This article was originally written by Amy Cowen and was published on Science Buddies.
In honor of Black History Month, we highlight 38 African American scientists and engineers who made important contributions to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). There are many, many scientists who could be included on this list! The list below is just a sampling of noted scientists through history.
To encourage students to learn more about these scientists and to explore related science projects and careers for scientists they find inspiring, for each scientist, we have included a short biographical highlight, links to hands-on science projects related to the scientist’s area of study, links to relevant science career profiles, and a link to a biography for further reading.
Note: Educators can use this career worksheet to guide student exploration and reflection about STEM careers.
1. Alice Ball, chemist (1892-1916)Alice Ball was a chemist who developed an injectable treatment for leprosy. (Biography)Interested in chemistry and medicine? Learn more with science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Chemist, Biochemist, Chemical Technician
2. Benjamin Banneker, mathematician and astronomer (1731-1806)Benjamin Banneker was a mathematician and astronomer. Stories about Banneker include a range of science details, including a clock he carved from wood (possibly the first clock in the U.S.), his successful prediction of the 1789 solar eclipse, and his role as a surveyor when the territory for Washington D.C. was being mapped. Banneker also wrote and published an almanac, yearly, between 1792 and 1797. (Biography)Interested in projects that combine math and astronomy? Explore science projects like:- Similar Triangles: Using Parallax to Measure Distance
- Correlation of Coronal Mass Ejections with the Solar Sunspot Cycle
3. Patricia Bath, ophthalmologist (1942-2019)Patricia Bath was an ophthalmologist who developed laser technology used in treating cataracts. (Biography)Interested in eye science and vision? Learn more with science projects like:- Now You See It, Now You Don’t: A Chromatic Adaptation Project
- Discover the Science Behind Afterimages
4. Guion Bluford, astronaut and aerospace engineer (1942-)Guion Bluford was the first African American in space on the Challenger‘s eighth (STS-8) space shuttle mission (1983). (Biography)Interested in aeronautics and space science? Explore science projects like:- Model Rocket Aerodynamics: Stability
- Asteroid Mining: Gold Rush in Space?
- Explore Interplanetary Spacecraft Maneuvers with FreeFlyer®
5. Otis Boykin, inventor and electrical engineer (1920-1982)Otis Boykin invented the first electrical resistor, a part now used in many common devices, including computers and televisions. Boykin received his first patent in 1959 for a wire precision resistor. In 1964, he developed a resistor that made the first implantable pacemaker possible. (Biography)Interested in electronics and engineering? Learn more with science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Electrical & Electronics Engineer, Electrical Engineering Technician, Biomedical Engineer
6. Herman Branson, physicist (1914-1995)Herman Branson co-discovered the alpha helix protein structure and conducted research on sickle cell anemia. (Biography)Interested in human biology and health? Explore science projects like:- From Genes to Genetic Diseases: What Kinds of Mutations Matter?
- Drugs & Genetics: Why Do Some People Respond to Drugs Differently than Others?
7. William Warrick Cardozo, physician (1905-1962)William Warrick Cardozo pioneered research on sickle cell anemia and its appearance predominantly in people of African descent. (Biography)Interested in human health, genetics, and medical research? Explore science projects like:- Modeling the Human Cardiovascular System: The Factors That Affect Blood Flow Rate
- Pedigree Analysis: A Family Tree of Traits
- Bioinformatics – The Perfect Marriage of Computer Science & Medicine
8. George Carruthers, astrophysicist (1939-2020)George Carruthers developed the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph used during the Apollo 16 mission in 1972. (Biography)Interested in ultraviolet imaging and space science? Explore science projects like:- Seeing Beyond the Visible: Photography with Near Infrared Illumination
- X-Ray Vision: Seeing Into Space
9. Emmett Chappelle, biochemist (1925-2019)Emmett Chappelle used bioluminescence as a way to quantify the presence of bacteria in water and showed how fluorescence can be used to monitor plant health. At NASA, he researched an ATP-fluorescence assay as a way to detect life on other planets. (Biography)Interested in bioluminescence or agricultural technology? Explore science projects like:- Investigating Glow-in-the-Dark Dinoflagellates
- Smarter Farming with Aerial Photo Analysis
- Genetically Modified Organisms: Create Glowing Bacteria!
10. Jewel Plummer Cobb, biologist (1924-2017)Jewel Plummer Cobb was a biologist whose research explored the relationship between melanin, skin pigmentation, and skin cancer. Her research included investigating the use of chemotherapy drugs like methotrexate to treat certain types of cancer. Dr. Cobb served as president of California State University at Fullerton from 1981-1990. (Biography; video)Interested in human biology and medical research? Explore science projects like:- Testing Sunscreen Effectiveness and Water Solubility
- Drugs & Genetics: Why Do Some People Respond to Drugs Differently than Others?
- Zapping Yeast with X-rays
11. Margaret Collins, entomologist and zoologist (1922–1996)Margaret Collins was an entomologist and zoologist. Known as the “Termite Lady” for her extensive research on termites, she co-discovered the Neotermes luykxi species of termites. (Biography)Interested in insects? Explore science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist, Biologist
12. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, physician (1831-1895)Rebecca Lee Crumpler was the first African American doctor in the U.S., receiving a “Doctress of Medicine” degree from New England Female Medical College in 1864. Dr. Crumpler worked with the Freedmen’s Bureau and other groups to provide medical care for freed slaves and others in need. She later wrote A Book of Medical Discourses. (Biography)Interested in medicine and public health? Learn more with science projects like:- Why Aren’t All Medicines Pills?
- Building Personal Medicine Apps to Help Patients
- Candy Confusion: Can Small Children Mistake Medicine for Candy?
13. Marie Daly, chemist (1921–2003)Marie Daly was a chemist who studied the relationship between cholesterol and heart health. (Biography)Interested in human biology and heart health? Explore science projects like:- Modeling the Human Cardiovascular System: The Factors That Affect Blood Flow Rate
- A Day in the Life of Your Heart
14. Christine Darden, mathematician and aerospace engineer (1942-)Christine Darden was a mathematician and aerospace engineer at NASA. Once she moved from data analysis to Darden does not appear in the Hidden Figures movie, but her story is part of the Hidden Figures book. (Biography)Interested in aerospace engineering, plane design, and math? Explore science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Aerospace Engineer, Mathematician
15. Mark Dean, computer engineer (1957-)Mark Dean is a computer engineer who co-developed the first personal computer. Additional contributions at IBM led to color monitors, the Industry Standard Architecture bus (which allows you to connect devices like printers to computers), and the first gigahertz chip. (Biography)Interested in computer engineering? Explore science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Computer Hardware Engineer, Computer Software Engineer
16. Charles Richard Drew, physician (1904-1950)Charles Richard Drew developed ways to use and preserve blood plasma that helped save lives during World War II and later became the model used for blood banks. Known as the “Father of the Blood Bank,” Drew is also credited with the first bloodmobile. (Biography)Interested in human biology and the science of blood? Explore science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Physician, Medical & Clinical Laboratory Technician, Cytotechnologist
17. Victor J. Glover, Jr., mechanical engineer and astronaut (1976-)Victor J. Glover, Jr. has a background in mechanical engineering and is a Commander in the U.S. Navy. In 2020, Glover headed to the International Space Station (ISS) as pilot and second-in-command on the Crew-1 mission aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience. (Biography)Interested in engineering or the ISS? Explore science projects like:- Gears-Go-Round!
- The Physics of Artificial Gravity
- Bottle Rocket Blast Off!
- HAMing It Up with the Astronauts
18. Sarah Goode, inventor (1855-1905)Sarah Goode invented a bed that folded up so it could be stored out of the way when not in use. Goode’s “folding cabinet bed” was an early version of the Murphy Bed. Goode was one of the first African American women to receive a patent. (Biography)Interested in inventing new things and solving problems? Explore science activities like:Learn more about related careers: Mechanical Engineer, Materials Scientist and Engineer, Industrial Engineer,
19. Bettye Washington Greene, chemist (1935-1995)Bettye Washington Greene, a chemist, was the first female African American chemist to work at the Dow Chemical Company. Her research at Dow focused on latex and polymers. (Biography)Interested in polymers? Explore science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Chemical Engineer, Materials Scientist and Engineer, Commercial & Industrial Designer
20. Walter Lincoln Hawkins, chemist (1911-1992)Walter Lincoln Hawkins was a chemist whose work at AT&T’s Bell Laboratories focused on polymers that could increase the lifespan of telephone cables. He developed (with Victor Lanza) a new polymer, used as a cable sheath, that was put into use in the 1960s. (Biography)Interested in chemistry and polymers? Learn more with science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Chemist, Materials Scientist and Engineer
21. Alma Levant Hayden, chemist (1927–1967)Alma Levant Hayden was a chemist. While working at the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases (now the National Institutes of Health (NIH)), Hayden explored the use of paper chromatography as a way to detect steroid substances. Later, at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Hayden used infrared spectrometry in 1963 to disprove the validity of Krebiozen as a cure for cancer. (Biography)Interested in paper chromatography? Explore science projects like:- Candy Chromatography: What Makes Those Colors?
- Explore How Chromatography Can Unmix Mixtures
- Paper Chromatography: Is Black Ink Really Black?
22. Mary Jackson, engineer and mathematician (1921-2005)Mary Jackson was NASA’s first female African American engineer. Jackson was one of the women at NASA whose story was depicted in the Hidden Figures movie. At NASA, she worked on research related to the Supersonic Pressure Tunnel. (Biography)Interested in engineering and the science of flight? Explore science projects and resources like:- Satellite Science: How Does Speed Affect Orbiting Altitude?
- Bottle Rocket Blast Off!
- How to Build and Use a Subsonic Wind Tunnel
23. Mae Jemison, astronaut and aerospace engineer (1956-)Mae Jemison (also a physician) was the first African American woman in space on the Endeavour space shuttle (1992). (Biography)Interested in aeronautics and space science? Explore science projects like:- Test the Webb Space Telescope’s Amazing Multiple Mirrors and Sunshield
- Asteroid Mining: Gold Rush in Space?
- How to Build on Mars!
24. Katherine Johnson, mathematician (1918-2020)Katherine Johnson was a mathematician whose work at NASA was depicted in the Hidden Figures movie. Johnson calculated the flight path for Alan Shepard (the first American in space) and later checked critical flight path calculations for Apollo 13. (Biography)Interested in engineering, math, or the science of flight? Explore science projects and problems like:- Satellite Science: How Does Speed Affect Orbiting Altitude?
- Bet You Can’t Hit Me! The Science of Catapult Statistics
- Space Elevator Problem Set
25. Lonnie G. Johnson, nuclear engineer and inventor (1949-)Lonnie G. Johnson is a nuclear engineer and inventor who developed the popular Super Soaker water gun. Johnson worked on stealth technology for the U.S. Air Force and was a senior systems engineer on NASA’s Galileo Project. (Biography)Interested in stealth technology or inventing new things? Explore science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Nuclear Engineer, Nuclear Monitoring Technician, Aerospace Engineer, Industrial Engineer
26. Percy Lavon Julian, chemist (1899-1975)Percy Lavon Julian was known as the “Soybean chemist” because he synthesized steroids and hormones from soybeans. His research also led to the development of Aer-O-Foam, also called “bean soup,” used to put out oil and gasoline fires in World War II. (Biography)Interested in chemistry? Explore science projects like:- Cold Pack Chemistry: Where Does the Heat Go?
- The Chemistry of Clean: Make Your Own Soap to Study Soap Synthesis
27. Ronald E. McNair, physicist (1950-1986)Ronald E. McNair was a laser physicist and a mission specialist for NASA on the STS 51-L Challenger mission that exploded shortly after takeoff in 1986. (Biography)Interested in laser science and physics? Explore science projects like:- CD Burning: Take it to the Edge
- Using a Laser Pointer to Measure the Data Track Spacing on CDs and DVDs
- Using a Laser to Measure the Speed of Light in Gelatin
- Measuring Sugar Content of a Liquid with a Laser Pointer
28. Raye Montague, naval engineer (1935-2018)Raye Montague was inspired by a childhood experience with a submarine. She was an engineer in the U.S. Navy and is credited as being the first person to design a naval ship, the USS Oliver Hazard Perry, using computer design tools. (Biography)Interested in ship design, computer-aided design (CAD), and engineering? Explore science projects like:- Rocking the Boat
- Making It Shipshape: Hull Design and Hydrodynamics
- Milk Does Your Body and a Boat Good—Design Your Own Milk Carton Boat
- How Much Weight Can Your Boat Float?
- Design and 3D-Print Your Own Robot!
29. Ruth Ella Moore, bacteriologist and microbiologist (1903-1994)Ruth Ella Moore was a bacteriologist whose research included tuberculosis, blood types and race, bacteria and cavities, and how gut microorganisms react to antibiotics. (Biography)Interested in bacteriology and human health? Learn more with science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Microbiologist
30. Willie Hobbs Moore, physicist (1934-1994)Willie Hobbs Moore was a physicist whose research focused on infrared spectroscopy. She was the first African American woman to earn a doctorate in Physics. (Biography)Interested in spectroscopy and spectrometry? Explore science projects like:- Rainbow Fire Science Project
- Using a Digital Camera to Measure Skyglow
- X-Ray Vision: Seeing Into Space
31. Joan Murrell Owens, marine biologist (1933-2011)Joan Murrell Owens studied button coral at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, where she discovered a new genus (the Rhombopsammia) and three new species. She was later a professor at Howard University. (Biography)Interested in marine biology and and the study of coral or rock samples? Learn more with science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Marine Biologist
32. Carolyn Parker, physicist (1917-1966)Carolyn Parker worked on the Dayton Project, part of the Manhattan Project, a U.S. government atomic weapons research project during World War II. (Biography)Interested in physics and nuclear science? Explore science projects like:- Watching Nuclear Particles: See Background Radiation Zoom Through A Cloud Chamber
- Particles in the Mist: See Radioactive Particles Decay with Your Own Cloud Chamber!
33. Charles Henry Turner, entomologist and zoologist (1867-1923)Charles Henry Turner was an entomologist and zoologist. Turner’s research proved that insects can hear and led to the phrase “Turner’s circling” to describe the way ants return to a nest. (Biography)Interested in insects? Explore science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist, Biologist
34. Dorothy Vaughan, computer scientist and mathematician (1910-2008)Dorothy Vaughan was a computer scientist and mathematician. She was part of the group of “human computers” depicted in the Hidden Figures movie. As NASA adopted the use of computers, Vaughan taught herself FORTRAN and became part of NASA’s Analysis and Computation Division (ACD). She also worked on the Scout Launch Vehicle Program. (Biography)Interested in computer programming? Explore code-based science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Mathematician, Computer Programmer
35. Gladys West, mathematician (1930-)Gladys West is a mathematician who worked on the processing and analysis of satellite data that helped lead to the development of the Global Positioning System (GPS). (Biography)Interested in math and data analysis? Explore science projects like:- Finding the Center of the Milky Way Galaxy Using Globular Star Clusters
- How Visualizing Data Can Lead to the Right (or Wrong) Conclusion
- Correlation of Coronal Mass Ejections with the Solar Sunspot Cycle
- Explore Satellites with Powerful Simulation Software
36. J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr., mathematician and nuclear scientist (1923-2011)J. Ernest Wilkins Jr. was a mathematician and nuclear scientist who was involved in the Manhattan Project. His work on nuclear reactor physics led to the discovery or co-discovery of phenomena like the Wilkins effect and the Wigner-Wilkins spectrum. (Biography)Interested in nuclear science? Explore science projects like:- Watching Nuclear Particles: See Background Radiation Zoom Through A Cloud Chamber
- See Radioactive Particles Decay with Your Own Cloud Chamber!
37. Daniel Hale Williams, surgeon (1856-1931)Daniel Hale Williams performed the first open-heart surgery on a human in 1893. Dr. Williams also founded Provident Hospital and Training School for Nurses in Chicago, IL in 1891. Provident was the first hospital owned and operated by African Americans. (Biography)Interested in medicine, cardiology, and heart health? Learn more with science projects like:Learn more about related careers: Physician, Cardiovascular Technologist or Technician
38. Granville Woods, inventor (1856-1910)Granville Woods received more than 50 patents for his inventions. Sometimes called the “Black Edison,” Woods’ inventions included the “Synchronous Multiplex Railway Telegraph,” a device that used static electricity to send messages between trains, and the “telegraphony,” a combination telephone and telegraph that could send messages by voice or Morse code. (Biography)Interested in inventing new things? Explore science activities and projects like:- Take a Musical Step Back in Time: Make Your Own Phonograph from Everyday Items
- High-Speed Magnets: Exploring Faraday’s Law and Lenz’s Law
- Recording on a Wire
- Build Your Own Crystal Radio
