#black scientists

Jaida Elcock (@ sofishtication_ on instagram/youtube) who has awesome videos about marine biology and fish and is really funny and cool

Dr. Earyn McGee (@ afroherper on bluesky) who hosts find that lizard! (which is a game where you try to find the lizard in a picture she took during fieldwork, and learn about the species you're looking for) and posts a lot of cool lizard and herpetology facts

Dr. Gladys West, the pioneering mathematician whose work laid the foundation for modern GPS technology, has died. She passed away Saturday, surrounded by her loving family. She was 95.

Aisha Bowe, a trailblazer in aerospace engineering, has made significant contributions to science and serves as an inspiring figure in Black history. Born to Bahamian immigrants in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Bowe’s journey to prominence began at a community college, where her aptitude for mathematics propelled her toward engineering. She earned both a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and a master’s in space systems engineering from the University of Michigan. 

At NASA’s Ames Research Center, Bowe contributed to developing algorithms supporting Air Traffic Management. Her work earned her the National Society of Black Engineers’ Outstanding Technical Contribution award in 2012. Beyond her technical achievements, Bowe mentored students through the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program, demonstrating her commitment to fostering the next generation of engineers. 

In 2013, Bowe founded STEMBoard, a technology company addressing complex challenges for government and private sector clients. Under her leadership, STEMBoard ranked 2,284th on Inc. magazine’s 2020 list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies. Bowe also launched LINGO, a coding kit designed to teach hardware and software design, making STEM education more accessible to underrepresented youth. 

In 2025, Bowe is set to make history as part of Blue Origin’s first all-female crewed spaceflight, alongside notable figures such as singer Katy Perry and journalist Gayle King. This mission will mark the first human-crewed spaceflight with no men since 1963, highlighting Bowe’s role in breaking barriers and inspiring future generations. 

Almost Invisible

Past social and economic pressures made it nearly impossible for women to be artists. Virginia Woolf concluded that poems signed 'anonymous' were probably written by women. In science, contributions of women and ethnic minorities have also been erased from history. Alice Ball, born on this day in 1892, was nearly forgotten. Although she died aged 24, she had a remarkable career. Likely the first Black American to publish in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, she was the first woman to earn a master’s from the University of Hawaii. Most importantly, Ball developed an injectable form of an extract from chaulmoogra tree (pictured) seeds – making it the most effective leprosy treatment for two decades. After her death, the president of the College of Hawaii claimed Ball’s research as his own. Fortunately, historians rediscovered Ball’s story in the 1970s and restored her credit. But how many more brilliant scientists have been pushed to the margins of history?

Written by Henry Stennett

Portrait of Alice Ball (unknown photographer) in the Public Domain. Chaulmoogra fruit image by Anoopmail Wikipedia

Fruit image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)

The book features the careers of over 20 Black entomologists.

“People can share the book, get it into the hands of those who make decisions, including hiring and managing student programs,” Bryan said. “Be intentional with your efforts to encourage people, because unless you are intentional, you don’t get the change you want to see.”