15 Women Every Academy Should Know

Born on October 27, 1930, Dr. Gladys Mae West was the second black woman ever hired at the Naval Proving Ground in Dahlgren, Virginia (now called the Naval Surface Warfare Center.) She was a programmer and project manager for data-processing systems used for the analysis of satellite data.  From the 1970s through the 80s, West programmed an IBM 7030 Stretch computer that was able to precisely cal...

Lieutenant General Susan J. Helms was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 26, 1958. She grew up aspiring to be a female astronaut, which was an uncommon achievement for her time. General Helms graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1980 with a bachelor of science degree in aeronautical engineering, and continued her studies to earn a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics...

Julia Barfield, born November 15, 1952, is a British architect whose inspiration is drawn  from the way nature “designs and organizes itself so efficiently.” Her whole life, Barfield showed immense interest in the arts and science and is known to say that architecture is a bridge between the two. She studied at the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London from 1972 to 1978, and pa...

Born in 1908, in Leipzig, Germany, Helene Rother was the first known female automotive interior designer. She began her work in Paris where she designed high-end jewelry.  After fleeing Nazi-occupied Paris in 1941, she settled in New York where she temporarily worked as an illustrator for Marvel Comics. Later, she would be hired by General Motors, and move to Detroit, Michigan. At General Motors...

Born on January 17, 1949, Anita Borg was an extremely influential woman who changed the course of technological history forever. Borg created the first email network for women technologists and founded the Institute for Women and Technology. She grew up loving math and science but never intended to be a technologist until she landed her first programming job in 1969. Eventually she attended New Yor...

Dr. Joycelyn Elders, born August 13, 1933 in Schaal, Arizona, is a medical assistant with remarkable achievements. She earned a scholarship in 1949 to study at Philander Smith College where she earned a degree in biology. In 1953, Elders joined the U.S. military as a physical therapist in the Army Medical Specialist Corps until 1956. She received a master’s degree in biochemistry in 1967. After ...

Madam C.J. Walker, the owner of Madam C. J. Walker Manufacturing Company, was America’s first female self-made millionaire recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. She made her fortune through making and marketing black haircare and cosmetics. Born in 1867 in Delta, Louisiana, she was the first child in her family born free after the Emancipation Proclamation. Despite being the first in h...

Katherine Sui Fun Cheung was the first Chinese woman in history to receive an international pilot's license in 1932. Born on December 12, 1904 in Enping, Guangdong province, Cheung graduated from Guangzhou City Peidao Women's High School in 1921. At the age of 17, Cheung moved to the United States with her father to pursue her interest in music by studying at many institutions including the Los Angeles Conse...

Jennifer Doudna is a biochemist who revolutionized biochemistry and medicine. While she was born in Washington DC on February 19, 1964, Doudna grew up in Hilo, Hawaii and was fascinated by Hawaiian culture, the beauty of the island, and its tropical, exotic nature. Doudna studied at Pomona College in Claremont, California, graduating in 1985 with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry. She attended Harvard...

Clare Smyth is the Chef Patron of Core by Clare Smyth, her active three Michelin starred restaurant that opened in 2017. Born in 1978, Smyth left home at 16 to study catering at Highbury College in Portsmouth, Hampshire. In 2002, Smyth was recruited by Gordon Ramsay, and 5 years later was promoted to head chef of Restaurant Gordon Ramsay. In 2016, she left Restaurant Gordon Ramsay to open her own r...

Jeanne Sinkford is an influential African-American dentist who was ahead of her time, leaving a large impact in the history of dentistry. Born on January 30, 1933 in Washington D.C., Sinkford quickly became a top student and ended up enrolling at Howard University at the young age of 16. She graduated top of her class in 1958 with degrees in psychology and chemistry, and stayed there to complete de...

Elizabeth “Liz” Diller is a Polish architect born June 17, 1954 in Łódź, Poland's third largest city. When she was 6, Diller and her family emigrated to the United States. Film and multimedia installations fascinated her, so she studied art at the Cooper Union School of Architecture in New York City, graduating in 1955 with a bachelor's degree in architecture. Diller and her husband Ricardo...

Carolyn Davidson, born in 1943, studied at Portland State University, in Portland Oregon. Originally a journalism major, Davidson switched after a media elective turned out to interest her far more than her initial major. In 1971, she was hired to make a logo for a company known as Blue Ribbon Sports, Inc. This company would later be known as Nike. Blue Ribbon Sports, Inc. offered Davidson a job in which she des...

Born on June 27, 1949 in New York City, Vera Wang has become one of the most influential women in modern bridal fashion. She has designed the wedding dresses of celebrities like Ariana Grande, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, and Kim Kardashian. She has also designed gowns for Michelle Obama and Sofia Vergara, and the skating costume for 2022 Olympic champion Nathan Chen for his performance in the 2018 Win...

Sophie Xeon, more commonly known by her stage name SOPHIE, was born on September 17, 1986, in Glasgow, Scotland. She was widely known for self-produced electric pop music and her work as a producer, working with prominent figures including Charlie XCX, Madonna, and Vince Staples. She started her career as a musician in 2008 playing shows in Berlin and the U.K. with her first band Motherland. In March...