Published:Jan 29, 2025

25 of the Most Innovative Female Engineers in History

In the early 2000s, when the US National Science Foundation (NSF) renewed its push to expand the reach of STEM programs for marginalized groups, the contributions of women were pushed to the forefront, but more can still be done.

Key Takeaways

Women have made groundbreaking contributions to the engineering sector despite historical challenges and systemic barriers.
This article profiles 25 innovative female engineers who have shaped history and inspired future generations.
These stories highlight the diverse contributions women have made across various engineering disciplines, providing motivation for those considering a career in engineering.
Increasingly, there are more engineering programs available that keep diversity and inclusivity a top priority.

Celebrating Women in Engineering

With men still making up over 70% of the STEM workforce, highlighting the impact of innovative women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math is more important now than ever.¹

This lack of recognition for the outstanding accomplishments of women in fields like engineering may be a contributing factor to the slow growth of diverse representation.²At just 12%, women in the engineering workforce fall below the national average (26%) of women in STEM occupations.³

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This lack of recognition for the outstanding accomplishments of women in fields like engineering may be a contributing factor to the slow growth of diverse representation.² At just 12%, women in the engineering workforce fall below the national average (26%) of women in STEM occupations.³

Women have created inventions, provided breakthrough research, and pioneered many engineering concepts that are taught and still revered today.

From innovation and problem-solving to complex infrastructures, women have helped advance engineering, despite professional and societal challenges.

This article profiles 25 of the most innovative women in engineering, celebrating their achievements and inspiring a new generation of women to pursue careers in engineering.

25 of the Most Innovative Women in Engineering

1. Hedy Lamarr (1914–2000)

The precursor to Wi-Fi was a frequency-hopping communication system co-created by inventor (and famous actress) Hedy Lamarr. Revered on the big screen for her glamour and exotic looks she was a contradiction to the “be seen and not heard” expectations of Hollywood actresses in the 30s and 40s. She was smart, brilliant even — a woman who paved her own path by breaking stereotypes and contributing to the greater good.

The invention she and co-inventor George Antheil worked together on along with engineering professor Samuel Stuart Mackeown would become the foundation for modern wireless technologies⁴ such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS.

2. Emily Warren Roebling (1843–1906)

Throughout history, we find examples of women who stepped into untraditional roles to save projects and support the work of others by sharing their expertise.

Emily Warren Roebling is no exception. In 1883, when her husband Washington Roebling, the lead engineer for the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge fell ill, Emily stepped in as the de facto chief engineer to assist in the project's completion.

This remarkable woman who defied the social norms of the 17th century pursued higher education to study science and mathematics as a young woman and later received a law degree at the age of 56.⁵

3. Edith Clarke (1883–1959)

Edith Clarke received her Master of Engineering degree from MIT, the first woman to graduate with this degree. She later went on to acquire a patent for a calculator (Clark calculator), author many technical papers, and become the “first professionally employed female electrical engineer in the United States.”^6,7

4. Stephanie Kwolek (1923–2014)

When you think of bulletproof vests and helmets, the nearly indestructible material Kevlar likely comes to mind. We can thank trained chemist, Stephanie Kwolek for her ingenuity in creating the durable material that not only keeps uniformed officers safe but also protects everything from boats and airplanes to cables.⁸ Kevlar is just one of many materials that Kwolek invented, discoveries that have saved thousands of lives and revolutionized materials science.

5. Beatrice Hicks (1919–1979)

During inventor and engineer Beatrice Hicks’ era, women made up less than 1% of female engineers which is staggering compared to today; but she didn’t let that stop her from trying to open doors for other women in the field.

The first woman engineer at Western Electric company, Hicks went on to pioneer studies “in the theoretical study, analysis, development and manufacture of sensing devices, patented a molecular density scanner, and developed an industry model for quality control procedures.”⁹ She was also the co-founder of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and their first president.¹⁰

6. Mary Jackson (1921–2005)

Some engineering pioneers not only battled the lack of gender diversity but also racial injustices. Mathematician and aerospace engineer Mary Jackson walked that path.

As NASA's first Black female engineer, her journey to becoming a part of the prestigious organization had its challenges. From working in the segregated section at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory’s West Area Computing section to having to request special permission to attend advanced classes in graduate-level math and physics in an all-white school, she beat the odds.

Like most women engineers on this list, she defied societal expectations to succeed in a field that was challenging enough without all of the outside distractions. Her work on wind tunnels and flight experiments contributed significantly to the success of the U.S. space program.¹¹

7. Lillian Moller Gilbreth (1878–1972)

Efficiency expert and industrial engineer Lillian Moller Gilbreth was known for her innovative approach to creating ergonomic spaces that improved efficiency in work environments and at home.¹²

Like other innovators on this list, Lillian Moller Gilbreth also had many firsts including being the first woman elected to the National Academy of Engineering. She was also the first female engineering professor at Purdue University¹³

8. Elsie MacGill (1905–1980)

Canadian aeronautical engineer Elsie MacGil received her master’s degree in aeronautical engineering in 1929 and went on to become the first practicing female engineer in Canada.

She would later be referred to as the "Queen of the Hurricanes," by American True Comics in a feature they ran on her overseeing the retooling of the Can Car plant that mass-produced Hurricane fighter planes during World War II, which played a critical role in the Allied war effort.¹⁴

9. Aprille Joy Ericsson (b. 1963)

One of aerospace engineer Aprille Joy Ericsson’s first dreams was to be an astronaut. While that dream didn’t come to fruition she did become “the first African-American female to receive a Ph.D. in engineering at NASA GSFC.”¹⁵ She worked for NASA for over 30 years in various positions, and in 2024 she was confirmed as the Department of Defense Assistant Secretary.¹⁶

10. Patricia Bath (1942–2019)

While Patricia Bath was primarily known as an ophthalmologist, she was well recognized as an innovator in technology, receiving awards like the Women of Color Technology award in 1997 for a device she patented — the Laserphaco Probe— for cataract surgery as well as authoring over 100 scientific papers.¹⁷

She is recognized as the first black woman physician to receive a medical patent.¹⁸

11. Ada Lovelace (1815–1852)

The English mathematician Ada Lovelace, known as the founder of scientific computing, developed algorithms for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine. Her visionary insights laid much of the foundation for modern computer science.¹⁹

An article in the National Institute of Standards and Technology points out that ”[h]er creative critical skills not only laid the groundwork for her ability to write the first computer program but also to correctly predict the future of computing.”²⁰

12. Judith Resnik (1949–1986)

An electrical engineer and astronaut, Judith Resnik was among the first women in space. The biomedical engineer and staff fellow in the Laboratory of Neurophysiology at the National Institutes of Health contributed to the development of radar systems and was instrumental in several NASA missions.²¹

13. Yvonne Brill (1924–2013)

Yvonne Brill was a pioneering rocket scientist who invented a propulsion system to keep satellites in orbit —the Dual Thrust Level Monopropellant Spacecraft Propulsion System (US Patent #3,807,657). Her contributions had a significant impact on satellite communications.²²

Throughout her career, she was an advocate for girls and women to get involved in technology as scientists and engineers.²³

14. Ruzena Bajcsy (b. 1933)

American engineer and computer scientist Ruzena Bajscy is a pioneering figure in robotics and artificial intelligence, who founded the General Robotics, Automation, Sensing, and Perception (GRASP) Lab at the University of Pennsylvania. Her work has been instrumental in advancing human-robot interaction. She is currently the NEC Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of California at Berkeley.²⁴

15. Margarita Salas (1938–2019)

A Spanish scientist and biochemical engineer, Margarita Salas invented a revolutionary DNA amplification technique based on the phi29 polymerase enzyme. This method has applications in genomics and medical diagnostics.
According to her foundation called Fundación Margarita Salas, the innovator and prolific writer has “authored more than 350 scientific publications, supervised 30 doctoral theses, delivered over 400 presentations, and held 8 patents.”²⁵

16 Rebecca Richards-Kortum (b. 1964)

Engineer and educator Rebecca Richards-Kortum focuses on helping low-income communities who can’t afford standard medical equipment by creating “low-cost, high-performance medical technologies.” As an educator, she encourages her students to consider the needs of others when developing technological innovations.²⁶

17. Nora Stanton Blatch Barney (1883–1971)

Nora Stanton Blatch Berney was the first woman to receive a degree in civil engineering from Cornell University and the first woman admitted to the American Society of Civil Engineers.²⁷

She worked on major infrastructure projects “for the Public Works Administration in Connecticut and Rhode Island as an architect, engineering inspector, and structural steel designer.”²⁸

18. Joan Clarke (1917–1996)

A cryptanalyst and mathematician, Joan Clarke was a key member of the Bletchley Park team during World War II, where she contributed to cracking the code on the Enigma, an enciphering machine used by the Germans during World War II.²⁹

19. Barbara McClintock (1902–1992)

Barbara McClintock was an American cytogeneticist and engineer, who discovered genetic transposition, earning her a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She studied corn and showed how characteristics like kernel color “are passed down through generations and linked this to changes in the plant's chromosomes.”³⁰

20. Marissa Mayer (b. 1975)

As the first female engineer at Google, Marissa Mayer played a critical role in developing the company’s search algorithms and user interface designs. She was the CEO of Yahoo from 2012-2017 and launched Sunshine, an AI-driven app, as a co-founder in 2024.³¹

21. Ellen Swallow Richards (1842–1911)

A chemist and environmental engineer, Ellen Swallow Richards is credited as the founder of the home economics discipline and was the first woman admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ³²

Richards is known for the survey she conducted in 1890 that “ led to the first state water-quality standards in the nation…and making important contributions to the understanding of environmental systems.” ³³

22. Radia Perlman (b. 1951)

Radia Perlman, often called the "Mother of the Internet," developed the Spanning Tree Protocol (STP), which made Ethernet technology robust and scalable. The engineer and mathematician received her PhD from MIT in 1988.³⁴

23. Marie Curie (1867–1934)

Though primarily a physicist, Marie Curie’s innovations in radioactivity led to advancements in medical engineering, particularly in X-ray technology. She worked as a Professor of General Physics in the Faculty of Sciences and held the position of Director of the Curie Laboratory in the Radium Institute of the University of Paris.³⁵

24. Dame Ann Dowling (b. 1952)

A British mechanical engineer, Ann Dowling is a leading expert in aerodynamics and noise reduction in aircraft engines.

A world authority on combustion and acoustics, Ann Dowling is recognized as the first woman Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Cambridge.

She later went on to become Deputy Vice Chancellor of the university. She dedicates her research time to “understanding, modelling and reducing the noise from cars, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and domestic appliances such as vacuum cleaners and fans.”³⁶

25. Grace Hopper (1906–1992)

A pioneer in computer science, Grace Hopper developed the first compiler, which translated written code into machine-readable language, laying the groundwork for modern programming languages.

In 1949 as a computer programmer for Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation where she worked as a senior mathematician, Hopper built the first electronic computer and later explored automatic programming innovations in computer coding. ⁷

Conclusion

The innovative women in our list demonstrate that there’s a place for women in engineering despite challenges and that female students don’t have to try to fit into the mold of what society dictates. Your career path is up to you.

The accomplishments of these remarkable women remind us that the engineering profession can be for anyone. By breaking barriers and solving some of the world’s most challenging problems, these women have inspired countless others to pursue careers in engineering. Their stories continue to inspire and motivate aspiring engineers worldwide.

The field of engineering has long been associated with innovation, problem-solving, and the transformation of society through technology and infrastructure. While the contributions of men are widely acknowledged, it’s clear that women have also played an instrumental role in advancing engineering. Often overcoming significant societal and professional barriers, these women have paved the way for future generations by breaking stereotypes, solving complex problems, and achieving remarkable feats.

In the past, women's engineering societies offered a safe space for women interested in tech. Today, many engineering programs, from boot camps to advanced degrees, focus on inclusivity for female engineering students and expanding opportunities for future women engineers.

Whether you're in high school, an undergraduate, or a graduate student considering your options, there are many areas in the engineering field to consider. From biomedical engineering to biomolecular engineering and everything in between, the right engineering education is at your fingertips; and for women engineering students and future women engineers, the sky’s the limit.