UWM Libraries Research and Course Guides: DEI Reading Lists: Diversity in STEM

UWM Resources

Making Black Scientists by Marybeth Gasman; Nguyen Thai-Huy
ISBN: 9780674916586
Publication Date: 2019-08-13
Making Black Scientists reveals the secrets to these institutions' striking successes and shows how other colleges and universities can follow their lead. The result is a bold new agenda for institutions that want to better serve African American students.
Removing Barriers by Jill M. Bystydzienski (Editor); Sharon R. Bird (Editor)
ISBN: 0253346797
Publication Date: 2006-02-01
"Movement into academic science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields has been slow for women and minorities. Not only are women and minorities underrepresented in STEM careers, there is strong evidence that many academic departments are resistant to addressing the concerns that keep them from entering careers in these fields. In light of recent controversies surrounding these issues, this volume, examining reasons for the persistence of barriers that block the full participation and advancement of underrepresented groups in the sciences and addressing how academic departments and universities can remedy the situation, is particularly timely." - Indiana University Press
Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky
ISBN: 9781607749769
Publication Date: 2016-07-26
"This fascinating, educational collection features 50 illustrated portraits of trailblazing women in STEM throughout history.Full of striking, singular art, Women in Science also contains infographics about relevant topics such as lab equipment, rates of women currently working in STEM fields, and an illustrated scientific glossary." - Amazon
The African American Student's Guide to STEM Careers by Robert T. Palmer; Andrew T. Arroyo; Alonzo Flowers; Fred A. Bonner (Foreword by)
ISBN: 9781610697354
Publication Date: 2016-12-05
This book comprehensively reviews the factors that facilitate access and success of Black students in STEM majors in higher education, and it shares compelling testimonies from Black STEM professionals that will help inspire the next generation of Black scientists and engineers.
The Latino Student's Guide to STEM Careers by Laura I. Rendón (Editor); Mildred García (Foreword by, Foreword by); Vijay Kanagala (Editor)
ISBN: 9781610697910
Publication Date: 2017-09-08
This book is an essential resource that Latino/a students and families need to make the best decisions about entering and succeeding in a STEM career. It can also serve to aid faculty, counselors, and advisors to assist students at every step of entering and completing a STEM career.
Black Women Scientists in the United States by Wini Warren
ISBN: 0253336031
Publication Date: 2000-02-22
"Biographical information includes women n the fields of anatomy, astronautics and space science, anthropology, biochemistry, biology, botany, chemistry, geology, marine biology, mathematics, medicine, nutrition, pharmacology, psychology, physics, and zoology."
The Only Woman in the Room by Eileen Pollack
ISBN: 9780807046579
Publication Date: 2015-09-15
A bracingly honest exploration of why there are still so few women in the hard sciences, mathematics, engineering, and computer science.
Gendered Innovations in Science and Engineering by Londa Schiebinger (Editor)
ISBN: 9780804758147
Publication Date: 2008-03-07
"The prominent scholars featured in Gendered Innovations in Science and Engineering explore how gender analysis can profoundly enhance human knowledge in the areas of science, medicine, and engineering. Where possible, they provide concrete examples of how taking gender into account has yielded new research results and sparked creativity, opening new avenues for future research."
Mary Eliza Mahoney, 1845-1926: America's First Black Professional Nurse: A Historical Perspective by Helen S. Miller
ISBN: 0935087133
Publication Date: 1986-01-01
"Mary Eliza Mahoney (May 7, 1845 – January 4, 1926) was the first African-American to study and work as a professionally trained nurse in the United States. In 1879, Mahoney was the first African American to graduate from an American school of nursing." -Wikipedia
Blast Off into Space Like Mae Jemison by Caroline Moss
ISBN: 9780711245150
Publication Date: 2020-03-03
"In this imaginatively illustrated book from the Work It, Girl series, discover how Mae Jemison became the first African American woman in space in this true story of her life. Then, learn 10 key lessons from her work you can apply to your own life. When Mae Jemison was a little girl, she loved science, dancing and dinosaurs. She watched the Apollo moon landings and wondered why none of the astronauts were women - and she just didn't buy the answers she was given."
Susan La Flesche Picotte, M. D. by Benson Tong
ISBN: 0806131403
Publication Date: 2000-01-01
"Susan La Flesche Picotte, born in a tipi on the plains in 1865, went on to become the first American Indian woman doctor. This interpretive biography focuses on Picotte's cultural mediation as she moved between two seemingly irreconcilable cultures - her changing Omaha life in the West and the world of college, medical training, and politics in the East. Benson Tong reveals that although Susan La Flesche Picotte accepted some values in the U.S. government's turn-of-the-century "Americanization" policy toward Indians, she never abandoned her Omaha heritage."
Madame Chien-Shiung Wu by Caijian Jiang; Tsai-Chien Chiang
ISBN: 9814374849
Publication Date: 2013-03-28
(READ ONLINE) "Narrating the well-lived life of the "Chinese Madam Curie" — a recipient of the first Wolf Prize in Physics (1978), the first woman to receive an honorary doctorate from Princeton University, as well as the first female president of the American Physical Society — this book provides a comprehensive and honest account of the life of Dr. Wu Chien-Sung, an outstanding and leading experimental physicist of the 20th century."
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
ISBN: 9781571313355
Publication Date: 2013-10-15
"As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, the author has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to the Americas, consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers. In this book, she brings these two lenses of knowing together to reveal what it means to see humans as "the younger brothers of creation.""
Remembering Jane Cooke Wright, a Black woman, who was among seven founders of the American Society of Clinical Oncology by Edith Peterson Mitchell
Publication Date: 2021-04-01
(READ ONLINE) "Jane Cooke Wright (also known as "Jane Jones") (November 20, 1919 – February 19, 2013) was a pioneering cancer researcher and surgeon noted for her contributions to chemotherapy. In particular, Wright is credited with developing the technique of using human tissue culture rather than laboratory mice to test the effects of potential drugs on cancer cells. She also pioneered the use of the drug methotrexate to treat breast cancer and skin cancer (mycosis fungoids)."- Wikipedia
Alice Augusta Ball: The African-American Chemist Who Pioneered the First Viable Treatment for Hansen's Disease by Sabha Mushtaq & Paul Wermager
(READ ONLINE) "Alice Augusta Ball (1892-1916) was a young and dynamic chemist who achieved extraordinary milestones in her short lifespan of 24 years. As an African American and as a woman in the early 20th century, her work and achievements set a benchmark. Her breakthrough work on the extraction of the water-soluble ethyl esters of chaulmoogra oil changed the lives of millions of people affected by Hansen's disease who were socially boycotted and segregated to leprosy colonies and asylums. The chaulmoogra oil esters, which continued to be used for almost two decades, were the first viable treatment of leprosy. Unfortunately, Ball did not receive recognition and honor for her work, and she was forgotten soon after her untimely death."
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
ISBN: 9780062363596
Publication Date: 2016-09-06
"Before John Glenn orbited the earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as "human computers" used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. Among these problem-solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation."- Publishers description

Web Resources

Association for Women in Mathematics / AWM

"The purpose of the Association for Women in Mathematics is to create a community in which women and girls can thrive in their mathematical endeavors, and to promote equitable opportunity and treatment of women and others of marginalized genders and gender identities across the mathematical sciences."

Talks by Brilliant Women in STEM / TED

"These women are trailblazers inspiring a new generation of girls to follow their lead and change the ratio in STEM (science, math, engineering and tech)."

Women in STEM / WiSTEM

"Empowering and encouraging high school girls to be a part of the movement to increase female representation in STEM."

Women of Color Research Network / WOCRN

"The Women of Color Research Network (WOCRN) was created to provide women of color and supporters of their advancement in the biomedical sciences information about the NIH grants process, advice on career development, and a forum for networking and sharing information."

Women at NASA / Women@NASA (Twitter/X)

"Women are making history at NASA every day. Celebrate our past and look to our future as we continue to drive innovation and push the envelope."

Women in Science / NIH

"Celebrating the successes of women in science can serve as an inspiration to both women and men. The women’s profiles that are featured on this website highlight their contributions to research, what they learned along the way, and advice they have for other women in science. You will also find information, tools, and resources that support and promote the entry, recruitment, retention, and sustained advancement of women in biomedical research careers."

STEM Like a Girl

"Our mission is to excite and empower girls with knowledge and confidence in STEM to become future problem solvers and leaders."

ChickTech

"ChickTech was founded in 2012 to engage youth and adults of marginalized genders in the technology industry while working to create a better technology culture for all. We build communities, empower participants to see themselves as leaders, and provide networking and mentoring opportunities in a rapidly growing industry."

40 Important STEM Resources for Women / TeachThought

Includes various other links to websites, committees, and radio shows all about women and STEM.