7 famous women in STEM

Said to be one of the greatest engineers of her time, Beatrice Shilling was an aeronautical engineer and a motorbike racer. She is famously known for her research and development of the Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. This was an engine that was used in fighter planes as part of the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the second world war.

Shilling was an important part of designing an engineering modification to stop the engine from stalling when Spitfires and Hurricanes were in battle flight.

In the early years of her career, Shilling wrote educational articles about electrical engineering for the Electrical Association for Women. In fact, a lot of her articles were aimed at Girlguiding members who helped in the second world war!

We’ve been working with Rolls-Royce for over 13 years to highlight inspirational women in STEM and share co-created activities girls can do with their units. Why not give them a go to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day?

Download the activities and find out more about our work together.

Badges to do inspired by Beatrice Shilling

• Innovate skills builder stages 2, 4 or 6 sponsored by Rolls-Royce.
• Aviation interest badge for Brownies.

2. Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE (1990-present)

Anne-Marie Imafidon is the founder and CEO of Stemettes, an award-winning social enterprise. Stemettes inspires the next generation of young women into science, technology, engineering, arts and maths (STEAM) careers.

Imafidon passed all her GCSEs before finishing primary school. She was also the youngest girl to pass an A level qualification in computing at only aged 11. By 20 years old, she had a master's university degree in mathematics and computer science from the University of Oxford.

As a modern advocate for STEM, she uses her powerful voice to promote opportunities for girls. She regularly speaks at events and has hosted special episodes of Channel 4’s Countdown. She received her MBE in 2017 for her work to encourage young women into the field. She’s also worked with Girlguiding South West England to lead exciting STEM-based activities to girls.

Badges to do inspired by Anne-Marie Imafidon:

• Innovate skills builder stages 2, 4 or 6 sponsored by Rolls-Royce.
• Entrepreneur interest badge for Rangers.

3. Nina Cameron Graham (1891-1974)

Did you know the first British woman to graduate with a university degree in engineering was in 1912? That woman was Nina Cameron Graham. She studied civil engineering at the University of Liverpool and later created a legacy with her designs of a railway bridge.

Even now, the university gives an award to the highest performing female student every year, in her honour.

Badges to do inspired by Nina Cameron Graham:

• Innovate skills builder stages 2, 4 or 6 sponsored by Rolls-Royce.
• Construction interest badge for Rainbows.

4. Mary Seacole (1805-1881)

Recognised on our list of 10 Black British women who’ve shaped history, Mary Seacole was a pioneering nurse, businesswoman and adventurer. Her knowledge of medicine and nursing during the Crimean War makes her an inspirational woman in STEM and beyond. She was a key figure in the history of Black nurses.

Seacole is remembered for her dedication to helping injured soldiers in the first world war. Despite being a popular doctor and offering her skills in the Crimean War, Seacole experienced discrimination because of the colour of her skin. She was told she couldn’t help. Instead, she made her own way to Crimea located on the coast of the Black Sea. She opened a British hotel so she could tend to British, French and Sardinian soldiers.

Seacole’s story was forgotten until 1980, long after her death in 1881, when it was rediscovered by historians.

Badges to do inspired by Mary Seacole:

• Innovate skills builder stages 2, 4 or 6 sponsored by Rolls-Royce.
• Helper interest badge for Rainbows.
• Morals and values interest badge for Rangers.

5. Hertha Ayrton (1854-1923)

Hertha Ayrton is well-recognised for being a famous British woman in STEM. Born in 1854, she was an electrical engineer, mathematician, physicist, inventor and suffragette. A suffragette was a member of an activist group who fought for women’s rights in the early 1900s. They fought for women’s right to vote in UK elections.

Ayrton is most remembered for her work on the electric arc, which is a description of how electric currents interact with each other. She’s also known for designing the Ayrton anti-gas fan, a device used in the first world war to wave poisonous gas out of trenches.

Badges to do inspired by Hertha Ayrton:

• Innovate skills builder stages 2, 4 or 6 sponsored by Rolls-Royce.
• Women’s rights interest badge for Rangers.
• Inventing interest badge for Brownies.

6. Dame Margaret Aderin-Pocock (1986-Present)

Dame Margaret ‘Maggie’ Aderin-Pocock is a British space scientist and science educator. As a child, she wanted to be an astronaut, but a teacher tried to push her to be a nurse instead.

With her heart set on all things space, Maggie Aderin-Pocock excelled through school, eventually getting a PhD in mechanical engineering. She went on to work for the Ministry of Defence as a systems scientist. She invented optical sub-systems for spacecraft, which are systems used to transport high-speed data and electrical signals.

Later, she returned to academia to develop a high-resolution spectrograph, a device used to measure light. Why not try inventing your own device out of craft materials for International Women in Engineering Day?

As an educator, she’s passionate about breaking down the barriers for children to access science subjects. She believes anyone can be a scientist!

Badges to do inspired by Maggie Aderin-Pocock:

• Innovate skills builder stages 2, 4 or 6 sponsored by Rolls-Royce.
• Space interest badge for Brownies sponsored by UKSA.
• Inventing interest badge for Brownies.

7. Elsie Widdowson (1906-2000)

Elsie Widdowson was a British dietitian and nutritionist. Along with her research partner, she was responsible for overseeing the addition of vitamins and minerals to food during the second world war.

She studied malnourishment and its effects, as well as the importance of nutrition on babies and infants. A lot of her work is still used as a standard reference for our food today!

Badges to do inspired by Elsie Widdowson:

• Innovate skills builder stages 2, 4 or 6 sponsored by Rolls-Royce.
• Fruit and veg interest badge sponsored by Knorr.

We bring you this list of famous women in STEM to celebrate our partnership with Rolls-Royce. Girlguiding helps thousands of girls try new things and follow in the footsteps of these inspiring women.