Kalpana Chawla, NASA photo portrait, March 8, 2002
Kalpana Chawla (1962 – 2003), was an Indian-born American astronaut and mechanical engineer who became the first Indian-born woman to go to space in 1997 on the Space Columbia Shuttle. She died on her second flight when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke up on re-entry into Earth's atmosphere in 2003.
Chawla was born on August 1, 1961 in Karnal, India. She graduated from Tangore School, India, and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree from Punjab Engineering College, a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado. Chawla began her career at NASA Ames Research Center in 1988. In December 1995, she was selected by NASA to be an astronaut candidate in the 15th Group of Astronauts. Her first flight was in November 1997. For her second Space Shuttle flight, she joined six other members of the crew on a 16-day flight on the Colombia Space Shuttle that departed Earth on January 17, 2003. Tragically, on February 1, 2003, 16 minutes before the scheduled landing, she and her crew perished. Kalpana Chawla remains the first person from India to go into space and a National hero.
Gil Tauber, "NYC Honorary Street Names," accessed June 15, 2022, http://www.nycstreets.info/
Press Trust of India, NY, "New York does it, Kalpana Chawla way” Hindustan Times, July 12, 2004, https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/new-york-does-it-kalpana-chawla-way/story-6yMOFhDoi857XL8lQRyb4L.html
Nola Taylor Tillman, Ailsa Harvey, "Kalpana Chawla: Biography & Columbia disaster,” Space.com, February 10, 2022, https://www.space.com/17056-kalpana-chawla-biography.html
"New York road named after Kalpana Chawla" Times of India, November 24, 2003, New York road named after Kalpana Chawla - Times of India (indiatimes.com)
Photo of Marie Sklodowska Curie, Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution Archives, Accession 90-105, Science Service Records, Image No. SIA2008-0748, https://www.si.edu/object/marie-sklodowska-curie-1867-1934:siris_arc_296597
Marie Curie (1867-1934) was a noted scientist and the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in Physics. Born in Warsaw, Poland, Maria Skolodowska-Curie moved to Paris in 1891 to study at the Sorbonne. Soon after, she joined a research laboratory and in 1898, she and her husband Pierre expanded on Henri Becquerel’s discovery of radioactivity, discovering two new elements, Polonium and Radium. This discovery earned Curie her first Nobel Prize, in Physics. She won a second Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1911, becoming the first person to earn two such awards. Curie died in France in 1934 from leukemia, thought to be caused by exposure to radiation.
"Marie Curie Playground," New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, accessed November 16, 2022
Photo, Wikimedia Commons
Dr. Marie Maynard Daly (1921 - 2003) was a groundbreaking American biochemist who shattered barriers in science.
Born in Corona, Queens, Daly's father immigrated from the West Indies and began studying chemistry at Cornell. However, he faced financial hardship and had to leave his studies to become a postal clerk. Daly's mother, a Washington D.C. native, fostered her daughter's love of learning by reading to her extensively. This instilled a strong value in education and inspired Daly to pursue her own passion for chemistry.
Daly earned her B.S. from Queens College and her M.S. from New York University, both in chemistry. She then went on to complete her Ph.D. at Columbia University, becoming the first African-American woman in the United States to receive a Ph.D. in chemistry.
Daly went on to a distinguished career as a professor and researcher, primarily at Yeshiva University. Her research delved into crucial topics like protein synthesis, heart disease, and the circulatory system.
Beyond her impactful research, Daly was a champion for diversity and representation in science. Recognizing the challenges faced by minority students, she established a scholarship fund at Queens College to support aspiring chemists and physicists from underrepresented communities.
Daly's dedication to science and advocacy was widely recognized. She was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and honored by the National Technical Association as one of the Top 50 Women in Science, Engineering, and Technology in 1999.
"Marie Maynard Daly," Science History Institute, accessed June 30, 2023, https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/marie-maynard-daly
"Marie Maynard Daly," Black Past, accessed June 30, 2023, https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/clark-marie-maynard-daly-1921-2003/
Wikidata contributors, "Q15848288”, Wikidata, accessed December 7, 2023, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q15848288