Girlstart’s Women in STEM weekly series highlights various women who are making a difference in STEM. Celebrate Black History Month with us and be inspired by the stories of some incredible black women in STEM: Jessica Esquivel, Ph.D, Jennifer Mieres, MD, Mae Jemison, MD, and Roger Arliner Young, Ph.D.

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Jessica Esquivel, Ph.D

Particle Physicist

Jessica Esquivel is a particle physicist and the second-ever Black woman to receive her physics Ph.D. from Syracuse University. She works at Fermilab, America’s particle physics and accelerator lab, on something called the Muon g-2 experiment. As part of this project, Esquivel works with the largest detectors in the country to search for new physics. Jessica was one of 125 women selected as an American Society for the Advancement of Science IF/THEN ambassador, a program that shows girls many different career pathways they can pursue. As a minority in multiple facets of the word, Esquivel has a very personal recognition of the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion in STEM. When asked why equality, diversity, inclusion, and representation were so important to STEM, Jessica responded that “we need unique lenses and solutions from everyone.” In fact, Esquivel is quoted as saying: “My process in doing science is unique to me because of, not in spite of, my minoritized identities.”

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Jennifer Mieres, MD

Nuclear Cardiologist, Professor, and Author

Jennifer Mieres is a board-certified nuclear cardiologist, an award-winning professor of cardiology, and an author. Internationally recognized as a leading advocate for women’s heart health and diversity in healthcare, Dr. Mieres’s passion is to educate and empower women to take charge of their heart health. For more than two decades, her efforts have been focused on gender-specific cardiovascular research and raising awareness of a woman-centered holistic approach to wellness. In her current role as leader of Northwell Health’s Center for Equity of Care, and as their first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Dr. Mieres oversees community health education, wellness programs, and health literacy initiatives to deliver culturally-sensitive care and eliminate health disparities. In 2003, Dr. Mieres received an Emmy nomination for producing the PBS documentary “A Woman’s Heart,” and she was the first female president of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology. Dr. Mieres is a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association and regularly appears on various media outlets, including 20/20, CNN, the Today Show, and Good Morning America!

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Roger Arliner Young, Ph.D

Zoologist, Biologist, and Marine Biologist

Roger Arliner Young was an American scientist of zoology, biology, and marine biology. She grew up in Pennsylvania, and enrolled in Howard University in 1916 to study music. Five years later, she took her first science course and was convinced by her professor to change her major to Zoology. She not only received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, but also became the first Black woman to earn a doctorate degree in Zoology. Her contributions to science include studying the effects of radiation on sea urchin eggs and researching the processes of hydration and dehydration in living cells. In 1924, Young’s work was published in the peer-reviewed journal Science, making her the first Black woman and researcher to be professionally published in her field.