AAPI Women in Science and Academics
Dr. Kalpana Chawla
1962–2003
“The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it.”
Dr. Kalpana Chawla was a researcher for Nasa and the first Indian woman to travel to space. She earned two Master of Science degrees in aerospace engineering and a PhD in aerospace engineering. She conducted research at NASA Ames Research Center, and after becoming a naturalized US citizen, joined the NASA Astronaut Corps in 1995. Her first mission in space was on the Space Shuttle Columbia during 1997. During her second mission, the crew accomplished nearly 80 completed experiments, however, the shuttle disintegrated when it re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere. Chawla and her six crewmates played a huge role in the study of space science and technology and have been honored for their important contributions. Her story remains an inspiration for immigrants and Asian Americans building careers in science.
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Margaret Chung
1889–1959
“Women of every nation, every country, should learn medicine, so that they can teach the women of their countries and their races how to care for themselves and their children—how to improve the coming generation.”
Margaret Chung was the first Chinese American doctor who aided more than 1500 people—a group that ranged from soldiers to aviators and even Hollywood stars. Those whom she supported became a part of her network of “adopted sons” which is where she received her nickname Margaret “Mom” Chung. She was incredibly close with this network, supporting them through WW2, and retained relationships through weekly Saturday dinners and regular letters. Not only did she gain immense popularity and respect amongst this group of well-known, oftentimes famous people, she broke numerous barriers in the military and medical world due to her race, gender, and sexuality.
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Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal
1946–2020
“Working with this virus is like putting your hand in a treasure chest. Every time you put your hand in, you pull out a gem.”
Dr. Flossie Wong-Staal was a pioneering leader in HIV research during the AIDS epidemic. Her career took off when she began working at the National Cancer Institute studying retroviruses. She worked with Robert Gallo and other colleagues to discover that the HIV virus was the cause of AIDS. She then became the first scientist to clone HIV in 1985 and kickstarted research to develop the first blood test for HIV. Wong-Staal was named on of the fifty most important women in science by Discover Magazine in 2002 due to her work in improving drugs for hepatitis C. In 2019, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Her impact is felt even after her passing in 2020; her research lay the groundwork for developments on the Covid-19 vaccine.
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Chien-Shiung Wu
1992–1997
“These were moments of exhilaration and ecstasy! A glimpse of this wonder can be the reward of a lifetime. Could it be that excitement and ennobling feelings like these have kept us scientists marching forward forever?”
Chien-Shiung Wu, or "the First Lady of Physics," was an extremely notable physicist best known for her work on the Manhattan Project. She studied physics at Nanjing University and the University of California despite the opposition to women’s education during the 1900’s. During her career, she worked as a physics instructor at both Princeton University and Smith College. Wu has been recognized for her contributions to science and has received many awards, such as the first 1964 Comstock Award in Physics awarded to a woman and the 1975 National Medal of Science.
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