Technology, the second section of STEM, is home to a wide variety of careers This category is one that is expanding rapidly each day, as advancements are facilitated by communication. Continuing with the Women in STEM project, impressive careers of six women were examined. The Women in STEM Technology section consists of architects, leaders in information technology, and aerospace technology. The highlights of these women demonstrate the incredible range technology covers in the professional world. The work done by Morgan, Lin, Wojcicki, Rometty, and Drs. Arney and Horton showcase the potential magnitude of success of Women in Technology, and Women in STEM. To learn more about our six Women in Science, read their individual summaries below, follow us at @WSKGScience on Instagram or on Twitter @NancyCoddington @JulD22 for more inspiring #WomenInSTEM.
Julia Morgan
Julia Morgan was an architect who took a unique path to her eventual career. She received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering because the University of California in which she enrolled did not have an architectural program. She then attended a prestigious architecture program in France where she was awarded a certificate in architecture. With this, Morgan returned to the United States and became the first woman to earn an architecture license in California. She later contributed to the “University of California Master Plan”, designing buildings for the Berkley campus. Another architectural achievement of Julia Morgan’s was the design of Hearst Castle in California, demonstrating the capabilities of her talent in design.
Maya Lin
Maya Lin is an architect known best for her design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This design was produced while she was still working toward her bachelor’s degree. It was created as part of a public design competition. Lin described her creation as symbolic of the pain caused by war. This design was controversial; however, Lin persevered and even defended her work in front of the US Congress. Today, Maya Lin owns her own studio where she continues to design projects. One such project is titled “What is Missing?” which serves as a memorial for Earth, displaying an incredible amount of information concerning the many species of the planet.
Susan Wojcicki
Susan Wojcicki has been involved in the technology industry for over two decades. In her past, she contributed to the advertising and commerce at Google while it was developing. As a Google employee, Wojcicki was also an integral part of the acquisition of YouTube which occurred in 2006. In 2014 Susan Wojcicki became the CEO of YouTube. This change for YouTube was followed by many positive changes. These include the expansion of the user base of the platform, an increase in the number of female employees, and the development and introduction of YouTube Premium. Aside from her work in business administration, Wojcicki works to promote female interest in computer science in education.
Virginia Rometty
Virginia Rometty is best known for her past roles as Chairman, President, and CEO of IBM. Rometty retired from IBM this past December but left quite an impact on the company during her time as a leader. Some notable contributions to information technology by Rometty include the creation of a multi-billion-dollar hybrid cloud business, significant advancements in AI capabilities, and the establishment and promotion of technology ethics. While a leader of IBM, Rometty also pushed for diversity, working to establish opportunities for disadvantaged populations. Today, she serves on the Board of Directors of JPMorgan Chase and the Singapore Economic Development Board International Advisory Council.
Giada Arney
Dr. Giada Arney is a research space scientist at NASA. She currently works in the Planetary Systems Lab at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. In her past she worked as a planetarium coordinator at the University of Washington. Arney’s current research concerns three unique topics. The first focuses on establishing means of distinguishing types of organic haze on exoplanets, which Arney believes to be a route toward understanding exoplanet atmospheres. She is also involved with the LUVOIR telescope, having developed components of the scope. In addition to these subtopics, Dr. Arney is also interested in the impact of photochemical processes on the atmospheric and environmental compositions of exoplanets.
Renee Horton
Dr. Renee Horton is the Space Launch Systems Quality Engineer in the NASA Residential Management Office at Michoud Assembly Facility. Before achieving this position, Dr. Horton obtained a Ph.D. in Material Science with a concentration in Physics. This made her the first African American to obtain this degree combination from the University of Alabama. After graduating in 2011, she began her career at NASA. Dr. Horton’s background in physics has led her to be involved in many physics-based organizations. In 2016 she served as the president of the National Society of Black Physicists and she was also honored with the title of fellow in the same organization. Dr. Horton has also authored children’s books aimed at educating and inspiring creativity.
Produced by Julia Diana, Science Intern
Nancy Coddington, Director of Science Content