Eileen Collins

The first woman to pilot the Space Shuttle and the first to command a Space Shuttle mission, Collins served as a NASA astronaut and Air Force colonel across a distinguished career in...

Nichelle Nichols

Groundbreaking for African American actresses on American television, Nichols portrayed Uhura in Star Trek and its film sequels. From 1977 to 2015, she volunteered her time to promote NASA's programs and recruit...

Mildred Spiewak Dresselhaus

Known as the "Queen of Carbon Science," Dresselhaus was an American physicist, materials scientist, and nanotechnologist whose career centered at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she served as an institute professor...

Maria Klawe

Known for her advocacy for women in STEM fields, Klawe served as the fifth president of Harvey Mudd College from 2006 to 2023. Prior to that role, she served as Dean of...

Sheila Widnall

The first woman to serve as United States Secretary of the Air Force, Widnall held that post from 1993 to 1997, becoming the first woman to lead an entire branch of the...

Bonnie Dunbar

A veteran of five Space Shuttle missions flown between 1985 and 1998, Dunbar is an American engineer and retired NASA astronaut whose flights included two dockings with the Mir space station. Before...

Safiya Umoja Noble

Author of the landmark 2018 book "Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism," Noble brought rigorous academic scrutiny to the ways search engine algorithms can perpetuate racism and discrimination. She became...