | [156] | |
![]() | Kathryn Peddrew | mathematician, engineer, and scientist | 1922-2012 | played a crucial role in the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She was one of the African-American women who worked as a "human computer" at NACA's Langley Research Center in the 1940s and 1950s | [157] |
![]() | Audrey S. Penn | neurologist and professor | 1934- | first African-American woman to serve as an (acting) director of an Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) | [158] |
Thelma Perry | microbiologist and mycologist | 1941-1998 | working at the U.S. Forest Service, her research focused on the study of symbiotic relationships between bark beetles and fungi, particularly those associated with the southern pine beetle (Dendroctonus frontalis) and other forest insects | [159] | |
Hattie Scott Peterson | civil engineer | 1913–1993 | believed to be the first African-American woman to gain a bachelor's degree in civil engineering | [160] | |
![]() | Clarice Phelps | nuclear chemist | first African-American woman to help discover a chemical element (tennessine) | [161] | |
![]() | Dorothy J. Phillips | chemist | 1945- | 2025 President of the American Chemical Society In 1967, Phillips was the first African-American woman to complete a bachelor's degree at Vanderbilt University In 1974, Phillips was the first African-American woman in Cincinnati to earn a PhD in biochemistry at the University of Cincinnati | [162] |
![]() | Vivian W. Pinn | pathologist | 1941- | Director of the Office of Research on Women's Health at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) | [163] |
Keshia Pollack Porter | injury epidemiologist and policy researcher | Bloomberg Centennial Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health who specializes in health equity and promoting safe environments | [164] | ||
Amina Pollard | limnologist and ecologist | Pollard leads the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Lakes Assessment, which seeks to provide information on the health of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs across the United States | [165] | ||
Julianne Pollard-Larkin | medical physicist | Assistant professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and also the interim Physics Service Chief for the Thoracic service of MD Anderson's Division of Radiation Oncology | [166] | ||
![]() | Chanda Prescod-Weinstein | theoretical physicist, astrophysicist, cosmologist, writer | 1982 - | possibly first African-American woman to hold a faculty position in theoretical cosmology | |
Candice Renee Price | mathematician | co-founder of the website Mathematically Gifted & Black | |||
Dionne Price | statistician | 1971-2024 | first African-American president of the American Statistical Association (ASA), the world's largest professional body representing statisticians | ||
![]() | Jessie Isabelle Price | veterinary microbiologist | 1930-2015 | isolated and reproduced the cause of the most common life-threatening disease in duck farming in the 1950s | [167] |
![]() | LeShawndra Price | psychologist, mental health, and health disparities | Director of the office of research training and special programs at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases | [168] | |
![]() | Sian Proctor | African American explorer, scientist, STEM communicator, and aspiring astronaut | geology, sustainability and planetary science professor | ||
![]() | Inez Beverly Prosser | psychologist, teacher, and school administrator | c. 1895–1934 | One of the first African-American women to earn a Ph.D. in psychology | |
Johnnie Hines Watts Prothro | chemist | 1922–2009 | One of the first African-American nutritionists and food scientists | [169] |
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Lynnae Quick | planetary scientist, planetary geophysicist | 1984 - | Ocean worlds Planetary Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; fifth African-American woman to receive a Ph.D. in planetary science; first African-American staff scientist in the history of the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, where she worked from 2017 to 2019; Asteroid 2001 SV 291 was renamed Asteroid 37349 Lynnaequick in honor of her work modeling cryovolcanic eruptions and faculae formation on Ceres. First African American to receive the American Astronomical Society's Harold C. Urey Prize which is the highest honor for young planetary scientists and recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of planetary science by an early career researcher. | |
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
LaVerne E. Ragster | marine biologist and academic administrator | 1951- | served as the fourth president of the University of the Virgin Islands from 2002 to 2009 | [170] | |
Patricia Ramsey | biologist and academic administrator | sixth president of Medgar Evers College since 2021, and the first woman and scientist to serve in this position | [171] | ||
Mary Logan Reddick | neuroembryologist, biologist | 1914 - 1966 | possibly the first African-American woman scientist to receive a fellowship to study abroad, and the first female biology instructor at Morehouse College | ||
Rosalie A. Reed | veterinarian | 1945- | in 1973 Reed became the first woman to work as a veterinarian at a major American zoo (Los Angeles Zoo) | [172] | |
![]() | Eslanda Goode Robeson | chemist | 1896–1965 | first Black head histological chemist of Surgical Pathology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital | [173] |
Renã A. S. Robinson | Analytical chemistry, Proteomics | Professor of Chemistry, Dorothy J. Wingfield Phillips Chair Vanderbilt University | [174] | ||
Stephanie J. Rowley | developmental psychologist and academic administrator | Dean of University of Virginia's School of Education and Human Development | [175] | ||
![]() | Gladys W. Royal | chemist | 1926–2002 | One of the early African-American biochemists; part of one of the few African-American husband-and-wife teams in science | [176] |
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bonita V. Saunders | mathematical visualization | contributes to the Digital Library of Mathematical Functions as the Visualization Editor of the National Institute of Standards and Technology | [177] | ||
Antoinette Rodez Schiesler | chemist | 1934 - 1996 | director of research at Villanova University | ||
![]() | Jeanette Scissum | mathematician, space scientist, and diversity advocate | 1939 - | joined NASA and put forward techniques for improved forecasting of sunspot cycles | [178] |
![]() | Lyndsey Scott | computer programmer | 1984- | lead iOS software engineer at NGO fundraiser Rallybound; first African American to sign an exclusive runway contract with Calvin Klein | |
Ruthmae Sears | mathematics educator | focused on systemic inequities that impede student understanding of mathematics | |||
Alberta Jones Seaton | embryologist, biologist | 1924-2014 | One of the first African-American women awarded a doctorate in zoology, in Belgium in 1949. | ||
Kimberly Sellers | statistician | head of the statistics department at North Carolina State University since 2023, where she is the first Black woman in the university's history to lead a science department | [179] | ||
Nashlie Sephus | Artificial intelligence engineer | AI engineer, CTO of startup Partpic (acquired by Amazon) PhD from Georgia Institute of Technology, 2019 Ada Lovelace Award | |||
![]() | Cheryl L. Shavers | semiconductor engineering and management | 1953- | first African-American Undersecretary of Commerce for Science and Technology | [180] |
Sonya T. Smith | computational fluid dynamics and thermal management of electronics | Professor at Howard University, the director of the atmospheric sciences program at Howard University, and the 2020–2021 president of Sigma Xi | [181] | ||
Tonya Smith-Jackson | human factors engineer and academic administrator | Chancellor of Rutgers University–Newark | [182] | ||
![]() | Window Snyder | computer security | 1975- | Co-author of Threat Modeling, a standard manual on application security and a security officer at multiple corporations | [183] |
Mabel Keaton Staupers | Nursing administrator | 1890 - 1989 | Instrumental in implementing the desegregation of the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during WWII | [184] | |
![]() | Susan McKinney Steward | pediatrician, homeopath | 1847-1918 | the third African-American woman to earn a medical degree, and the first in New York state. | |
![]() | Moogega Cooper Stricker | Planetary protection engineer | 1985-20?? | NASA engineer working on Mars 2020 rover. | |
![]() | Thyrsa Frazier Svager | mathematician | 1930-1999 | one of the first African-American women to receive a PhD in mathematics | |
![]() | Latanya Sweeney | computer scientist | computer scientist best known for work on k-anonymity | ||
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Kishana Taylor | Virologist and academic | Co-founder and president of the Black Microbiologists Association | [185] | |
![]() | Valerie Taylor | computer scientist | 1963- | Director of the Mathematics and Computer Science Division of Argonne National Laboratory | |
![]() | Valerie Thomas | physicist and inventor | 1943- | Inventor of the Illusion Transmitter Overseer of NASA's Landsat program, international expert in Landsat data products | |
![]() | Lisette Titre-Montgomery | Game Developer | 1998- | Art Director and Game Developer . Lisette has contributed to some of the industry's highest profile games, including Tiger Woods Golf, The Simpsons, Dante's Inferno, Dance Central 3, SIMS 4, South Park, and Transformers Age Of Extinction for Android and iOS. Her most recent project is Psychonauts 2 with Double Fine Productions. | [186] |
Margaret E. M. Tolbert | chemist and science administrator | 1943- | the first African American and the first woman in charge of a Department of Energy lab | [187] | |
Rubye Prigmore Torrey | chemist | 1926–2017 | Known for developing a mechanism to decompose hydrogen sulfide, which earned her a place in Sigma Xi | [188] | |
Renetta Garrison Tull | electrical engineer and global policy strategist | Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at University of California, Davis | [189] | ||
Image | Name | Field(s) | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jami Valentine | physicist and electrical engineer | First African-American woman to graduate with a PhD in physics from Johns Hopkins University | [190] | |
![]() | Powtawche Valerino | mechanical engineer | First Native American to earn a PhD in engineering at Rice University | |
![]() | Dorothy Vaughan | Fortran Computer Specialist | One of the first female coders in the field who knew how to code FORTRAN and the first African-American Manager at NASA |
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Erica N. Walker | mathematician | 1971 – | Clifford Brewster Upton Professor of Mathematics Education at Teachers College, Columbia University | ||
![]() | Chelsea Walton | mathematician | 1983 – | associate professor at Rice University and a Sloan Research Fellow | |
Dawn Ward | synthetic chemist | 1973 – | Chemist creating molecules active against Hepatitis C virus | [191] | |
![]() | Jessica Ware | evolutionary biologist, entomologist. | work on phylogenomics of insect evolution | ||
![]() | Talitha Washington | mathematician | 1974- | in 2023, became the 26th president of the Association for Women in Mathematics | |
Bevlee Watford | engineer and academic administrator | 1958- | First African-American woman president of the American Society for Engineering Education, associate dean for equity and engagement and professor of engineering education at the Virginia Tech College of Engineering | [192] [193] | |
![]() | Suzanne Weekes | mathematician | Chief Executive Officer of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. [194] and professor of Mathematical Sciences at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) | ||
Kimberly Weems | statistician | in 2020, one of the first three African-American women to complete her Ph.D. in applied mathematics at the University of Maryland, College Park | [195] | ||
Rosemarie Wesson | chemical engineering | first African-American woman to receive a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan in 2023, City University of New York appointed her associate vice chancellor and university vice provost for research | [196] | ||
![]() | Gladys West | mathematician | 1930 – | work on satellite geodesy models used in GPS | |
Lisa White | micropaleontology | geologist and director of Education and Outreach at the University of California Museum of Paleontology | [197] | ||
Jalonne White-Newsome | environmental health sciences | in 2022 named Senior Director for Environmental Justice by the White House | [198] | ||
Desiré Whitmore | laser physicist, science communicator | 1980- | work on attosecond X-ray laser systems, senior physics educator at the Exploratorium | [199] [200] | |
LaNell Williams | physicist and virologist | 1993- | Third African-American woman to receive a PhD in physics from Harvard University | [201] [202] | |
Marguerite Williams | geologist | 1895 – 1991 | the first African American to earn a doctorate in geology in the United States | ||
Marsha Rhea Williams | educator and researcher | 1948- | First African-American woman to earn a Ph.D. in computer science | [203] | |
Reva Williams | theoretical astrophysicist | First person to successfully work out the Penrose process using Einstein's Theory of Relativity to extract energy from black holes | [204] | ||
Roselyn E. Williams | mathematician | 1950 – | co-founded the Alliance for the Production of African American PhDs in the Mathematical Sciences, which is now known as the National Alliance for Doctoral Studies in the Mathematical Sciences | [205] [206] | |
Tanisha Williams | botanist | Founder of #BlackBotanistsWeek as an initiative to promote Black botanists and to share their work and life experiences on social media | [207] | ||
![]() | Stephanie Wilson | engineer and NASA astronaut | 1966 - | second African-American woman to go into space after Mae Jemison. As of 2025, her 43 days in space are the second most of any female African-American astronaut | [208] |
Ulrica Wilson | mathematician, noncommutative rings and combinatorics of matrices | associate professor at Morehouse College and associate director of diversity and outreach at the Institute for Computational and Experimental Research in Mathematics (ICERM) | |||
Karen Winkfield | radiation oncologist, physician-scientist, and implementation scientist | 1970- | Ingram Professor of Cancer Research at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine | [209] | |
![]() | Danielle Wood | aerospace engineering and technology policy | Assistant professor in the MIT Media Lab, where she directs the research group Space Enabled and Wood is the first African-American woman professor at the MIT Media Lab | [210] | |
Geraldine Pittman Woods | science administrator | 1921–1999 | known for her lifelong dedication to community service and for establishing programs that promote minorities in STEM fields, scientific research, and basic research | [211] | |
![]() | Dawn Wright | oceanographer, geographer | 1961- | expert in seafloor mapping, marine geographic information systems | [212] [213] |
![]() | Jane C. Wright | cancer researcher, surgeon | 1919-2013 | pioneering cancer researcher and surgeon noted for her contributions to chemotherapy | |
![]() | Vanessa E. Wyche | engineer and civil servant | since 2025, acting associate administrator of NASA and served previously as Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) | [214] | |
Image | Name | Field(s) | Dates | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | Josephine Silone Yates | chemist | 1859-1912 | one of the first Black professors hired at Lincoln University; first Black woman to head a college science department; may have been the first Black woman to hold a full professorship at any U.S. college or university | [215] |
Roger Arliner Young | zoology | 1889-1964 | first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in Zoology | ||