Whilst the world of industry is becoming more diverse and inclusive, women have unfortunately been underrepresented in engineering. But whilst the work of females in engineering may have gone unnoticed somewhat, many contributions have been crucial in shaping the modern world and the way we live.
From designing and building iconic structures to helping to shape the landscape of space travel; women have changed the engineering game in some of the most important and innovative ways, whilst shattering stereotypes, paving a route for future generations, and showcasing the unyielding spirit of STEM along the way.
Join us as we highlight and celebrate just a few of engineering’s greatest female minds, their work and the undeniable impact they’ve made on us all.
Highlighting Top Women Innovators in Engineering
Emily Roebling: After her husband fell ill, leading him to step back from construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, Emily Roebling – bringing with her exceptional knowledge of mathematics, materials strength, stress analysis, and cable construction – stepped in to oversee one of the most iconic engineering projects in history. Roebling’s role was truly groundbreaking, shattering societal norms and paving a path for future engineering roles for women.
Hedy Lamarr: Whilst known for being a leading lady in Hollywood, Lamarr’s most important role was in engineering. Having co-invented frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology during World War II, a breakthrough that paved the way for modern Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth, her ingenuity demonstrated the transformative power of innovation spanning diverse fields.
Yvonne Brill: Brill’s work is at the heart of an engineering revolution. Through inventing the hydrazine resistojet propulsion system, she developed a more efficient, longer-lasting and more reliable method of satellite propulsion, leading to improvements in communications, weather forecasting and space exploration.
Deborah Jin: Jin’s work has had major implications in modern technology; studies of supercooling atoms led to the creation of the first fermionic condensate, advancing our understanding of quantum mechanics and shaping developments in superconductivity and quantum computing.
Gwynne Shotwell: SpaceX is one of the most exciting and innovative space programs currently in operation. At its heart is Gwynne Shotwell, one of the program’s leaders and a key contributor in the race to making commercial space travel a reality, marking a new era in space exploration and travel, and impacting the future trajectory of the aerospace industry.
Debbie Sterling: A Stanford University engineering graduate, Sterling recognised the gender gap in her field and sought to address it at its roots: childhood play. Driven to make a change for females across engineering, Sterling founded – and is now CEO of – GoldieBlox, which creates toys and stories designed to encourage girls to take an interest in engineering. This innovative approach has challenged stereotypes, opened avenues for future generations of females and helped reshape perceptions across the wider STEM industries.
Marissa Mayer: Mayer is a true trailblazer in tech, having made significant contributions in the industry, including game changing impacts at two huge brands – Google and Yahoo. As Google's first female engineer, Mayer played a crucial role in developing key products like the search interface, Gmail, and Google Images, greatly influencing the way we interact with the web today; whilst at Yahoo – as the company’s CEO – she revitalised the company by creating and implementing a new approach to mobile technology and modernisation. But Mayer's contributions go far beyond her innovations; her roles helped to break down gender barriers and highlighted the impact that women could have, when given the chance, across STEM.
By hurdling and breaking down barriers, and setting examples in the industry, these remarkable women – among many, many others – have helped build the foundations for a better future for women in engineering, technology, and STEM industries, heralding exciting new developments that make for a better world for us all.
