Books in STEM Trailblazer Bios series

While watching Star Trek on television as a child, Mae Jemison was certain she would one day visit space. As an adult, she made this dream a reality when she became the first black female NASA astronaut. Jemison became a medical doctor before applying for NASA's Space Shuttle program. Then, in 1992, she blasted off on the shuttle Endeavour and conducted scientific experiments to test the effects of space on human bone cells. Jemison has dedicated her life to science education and to finding ways to use technology to help communities around the world. Find out how Jemison's passion for science led to her many impressive achievements.

Have you ever watched video of astronauts walking on the moon? Margaret Hamilton programmed software that helped get them there. As a girl, Hamilton loved math and science. She grew up during a time when very few women studied computer science, but Hamilton knew she wanted to write code. As an adult, she worked on NASA's Apollo program, creating computer programs to guide spacecraft to and from the moon. This included the 1969 Apollo 11 mission―the first spaceflight that landed humans on the moon. In 2016, Hamilton was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work. Learn how Hamilton's passion for math and computers played a key role in space exploration.

Have you ever stared into the night sky, full of stars and planets? As a kid, Neil deGrasse Tyson was star-struck when he first visited a planetarium. The universe was calling him. Tyson pursued his interest in astronomy and studied to be an astrophysicist. In 1996, he became the director of New York's Hayden Planetarium. He is passionate about teaching people about the universe. Known for making science fun and easy to understand, he has hosted and appeared on TV shows such as Nova ScienceNow and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He even has more than one million Twitter followers! But how did he get there? Follow his path from fascinated kid to popular space expert.

As a kid, Lonnie Johnson liked to invent things. He often faced prejudice as an African American growing up in the segregated southern United States, but he eventually became an engineer for the US Air Force and NASA. He was working on a different invention when he came up with the idea for a new type of water gun. Johnson knew his toy was more powerful than other squirt guns―he just needed to find a way to make the Super Soaker available to kids all over the country. Learn how Johnson overcame many challenges to become a brilliant engineer and inventor.

Do you love solving problems with mathematics? So did groundbreaking computer programmer Jean Bartik. She turned her passion for math into a successful career in what was then a brand-new field. During World War II, women took on more technology jobs as men joined the armed forces. Bartik started her career doing mathematical calculations for top-secret weapons systems projects. After the war, a new machine took over these calculations. It was the first all-electronic computer, and Bartik helped build and program it. But how did Bartik's interest in mathematics take her to the forefront of cutting-edge technology? Find out how she went from gifted student to software pioneer.

Have you ever solved a tricky puzzle? As kids, Joanna Kelley and her siblings had fun solving the math and science challenges their parents invented at the dinner table. Later, Kelly's love of science puzzles inspired her to investigate the building blocks of life. Kelley became a geneticist, a scientist who studies DNA. DNA is the set of instructions inside every living thing―a code that shapes appearance and behavior. Kelley set out to better understand how the code works. She focuses on a wide range of animals, from great apes to tiny insects. What she learns about their DNA can tell scientists a lot about human DNA too. Follow Kelley's path from curious kid to groundbreaking scientist.

When Ellen Ochoa was young, male American astronauts walked on the moon. But girls were not allowed to be astronauts. Girls didn't often study science either―but Ochoa didn't let that stop her. In high school, Ochoa loved math and science. In college, she studied physics and engineering, and later she became a scientist and inventor. Eventually NASA began accepting women into their astronaut training program. While there, Ochoa developed technology, became the first female Hispanic American astronaut, and logged 1,000 hours in outer space. Learn about Ochoa's hard work and perseverance on her journey toward becoming a scientist, inventor, and astronaut.

Have you ever been vaccinated against a particular disease? As children, Pearl Kendrick and Grace Eldering both suffered from whooping cough, a life-threatening illness. As adults, they worked together to create a revolutionary vaccine that saved thousands of lives each year. Eldering and Kendrick worked in a Michigan lab at a time when whooping cough was spreading around the country. Determined to stop the illness, the pair tested bacteria late into the night. Soon their new vaccine was helping children across the country. But how did they get there? Find out how Eldering and Kendrick's passion for fixing a problem led them to create an important vaccine.

Have you ever looked up at the twinkling stars in the night sky? Nancy Grace Roman looked up and never looked back. Roman was fascinated with the stars ever since her mother showed her the constellations. She read every book on astronomy she could find and even started her own neighborhood astronomy club for girls. But many of the people around her didn't think science was the right field for a woman. Academic advisers in high school and even college tried to dissuade Roman from pursuing astronomy. She worked hard to eventually become NASA's first Chief of Astronomy and, ultimately, the "Mother of Hubble." Learn how Roman's passion for astronomy and her tireless work on the Hubble Space Telescope project helped scientists capture breathtaking images of deep space.

Do you enjoy playing computer games or learning programming code? As a child, Ada Lovelace loved learning about math and science. As an adult, she used that knowledge to create the first computer program―before electronic computers even existed! When Lovelace was a child, girls didn't typically study math. But she loved the subject and often dreamed about new machines. Lovelace learned from famous mathematicians and became friends with inventor and engineer Charles Babbage. Realizing the full potential of his calculating machines, she became a pioneer of computer programming. But how did she get there? Find out how Lovelace's determination helped her become the first computer programmer.

Do you enjoy spotting wild animals in the forest? As a little girl, Rachel Carson loved to explore the woods near her house. As an adult, she became an ecologist who helped change national policy and inspired people to protect the environment. While conducting research on wildlife, Carson noticed that the pesticides farmers used on crops were harming animals. Alarmed, she wrote Silent Spring, a book that led to the banning of several dangerous pesticides. How did Carson grow up to become one of the most influential environmentalists of the twentieth century? Discover how her interest in wildlife led to her remarkable career as a scientist and writer.

Have you ever dreamed of going to outer space? When Sally Ride was a little girl, she watched on TV as astronaut John Glenn launched into space. Twenty years later, she became the first American woman to go to space. Ride had loved science since she was young. Some of her teachers thought she was wasting her time studying science, but she went on to earn her PhD in astrophysics anyway. When NASA's astronaut training program opened to women, Ride quickly applied. Some people thought women couldn't handle space flight. But Ride worked hard and proved them all wrong. Later, she became a physics professor and started her own business to encourage young people to study science. Learn more about Ride's career as a NASA astronaut and educator.