Scientists of Color: Black Women in STEM Today Making a Difference

August 17, 2020 2 min read

This week we are featuring two women of color that have used STEM as a means to impact society positively. 

Maybank speaks publicly about health inequities in an effort to raise awareness and close the gap between social conditions and the quality of healthcare. She is an activist for eliminating race as a risk factor for improper medical care and seeks to spread awareness around the topic. As healthcare concerns have hit an all-time high in the wake of COVID-19, Maybank’s work is more important than ever. She is fighting against societal constructs in order to ensure the health and safety of minority patients. We commend Dr. Aletha Maybank for her efforts and for all that she has accomplished throughout her career. Dr. Aletha Maybank is an American physician and the associate commissioner and director of the Center for Health Equity at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Here she helps promote education, nutrition, safety, and affordable healthcare throughout New York City neighborhoods. Prior to holding this position, Maybank oversaw public health and safety initiatives such as increasing the accessibility of HIV testing and improving bike lanes in Brooklyn. She also was the brains behind the launch of the Office of Minority Health within the Suffolk County Department of Health Services. This department focuses on protecting people of color from experiencing health disparities.

Kate Okikiolu is a British mathematician who made major contributions to mathematics with her research on elliptical differential operators. She received her B.A. in Mathematics from Cambridge University and continued to earn her doctorate in Mathematics from UCLA in 1991, marking history as the first Black womanto do so. From here, Okikiolu’s brilliant work led her to become the first Black researcher to win a  $70,000 Sloan Research Fellowship, which is the most distinguished award for young mathematics researchers in the United States. 

Okikiolu is currently using her years of experience as a means to better societal problems, such as the educational gaps in teaching mathematics. By focusing on real-world problems and relating them to math, such as the concept of debt combined with lessons on negative values, Okikiolu works to educate underprivileged kids. This not only advances their learning of algebra but also prepares them for real-life scenarios. Okikiolu is currently a professor at John Hopkins University and a public speaker inspiring the world with her passion for mathematics. 

Visit our pages: 

        


Leave a comment

Comments will be approved before showing up.


Also in Features from BIOTOC Connection

Galentine’s Day 2021: Treat Your Bridal Party AND Yourself with our Top Gift Picks - Dermafirm USA
Galentine’s Day 2021: Treat Your Bridal Party AND Yourself with our Top Gift Picks

January 25, 2021 1 min read

Celebrate your bridal party this Galentine's Day with our ultimate skincare and jewelry gift guide!

It is never too early to start prepping for your big day. Unpause your wedding planning by gifting you (and your bridal party) a healthy, glowing complexion that shines (almost) as bright as you do.

Special gift guide for brides, featuring luxury jewelry and skincare - Dermafirm USA
Special gift guide for brides, featuring luxury jewelry and skincare

January 25, 2021 2 min read

There's always an occasion that requires the perfect gift—find one with our bride-to-be approved gift guide!

Between the holidays and weddings (including your own), thoughts about all of the gifts you need to buy are likely running through your mind. This time of year is already stressful, making being a bride-to-be prepping for your big day that much harder. We are sharing one bride-to-be's advice on selecting and buying the perfect gifts with our ultimate gift guide. Discover Devon's top picks for powerful skincare—choices that can be used on the big day (or every day).

Beautiful brides by Dermafirm: healthy glowing skin - Dermafirm USA
Beautiful brides by Dermafirm: healthy glowing skin

January 25, 2021 2 min read

Every bride wants to look and feel her best on her wedding day!

Leaders and experts in skincare and beauty are working to make the world a better place by empowering, evolving, and embracing, all brides and their loved ones to experience, value, and share the impact of nature's ingredients and true craftsmanship at an affordable price.