10 STEM Professionals Who Changed the World
A job in STEM can lead so many places—from healthcare to web development to mathematics. STEM professionals have long been revolutionizing the way the world works and continue to today. Check out this list of ten STEM icons past and present who helped change the world with their interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.
Katherine Johnson, Mathematician and NASA Scientist
Katherine Johnson (Aug. 26, 1918—Feb. 24, 2020) was a mathematician who loved math and science from an early age. She grew up to become a NASA employee and used geometry to help figure out the correct calculations to send an astronaut into orbit around planet Earth, and then went on to help put a man on the moon.
Stephen Hawking, Theoretical Physicist
Stephen Hawking (Jan. 8, 1942—March 14, 2018) was a world-famous physicist and scientist who wrote the best-selling book A Brief History of Time. Hawking's theories and work include studying the physics of back holes and space-time singularities.
Tim Berners-Lee, Computer Scientist
Tim Berners-Lee (June 8, 1955—) is a computer scientist who deserves all the credit for our ability to share this blog with you via your computer screen. In 1989, Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web (hence, the 'WWW' you type before a web address) and changed web technology forever.
Terence Tao, Mathematician
Terence Tao (July 17, 1975—) has been called the 'Mozart of Math' and started showing an impressive aptitude for mathematical equations as a child. Tao is a genius mathematician who scored 760 on the math portion of the SAT at age 9, earned a Ph.D. at age 20, and received tenure as a professor at age 24.
Florence Nightingale, Statistician and Healthcare Reformer
Florence Nightingale (May 12, 1820—Aug. 13, 1910) was a nurse and statistician who helped reform healthcare and shaped modern nursing. Nightingale is famous for her help with soldiers during the Crimean war, where her improved standards of sanitation and services helped vastly reduce the amount of soldier deaths.
George Washington Carver, Scientist and Inventor
George Washington Carver (unknown—Jan. 5, 1943) was born a slave in Missouri, and went on to become the most prominent black scientist of the 20th century. Carver was an agricultural scientist and botanist who discovered over 100 uses for the peanut—several of which are still in use today.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors
Elon Musk (June 28, 1971—) is an entrepreneur and business mogul with a keen eye for scientific advances. Musk's companies' work includes advances in electric vehicle technology with Tesla Motors, and advances in space science and technology with his company, SpaceX.
Frances Allen, Computer Scientist
Frances Allen (Aug. 4, 1932—Aug. 4, 2020) was a computer scientist whose work in computer compiling and helped develop much of what is still used today in modern computer programming. She was the first woman to become an IBM fellow and the first woman to win the Turing Award.
Bill Gates, Software Developer
Bill Gates (Oct. 28, 1955—) is a business magnate and software developer who co-founded Microsoft and went on to become an author, investor, and philanthropist. Microsoft developed many products that revolutionized computer use and changed the world we live in.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook
Mark Zuckerberg (May 14, 1984—) is an entrepreneur who is best known for co-founding Facebook, a social networking site that revolutionized (and continues to influence) the way that people communicate all over the world.
