Gertrude B. Elion Perlman received the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1988 for development of drugs such as Azathioprine.  This drug aids in organ transplant surgery by preventing rejection.  As a female scientist in 1941 she could not find work in a lab or in academia.  She spent time as a high school chemistry and physics teacher.  She graduated from another branch of the City University of New York, Hunter College.

Sally K Ride was the first American woman in space on the shuttle Challenger's 1983 mission.  Her cumulative hours of space flight are more than 343.

Dorothy Hodgkin (1910-1994) was one of the most skilled crystallographers of her time.  She did research on the chemical structures of medicines.  She helped figure out the complex structure of penicillin, vitamin B12 and insulin.  She won the Nobel Prize in chemistry. Another link

Seven hundred nineteen hours in space, proficient in the use of the Remote Manipulating System, and and eight hour space walk qualify Ellen Ochoa as one of the most achieving individuals in human history.  Down on earth, she is an accomplished classical flutist, a pilot, and has several degrees and accolades upon her wall.  She is the first Hispanic female astronaut.  Her missions have included conducting atmospheric and solar studies in order to comprehend the effect of solar activity on the Earth's climate and environment. Nominated by two students for inclusion in this page, find out more about her at the following links:  link 1, link 2, link 3, link 4.

If you have a dream or a goal, pursue it because you never know where it might lead you.  At seven years of age Jane Goodall had a dream about exploring the world of Africa.  She made that dream come true and look at what she has accomplished.  Read her book  My Life with the Chimpanzees. Another link.

Marie Curie is remembered as the pioneering scientist who discovered radium and became the first person to be awarded the Noble Prize twice. She was also nominated twice by this class.  Marie Curie's strength and courage helped her achieve her dreams as a scientist.  Born in Poland in 1867 and christened Manya Sklodowska, she was banned from her homeland's university. 

Sylvia A. Earle is a marine scientist, author, lecturer, former chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and holder of the world's depth record for solo diving.

Eloy Rodriguez made a valuable impact in the field of biochemistry and "...is believed to be the first U.S. born Hispanic to hold an endowed chair in the sciences."  He has overcome the culture of poverty and has debunked the myth of racial and ethnic stereotyping.  He serves a a positive role model for ethnic and racial minorities and especially for the many students who do not use English as their first language.

Grace Murray Hopper was known as "Amazing Grace" to her family and friends.  She believed that computers could be programmed in English, as opposed to binary code, a system of numbers.  Most people laughed at her idea, but by 1956 she had "taught" the UNIVAC I and II computers to recognize statements in English.  She also created the computer language COBOL.  If it had not been for her, we might not have the advanced computer techniques and programs we have today.  She is celebrated at the following sites.

• Inventor's Museum
• Women's International Center
• Women in Computing

Henrietta Swan Leavitt (1868-1921),  while working at the Harvard College Observatory, discovered about 2,000 variable stars, which are stars that vary in brightness.  This was about half the known total at that time.  She discovered a correlation between the actual brightness of these stars and their variation cycle.  This allowed scientists to calculate the distance of the stars, including such stars in other galaxies.  This indicated how far away those galaxies are.  She deserves a lot of recognition for her significant contributions, despite her disability (she was partially deaf) and the prejudice she faced as a woman (she worked as a volunteer and then a paid employee, never as a member of the faculty.) 
Other links: ucla, umich

Judith Resnick is a modern day scientist.  She was one of the first woman astronauts and the first Jew to go into space.  To achieve her status she defied barriers and norms of society.  With determination and perseverance she excelled and proved herself to be a capable member of her team.  She died during the crash of the space shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986 at the age of 36.

Stephen Hawking is a physicist/mathematician.  He has Lou Gehrigs Disease, which is a debilitating disease that has left him in a wheelchair.  This is valuable to children because they can learn that disabilities do not have to limit them. Link 2. 

Mary Anning was born in 1799 in Lyme regis, England where the shore was filled with fossils.  Mary's father, Richard, was an occasional fossil collector and often brought his children along with him for digs.  When her father died, Mary took over the business of fossil collecting, which eventually relieved the family of their financial burden.  So not only was she a paleontologist, she as also a businesswoman in the 1800's.  Mary made several discoveries.  She uncovered the first complete example of the Plesiosaurus and a Pterodactylus among others. Unfortunately, may paleontologists are unaware of her contributions.  Children are true fans of the dinosaur.  Look for books for children about Mary Anning including: Stone Girl, Bone Girl by Laurence Anholt, Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon by Jeannine Atkins and The Fossil Girl: Mary Anning's Dinosaur Discovery by Catherine Brighton.

Nichole-Reine Lepaute(1723-1788) was an astronomer who worked on predictions for the return of Halley's comet in 1759.  She also did calculations for solar eclipses that would be visible in France.  Kids would like to learn more about Halley's comet and eclipses.  Kids are interested in things that happen in the Universe.  By learning about this astronomer, kids can learn how the arrival of the comet and eclipses are determined so they can see them with their own eyes.