Women in STEM advent calendar: Day 5 – Louise Bourgeois Boursier

This winter, we are celebrating the festive season by honouring 25 amazing women in STEM, some of which you might not know of!

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois Boursier

Midwife and obstetrician
1563 – 1636
France

Midwife to the French aristocracy, Louise Bourgeois delivered over 2000 babies. She wrote the first treatise on midwifery, which was widely translated and highly influential. She established the basic principles of midwifery, and described how to handle difficult deliveries and treat common gestational ailments. She also called for training to be improved, teaching several students herself.

For more information on Louise Bourgeois Boursier, read the following links:

 

Day 4 – Wang Zhenyi Day 6 – Maria Gaetana Agnesi

Women in STEM advent calendar: Day 4 – Wang Zhenyi

This winter, we are celebrating the festive season by honouring 25 amazing women in STEM, some of which you might not know of!

Wang Zhenyi

Wang Zhenyi

Astronomer, mathematician
1768 – 1797
China

An acclaimed Qing Dynasty scholar, Wang Zhenyi studied the movements of the sun, moon and planets, describing the relationship between solar and lunar eclipses and devising a demo to explain the latter. She also wrote about gravity and how to calculate equinoxes. She simplified complex mathematical proofs and texts, and developed easier methods for multiplication and division.

For more information on Wang Zhenyi, check out the following links:

 

Day 3 – Dr Susan La Flesche Picotte Day 5 – Louise Bourgeois Boursier

Women in STEM advent calendar: Day 3 – Dr Susan La Flesche Picotte

This winter, we are celebrating the festive season by honouring 25 amazing women in STEM, some of which you might not know of!

Dr Susan La Flesche Picotte

Dr Susan La Flesche Picotte

First female Native American medical doctor
17 June 1865 – 18 September 1915
Omaha Reservation, United States

Dr Susan La Flesche Picotte, a member of the Omaha tribe, was the first Native American woman to earn a medical degree, graduating at the top of her class in 1889. She worked as a physician on the Omaha Reservation, founding a hospital, and running public health campaigns on preventative medicine, hygiene and temperance. She was also a activist, fighting for tribal land rights.

For more information about Dr Susan La Flesche Picotte:

 

Day 2 – Victoria Drummond MBE Day 4 – Wang Zhenyi

 

Women in STEM advent calendar: Day 2 – Victoria Drummond MBE

This winter, we are celebrating the festive season by honouring 25 amazing women in STEM, some of which you might not know of!

Victoria Drummond MBE

Victoria Drummond MBE

First woman marine engineer in Britain
14 Oct 1894 – 25 Dec 1978
United Kingdom

Victoria Drummond was the first woman to serve in the British Merchant Navy and join the Institute of Marine Engineers. She served on 49 ocean voyages, as well as supervising shipbuilding in her native Scotland. She was awarded an MBE and the Lloyd’s War Medal for Bravery at Sea after staying alone at her post in the engine room when her ship, the SS Bonita, came under fire during WW2.

For more about Victoria Drummond, take a look at:

 

Day 1 – Tapputi Day 3 – Dr Susan La Flesche Picotte

 

Women in STEM advent calendar: Day 1 – Tapputi

This winter, we are celebrating the festive season by honouring 25 amazing women in STEM, some of which you might not know of!

Tapputi

Tapputi

First known chemist
1,200 BCE
Iraq

Babylonian parfumier and chemist Tapputi oversaw the royal court perfumery, creating fragrant substances for medicinal and religious purposes. She had a detailed knowledge of chemistry, especially solvents, as well as processes such as extraction, distillation and cold enfleurage. Her descriptions of her still and the process of distillation are the earliest in human history.

For more about Tapputi, take a look at:

 

Day 2 – Victoria Drummond