Ada Lovelace Day aims to raise the profile of women in science, technology, engineering and maths by encouraging people around the world to talk about the women whose work they admire. This international day of celebration helps people learn about the achievements of women in STEM, inspiring others and creating new role models for young and old alike.
Happy Ada Lovelace Day. A day where we celebrate women in STEM. I'm a techie, that much is obvious, but I didn't start off in the computer world. I was actually a science and math geek who majored in Chemistry in college. The "hard sciences" have always been my thing and for a while I actually wanted a PhD in Chemistry. So, in doing my part for ALD, I want to profile Dr. Marie Maynard Daly.
In 1947, Dr. Marie Maynard Daly was the first Black woman to receive a Ph.D. in Chemistry. Her initial studies involved research into the heart and the effects of cholesterol and hypertension. She received her Bachelors degree as a Magna Cum Laude graduate from Queens College in Flushing, NY. Dr. Daly achieved her Masters degree after 1 year of study and ultimately her Ph.D. after 3. Her later studies were in proteins and she went on to teach at Howard University, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine where she retired in 1986.
Along with her research work she was a proponent of increasing minority enrollment in medical school and graduate science programs. She established a scholarship fund at Queens College in her father's name in 1988. Dr. Daly passed away in 2003.