List of African-American women in STEM fields

The following is a list of notable African-American women who have made contributions to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
An excerpt from a 1998 issue of Black Issues in Higher Education by Juliane Malveaux reads: "There are other reasons to be concerned about the paucity of African-American women in science, especially as scientific occupations are among the most pivotal and highly compensated in the occupational spectrum. Yet, both leaks in the pipeline and gender stereotyping contribute to the under-representation of African-American women in the sciences.
There are organizations that offer scholarships in STEM in the hopes of attracting more women and minority candidates, like Ralph W. Turner Foundation and UNCF STEM Scholarships for undergraduate education, however many students remain unaware of their availability. The US National Science Foundation also makes efforts to support women in STEM.

A

Image	Name	Field	Dates	Notes
	Kandis Leslie Abdul-Aziz	chemical engineer and environmental engineer		Developer of technologies that turn agricultural waste into a filtration system for water
	Rediet Abebe	computer scientist	1991–	First female computer scientist to be appointed to the Harvard Society of Fellows
	Lilia Ann Abron	chemical engineering and environmental engineering	1945–	First African-American woman to earn a PhD in chemical engineering
	Stephanie G. Adams	engineer and academic administrator		Dean of the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Texas at Dallas since 2019
	Lucile Adams-Campbell	epidemiology	1953–	First African-American woman to receive a PhD in epidemiology in the United States. Serves as the Professor of Oncology at Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and associate director for Minority Health at the Georgetown University Medical Center.
	Javaune Adams-Gaston	psychologist and academic administrator		President of Norfolk State University since 2019.
	Paris Adkins-Jackson	epidemiology		Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Sociomedical Sciences in the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in New York.
	Modupe Akinola	organizational scholar and social psychologist	1974–	Researches the science of stress, creativity, and how to maximize human potential in diverse organizations.
	Jacqueline Akinpelu	applied mathematician, operations researcher	1953–	Research manager at the Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University, and developed a pipeline for students from Morgan State University to mentor them into careers in STEM fields.
	Delores P. Aldridge	sociologist	1941–	First African-American woman faculty member of Emory University and founding director of the first African-American and African-Studies degree-granting program in the South.
	Claudia Alexander	geophysics, planetary science	1959–2015	Project manager for NASA's Galileo mission and Rosetta mission
	Beverly Anderson	mathematician	1943–	Emeritus professor at the University of the District of Columbia, and in the 1990s, worked at the National Academy of Sciences as Director of Minority Programs for the Mathematical Sciences Education Board
	Cheryl Anderson	epidemiologist		Professor at and founding Dean of the University of California San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science
	Giovonnae Anderson	electrical engineering		First African-American women to earn a PhD in electrical engineering at the University of California, Davis : Giovonnae Anderson
	Gloria Long Anderson	chemistry	1938–	Pioneer of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, known for work with fluorine-19 and solid rocket propellants
	Ayana Holloway Arce	physicist and professor		Associate professor of Duke University who works on particle physics, using data from the Large Hadron Collider to understand phenomena beyond the Standard Model
	Treena Livingston Arinzeh	biomedical engineering	1970–	Researcher of adult stem-cell therapy
	Ludmilla Aristilde	engineer		Professor at Northwestern University whose research considers environmental biochemistry and bioengineering
	Elayne Arrington	mathematician and engineer	1940–	First African-American woman to graduate with a bachelor's degree from the School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh
	Valerie Ashby	chemist		Chemist and university professor currently serving as president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County
	Estella Atekwana	Biogeophysics; tectonphysics	1961–	In August 2021 began tenure as dean of the largest college of the University of California, Davis: UC Davis College of Letters and Science
	Balanda Atis	cosmetic science		Cosmetic chemist at L'Oréal USA who expanded range of cosmetics available for people of color
	Donna Auguste	businesswoman, computer scientist	1958–	Senior engineering manager for the Newton personal digital assistant
	Wanda Austin	aerospace engineering	1954–	Former president and CEO of The Aerospace Corporation

B

Image	Name	Field	Dates	Notes
	Aziza Baccouche	physicist and science filmmaker	1972–2021	American Association for the Advancement of Science Mass Media Science and Engineering fellow at CNN and founder and CEO of media company Aziza Productions
	June Bacon-Bercey	meteorology	1928 – 2019	Believed to be the first African-American woman to gain a degree in meteorology and known to be the first African-American woman to be a televised meteorologist.
	Erica Baker	software engineer		Engineer and engineering manager in the San Francisco Bay Area, known for her outspoken support of diversity and inclusion.
	Alice Augusta Ball	chemistry	1892–1916	First woman and African-American to receive a master's degree from the University of Hawaiʻi
	Martha Banks	clinical psychologist	1951–	Expert on issues involving women, race, trauma, disability, religion, and their intersectionality. Banks is a research neuropsychologist and computer programmer at ABackans DCP Inc.
	Nina Banks	economist		Associate professor of economics at Bucknell University and former president of the National Economic Association
	Gilda Barabino	biomedical engineer and chemical engineer	1956–	Professor of biomedical and chemical engineering, Barabino served as the second president of Olin College of Engineering from 2020 to 2025
	Patricia Bath	ophthalmologist, inventor	1942–2019	Pioneered laser surgery to remove cataracts
	Scarlett Bellamy	mathematician		Chair and Professor of Biostatistics at Boston University School of Public Health
	Regina Benjamin	physician	1956–	18th Surgeon General of the United States
	Emma Benn	biostatistician		Associate professor in the Department of Population Health Science, affiliated with the Center for Biostatistics and the associate dean of faculty well-being and development, and the founding director of the Center for Scientific Diversity at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
	Adia Benton	anthropologist	1977–	Associate professor of anthropology and African Studies at Northwestern University
	Angela Benton	internet entrepreneur	1981–	Founder of NewME, Streamlytics, and Black Web 2.0
	Joanne Berger-Sweeney	neuroscientist	1958–	First woman and the first African American to lead Trinity College (Connecticut)
	Marie Bernard	physician and researcher		Previously, NIH senior geriatrician, overseeing research focused on aging and Alzheimer's disease
	Carlotta Berry	electrical engineer, professor, roboticist		Professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and textbook author
	Matilene Berryman	oceanographer, lawyer	1920–2003	Professor of marine science at the University of the District of Columbia and textbook author
	Sarah Boone	inventor	1832–1904	Second African-American woman to attain a U.S. patent
	Katie Booth	biomedical chemist and civil rights activist	1907–2006	Worked in the Department of Pharmacology at the Chicago Medical School, specializing in preventative health measures, children's health, prenatal care, and treatments for sickle cell anemia
	Aisha Bowe	aerospace engineer and STEM advocate	1986–	Founder and CEO of STEMBoard, a technology company, and LINGO, an educational tech company featuring tutorials and online resources featuring NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace.
	Jasmine Bowers	computer scientist		In 2020 the first African-American woman to earn a PhD in computer science from the University of Florida.
	Sylvia D. Trimble Bozeman	mathematician	1947–	Researcher of functional analysis and image processing, member of Obama's Presidential Committee on the National Medal of Science, founder of Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education
	Lillian K. Bradley	mathematician and mathematics educator	1921–1995	First African-American woman to earn a doctorate in any subject at the University of Texas at Austin
	Khalia Braswell	computer scientist	2014–present	Computer scientist, educator, and technologist. Founder and Former Executive Director of INTech Camp for Girls
	Carolyn Brooks	microbiologist	1946–	Researcher in immunology, nutrition, and crop productivity
	Meredith Broussard	data journalism professor		Researcher focused on the role of artificial intelligence in journalism
	Beth A. Brown	astrophysicist	1969–2008	NASA astrophysicist with a research focus on X-ray observations of elliptical galaxies and black holes. She earned a PhD in Astronomy from the University of Michigan in 1998, becoming the first African-American woman to do so.
	Deborah Washington Brown	computer scientist and speech recognition	1952–2020	First African-American woman to earn a doctorate in computer science at Harvard University
	Dorothy Lavinia Brown	surgeon	1919–2004	First African-American female appointed to a general surgery residency in the racially segregated South.
	Jeannette Brown	organic medicinal chemist, historian, and author	1934–	First African-American woman to achieve a master's degree from the University of Minnesota in organic chemistry
	Quincy K. Brown	computer scientist		Director of Engagement and Research at AnitaB.org, a global nonprofit organization whose primary aim is to recruit, retain, and advance women in technology. Senior Fellow at Federation of American Scientists. Formerly Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
	Marjorie Lee Browne	mathematician	1914–1979	Third African-American woman to receive a PhD in mathematics
	Amanda Bryant-Friedrich	chemist		Dean of the graduate school and a professor in the college of pharmacy and health sciences at Wayne State University
	Kimberly Bryant	electrical engineer	1967–	Founder of Black Girls Code
	Joy Buolamwini	computer scientist	1989–	Founder of Algorithmic Justice League; Rhodes Scholar, Fulbright fellow, Stamps Scholar, Astronaut Scholar and Anita Borg Institute scholar
	Ursula Burns	engineer, CEO	1958–	CEO of Xerox; first Black woman to be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company and the first woman to succeed another as head of a Fortune 500 company

C

Image	Name	Field	Dates	Notes
	Naiomi Cameron	mathematician and combinatorics		Associate professor at Spelman College as well as the vice president of National Association of Mathematicians
	Alexa Canady	neuroscience	1950–	First Black woman to become a neurosurgeon
	Carolyn Cannon-Alfred	pharmacologist	1934–1987	Professor and co-author of Medical Handbook for the Layman in 1969
	Peggy G. Carr	developmental psychology and statistics		First African American to be appointed Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics
	April Carson	epidemiologist		Associate professor of epidemiology and associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health
	Majora Carter	developer, activist	1966–	Founder of Sustainable South Bronx
	Hattie Carwell	physicist	1948–	Former scientist with the United States Department of Energy and the International Atomic Energy Agency
	Etosha Cave	mechanical engineering		Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Twelve, a startup that recycles carbon dioxide
	Sherita Ceasar	mechanical engineering		First African-American president of the Society of Women Engineers
	Karen Chin	paleontologist and taphonomist		Considered one of the world's leading experts in coprolites
	May Edward Chinn	physician	1896–1980	First African-American woman to graduate from University and Bellevue Hospital Medical College, the first African-American woman to intern at Harlem Hospital; she promoted cancer-screening methods at the Strang Cancer Clinic for 29 years
	Gloria Chisum	experimental psychologist	1930–	Developed eye protection for pilots; first African-American woman to join the University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees
	Juanita Christensen	government official and electronics engineer		First African-American woman from Redstone Arsenal, Alabama to join the Senior Executive Service SES.
	Mamie Phipps Clark	social psychologist	1917–1983	Researched self-esteem and self-concept in African-American children, which was used in 1954 civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Kansas
	Yvonne Clark	engineer	1929–2019	First woman to get a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering at Howard University, the first woman to earn a Master's Degree in Engineering management from Vanderbilt University, and the first woman to serve as a faculty member in the College of Engineering and Technology at Tennessee State University
	Jewel Plummer Cobb	biologist, professor	1924–2017	Elected to the Institute of Medicine in the National Academy of Sciences in 1974 in recognition for her research achievements
	Anna Coble	biophysicist	1936–2009	First black woman to earn a doctorate in biophysics, and the first black woman to be hired at Howard University
	Robin Coger	biomedical engineer and academic administrator		Formerly the provost and senior vice chancellor for academic affairs at East Carolina University. Her research as a biomedical engineer has focused on artificial organs and particularly on liver support systems
	Johnnetta Cole	anthropologist, educator and museum director	1936–	Spelman College's seventh president and the first Black woman to lead the institution
	Rebecca Cole	physician	1846–1922	Second African-American woman physician
	Bessie Coleman	aviator	1896–1926	First African American and Native American woman to hold a pilot license
	Betty Collette	veterinary pathologist	1930–2017	Sole African-American pathology researcher at Georgetown University School of Medicine in the 1950s
	Margaret S. Collins	zoologist	1922–1996	First African-American female entomologist and the third African-American female zoologist
	Kizzmekia Corbett	viral immunologist	1986–	Assistant Professor of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Shutzer Assistant Professor at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute since June 2021
	Carol Blanche Cotton	psychologist	1904–1971	Researched cognitive ability in children diagnosed with spastic paralysis
	Carla Cotwright-Williams	mathematician	1973–	Second African-American woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics at the University of Mississippi
	Patricia S. Cowings	aerospace psychophysiologist	1948–	First African-American woman scientist to be trained as an astronaut by NASA
	Marian Croak	engineer	1955–	Engineer known for her Voice over IP related inventions. In 2022, she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for her work with VoIP
	Monica Cox	engineering education		First African-American woman to earn tenure in engineering at Purdue University
	Rebecca Lee Crumpler	physician	1831–1895	First African-American woman to become a physician in the United States
	Lesia L. Crumpton-Young	engineer and academic administrator		Served as the 13th president of Texas Southern University from 2021 to 2023. Previously provost and chief academic officer of Morgan State University

G

K

Image	Name	Field	Dates	Notes
	Sinah Estelle Kelley	chemist	1916–1982	Worked on mass production of penicillin
	Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner	inventor	1912–2006	Holder of five patents, including the adjustable sanitary belt
	Chawne Kimber	mathematician	1971–	Vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Pitzer College
	Angie Turner King	chemist, mathematician, and educator	1905–2004	First African-American woman to earn a PhD in mathematics education and professor of chemistry and mathematics at West Virginia State College
	Emeline King	automotive designer	1957–	Former automotive designer for Ford Motor Company, author
	Karen D. King	mathematics educator	1971–2019	Mathematics educator, program director at National Science Foundation and a 2012 AWM/MAA Falconer Lecturer
	Reatha King	chemistry	1938–	Former vice president of the General Mills Corporation; the former president, executive director, and chairman of the board of trustees of the General Mills Foundation
	Ruth G. King	Educational psychologist	1933–	First woman president of the Association of Black Psychologists
	Valencia Koomson	electrical engineer		Principal investigator for the Advanced Integrated Circuits and Systems Lab at Tufts University
	Ariangela Kozik	microbiologist, computational biologist, and science communicator		Co-founder and vice president of the Black Microbiologists Association and serves as an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at the University of Michigan
	Shiriki Kumanyika	obesity researcher		Emeritus professor of biostatistics and epidemiology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and co-chair of the International Association for the Study of Obesity International Obesity Task Force