Women in Science - Women in Science

INTRODUCTION

Nothing says trouble like a woman in pants. That was the attitude in the 1930s, anyway; when Barbara McClintock wore slacks at the University of Missouri, it was considered scandalous. Even worse, she was feisty, direct, incredibly smart, and twice as sharp as most of her male colleagues. She did things her way to get the best results, even if it meant working late with her students, who were breaking curfew. If you think these seem like good qualities for scientist, then you are right. But back then, these weren t necessarily considered good qualities in a woman. Her intelligence, her self-confidence, her willingness to break rules, and of course her pants were all considered shocking!

Barbara had already made her mark on the field of genetics with her groundbreaking work at Cornell University, mapping chromosomes using corn. This work is still important in scientific history. Yet while working at the University of Missouri Barbara was seen as bold and unladylike. The faculty excluded her from meetings and gave her little support with her research. When she found out they would fire her if she got married and there was no possibility of promotion, she decided she had had enough.

Risking her entire career, she packed her bags. With no plan, except an unwillingness to compromise her worth, Barbara went off to find her dream job. This decision would allow her to joyously research all day and eventually make the discovery of jumping genes. This discovery would win her a Nobel Prize and forever change how we view genetics.

Barbara McClintock s story is not unique. As long as humanity has asked questions about our world, men and women have looked to the stars, under rocks, and through microscopes to find the answers. Although both men and women have the same thirst for knowledge, women have not always been given the same opportunities to explore the answers.

In the past, restrictions on women s access to education was not uncommon. Women were

Rachel Ignotofsky is a New York Times bestselling author, illustrator, and designer. Rachel and her work have been featured in many print and online media outlets such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Scientific American, Science Friday, Brain Pickings, and more. She is the author of Women in Science, Women in Sports, Women in Art, I Love Science, and The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth. She is a graduate of Tyler School of Art’s graphic design program.

This charming encyclopedia includes a page of text and a fanciful drawing of the women scientists you ve heard of and plenty who you haven t! The book has good coverage of the 1800s and early 1900s a critical time when women s expanding participation in science was changing the very structure of how knowledge is pursued. . . . Ignotofsky s profiles of diverse female scientists is a great addition to the shelf of any student, of any age. Hope Jahren, FADERmagazine

With the help of eye-catching artwork, Ignotofsky celebrates not just astronauts, but also the engineers, biologists, mathematicians, and physicists who ve blazed a trail for women in STEM. . . . The book elevates this information with beautiful and instructive infographics that delve into topics like the number of women currently working in STEM fields. Entertainment Weekly

This book of illustrated biographies of scientific pioneers is hands-down gorgeous. . . . Kids will love paging through this, looking at all the detailed drawings, but they ll likely have to rip it out of the hands of the adults who are marveling at each new page of factoids. Bitch Media

The world needs more books like this. Scientific American
 
A clever introduction to women scientists through history. Science Friday (Best Science Books of the Year)

If there were constellations celebrating the incredible accomplishments of women in science, Rachel Ignotofsky s illustrations would serve as the blueprints. As Ignotofsky floats NASA computer programmer and mathematician Annie Easley amid rockets and stars, surrounds Higgs boson discoverer Sau Lan Wu with particles, and cradles Barbara McClintock with corn and chromosomes, she anchors her dreamy depictions into our brains. Women in Science captures the joy of so many essential discoveries while also celebrating the extraordinary lives of the women who ve achieved them.