ATHENA
Sharing wisdom
Women in Engineering
Empowering the next generation of women in Engineering
(disclamer: even though the buttons say "Read More", the website isn't fully finished so there aren't more pages right now - they will be added in the future)
Emily Roebling 1843 - 1903
She is best known for her role as Chief Engineer during the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, completed in 1883.
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When his husband became ill and bed-ridden, she took one for the team and assumed the role of ‘first woman field engineer’. She became responsible for the day-to-day project management, relaying the information from her husband to the workers, and carrying out her own studies of technical issues, materials, stress analysis, construction and calculations.
Edith Clarke 1883 - 1959
First woman to earn an electrical engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In 1921 she received her first patent for the Clarke Calculator - a device that was used to solve electric power transmission line issues.
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She went on to teach electrical engineering at the University of Texas for 10 years, making her the first female Professor of Electrical Engineering in the United States.
Martha Coston 1826 - 1904
Coston is credited with creating a signalling flare system, known as Coston Flares, still used by the US Navy today.
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She discovered a design for a pyrotechnic flare that her late husband had left behind in his notebook, and set about designing a signal flare that would work. For nearly 10 years she worked on perfecting the design, which needed to be bright, multi-coloured and long-lasting if they were to be effective tools for communication. She finally achieved a patent in 1859, with the US Navy paying her $20,000 for the rights to the flares which was a huge amount of money in her time.
Lillian Gilbreth 1878 - 1972
Lillian Gilbreth is heralded as a pioneer in the field of industrial engineering and psychology, and often referred to as the ‘Mother of Modern Management’.
She became the first female member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and worked with General Electric to improve the design of kitchen and household appliances.
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As a mother of twelve, Gilbreth became recognised not just for her development of industrial management techniques, but also for her ability to combine a career and a family.