​

The Second Tuesday every October…

​

A global celebration of women's achievements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

(STEM)

​

Honouring the visionary often regarded as the world's first computer programmer, ADA LOVELACE

​

Celebrating Ada Lovelace Day: Inspiring Women in STEM

• Ada Lovelace (1815–1852) was an English mathematician and writer.
• Ada showed a remarkable talent for mathematics from a young age.
• She worked closely with inventor Charles Babbage on his design for the Analytical Engine, an early mechanical computer.
• In her detailed notes about the machine, Ada described how it could be programmed to perform complex calculations — even predicting that such machines might one day create music and art.
• Although her work was not widely recognized during her lifetime, Ada Lovelace is now celebrated as a visionary pioneer of computing and a trailblazer for women in science and technology.

​

Dr. Damaris Matoke-Muhia

WHO IS Dr. Damaris Matoke-Muhia?

• A Biomedical scientist specializing in vector-borne diseases like malaria and leishmaniasis. She Leads insecticide resistance and vector surveillance programs in East Africa.
• Founder of Women in Vector Control (WIVC) under PAMCA to support women in STEM.
• This Year, She was the Named African Female Researcher of the Month (April 2025) by African Researchers Magazine.

Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu (1912-1997)

WHO IS Dr. Chien-Shiung Wu?

• World-renowned experimental physicist, also known as the "First Lady of Physics"
• Improved Geiger counters for radiation detection.
• Contributed to the enrichment of uranium for the Manhattan Project.
• Conducted the "Wu Experiment" to test parity conservation, a major turning point in physics.

​

Dr. Vera Rubin (1928-2016)

WHO IS Dr. Vera Rubin?

• An influential American astronomer who provided the first strong evidence for the existence of dark matter.
• A groundbreaking scientist who also discovered evidence for galactic superclusters during her graduate work.
• Throughout her career, Rubin was a tireless advocate for women in science, mentoring younger astronomers and pushing for greater inclusion in a male-dominated field.

�

​

Rose Musito

Dr. Rose Mutiso is a Kenyan materials scientist, activist and entrepreneur known for her work in energy and development in Africa.

Dr. Rose Mutiso’s work is notable for its:

• Intersection of scientific expertise
• pragmatic policy advocacy
• Deep commitment to addressing inequality and African development.

Instead of approaching climate change as a standalone issue, she frames it as inextricably linked with energy poverty and economic growth.

​

She also founded the African tech futures lab, a think tank dedicated to guidings Africa's technological future

Did you know she co-authored legislation signed by president Obama during her time as a U.S senate police officer

Florence Nightingale

WHO IS Florence Nightingale?

• The founder of modern nursing, transformed it from a low-skilled occupation into a respected, professional career through the establishment of the world's first secular nursing school in 1860
• She was a pioneering nurse and social reformer during the Crimean War.
• Florence Nightingale, an innovator in statistics, created the "coxcomb" diagram to graphically represent mortality rates and influence public policy.

�

​

Marie Curie

WHO IS Marie Curie?

• As a pioneering physicist and chemist,who discovered polonium and radium, for which she became the first person to win two Nobel Prizes.
• As an innovator in medicine, she developed mobile X-ray units, known as "Little Curies," which treated over one million wounded soldiers during World War I
• The first woman appointed professor at the Sorbonne and later directed the Radium Institute, inspiring generations of women to pursue science

�

​

Wangari Maathai

Wangari Maathai was a:

• Kenyan environmentalist
• Political activist
• 1st woman from East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree in…….

She also founded the green belt movement, an organisation involved in the planting of millions of trees

She was a vocal environmental and human rights activist and faced physical attacks and tear-gassing for her confrontational approach against the government in the 1990s

Veterinary anatomy

Did know know that she was the 1st African woman to win a Nobel Prize

Katherine Johnson

-Katherine Johnson (1918–2020) was an American mathematician and physicist whose brilliant calculations were vital to the success of the U.S. space program.

- Katherine calculated the space flight paths and launch windows for key missions, including Alan Shepard’s first spaceflight and John Glenn’s historic orbit around Earth in 1962 — Glenn famously asked for her to personally verify the numbers before his flight.

- She also contributed to the Apollo 11 mission, which landed the first humans on the Moon. Known for her intelligence, perseverance, and humility, Katherine Johnson’s work helped shape modern space exploration and opened doors for women and African Americans in STEM.

​