Colorado Leaders in STEM and Aviation

The Colorado Wolmen's Hall of Fame salutes leaders in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and aviation

Martha MaxwellColorado Women's Hall of Fame

In 1876, taxidermist Martha Maxwell showed her stuffed animals and birds at the American Centennial Exhibition. The first woman to have a subspecies named after her, Maxwell set a new standard for natural history museums.

Hazel SchmollColorado Women's Hall of Fame

Colorado State Botanist from 1919 to 1935, Dr. Hazel Schmoll conducted the first systematic study of plant life in Southwestern Colorado leading to a plant that is named for her.

Dr. H. Marie WormingtonColorado Women's Hall of Fame

Archaeologist Dr. Hannah Marie Wormington-Volk published her bestselling book Ancient Man in North America in 1939 that described Stone Age man.

Virginia LincolnColorado Women's Hall of Fame

Physicist J. Virginia Lincoln developed a statistical method in 1949 for predicting sunspot activity and subsequent solar storms that impact radio communication. The method is still in use today.

Rhea WoltmanColorado Women's Hall of Fame

Pilot Rhea Woltman was one of the Mercury 13; women who underwent the same tests as the original Mercury 7 astronauts in 1960.

Janet BonnemaColorado Women's Hall of Fame

After Janet Bonnema was hired as an engineering technician by the Colorado Department of Transportation and not allowed into the Eisenhower Tunnel bore due to her gender, she filed suit (1972). Her success paved the way for women to work in highway construction.

Emily Howell WarnerColorado Women's Hall of Fame

In 1973, Emily Howell Warner made history by becoming the first female pilot hired by a major U.S. airline, Frontier. Three years later, she made history again by becoming the first woman to earn her captain’s wings.

Temple GrandinColorado Women's Hall of Fame

Animal scientist and autism spokesperson and advocate Dr. Temple Grandin published her first two scientific articles on beef cattle behavior during handling in 1980. She invented the hug box and has been named a Hero by Time magazine.

Penny HamiltonColorado Women's Hall of Fame

Aviation pioneer Dr. Penny Hamilton, also known as “Penny the Pilot” co-holds a World Aviation Speed Record set in 1991. She is passionate about getting more women into aviation and STEM.

Jill TietjenColorado Women's Hall of Fame

Electrical engineer Jill S. Tietjen became the first female board member of the Rocky Mountain Electrical League in 1994 and its first female president in 1999. Through her writing and speaking, she advocates for women and has been inducted into the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame.

Jo Ann JoselynColorado Women's Hall of Fame

In 1997, astrogeophysicist Dr. JoAnn Cram Joselyn became the first woman Secretary General of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy and in 1999, the first woman and the first American to serve as Secretary General of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics..

Dr. Susan SolomonColorado Women's Hall of Fame

In 1999, atmospheric chemist Dr. Susan Solomon received the National Medal of Science for her discoveries of the cause of the Antarctic Ozone Hole.

Joanne MaguireColorado Women's Hall of Fame

In 2003, electrical engineer Joanne Maguire became the first female Executive Vice President and the first female officer of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

Diana WallColorado Women's Hall of Fame

Soil scientist and environmental ecologist Dr. Diane Wall is the leading expert on soil invertebrate diversity. Her research has been focused on Antarctica where the Wall Valley was named for her in 2004.

Susan HelmsColorado Women's Hall of Fame

The first military woman in space, Lieutenant General Susan Helms was also the first woman to serve on the International Space Station which occurred in 2001. She graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1980 in the first class that included women.

Dr. Kristina JohnsonColorado Women's Hall of Fame

A pioneer in the field of optoelectronics, Dr. Kristina Johnson’s RealD/3D technology was used for the first time in the 2009 movie Avatar. She holds more than 45 U.S. patents and has been inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

Kristi AnsethColorado Women's Hall of Fame

In 2009, biomedical engineer, inventor and researcher Dr. Kristi Anseth became the youngest member elected to both the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine. She specializes in regenerative medicine.

Credits: Story

Curator: Jill S. Tietjen, P.E., co-author of Her Story: A Timeline of the Women Who Changed American and Hollywood: Her Story, An Illustrated History of Women and the Movies. Tietjen has been inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame and the Colorado Authors' Hall of Fame.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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