Admirable Women

@admirablewomen.bsky.social

Celebrating admirable women and girls (historical & contemporary). Their courage, resilience, perseverance, triumphs. Highlighting "firsts." Raising awareness of injustices and our struggles, obstacles, erasure, and more. #WomenInSTEM & in everything else!

@admirablewomen.bsky.social

Medical physicist Edith Quimby was one of the founders of nuclear medicine.

Discovering how to use radiation to diagnose/treat diseases like cancer safely, her research transformed radiology from a dangerous, experimental guessing game into a precise clinical science. Died #OTD 1982. #WomenInSTEM

A black-and-white portrait of medical physicist Edith Quimby (1891–1982), one of the foundational figures of nuclear medicine who revolutionized safe radiation dosing for cancer treatment. She sits facing slightly to the right and her gaze is slightly off being directly toward the camera. Her expression is calm, dignified, and approachable, with a subtle, knowing smile. Her light-colored hair is styled in structured, elegant curls characteristic of the mid-20th century. She wears a pinstriped blazer over a light-colored blouse featuring a prominent, lace-trimmed collar. The background is softly blurred. The composition uses classic studio lighting to highlight her features, creating a professional, historically significant mood that honors her legacy as a pioneering woman in STEM.
@admirablewomen.bsky.social

Yes, she is the great-great granddaughter of Chief John Ross. He was the longest-serving Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and famously led his people during the ethnic cleansing known as the Trail of Tears.

@admirablewomen.bsky.social

Doctors can now send a tracking molecule to find a tumor, then inject a medicine that "clicks" directly onto that tracking molecule. This bioorthogonal method delivers cancer therapies with pinpoint accuracy, destroying the disease without harming healthy cells.

#WomenInSTEM

@admirablewomen.bsky.social

+ Worked on the P-38 Lightning fighter plane aerodynamics + Only woman/Native American founding engineers of Skunk Works + Instrumental in developing the Agena rocket program + Spent 35 yrs mentoring/encouraging young women & Native American youth to pursue STEM careers #WorldSpaceWeek🚀#WomenInSTEM

@admirablewomen.bsky.social

Imagine the psychological resilience required. Tereshkova was completely isolated in the dead silence of space, entirely reliant on mid-1960s vacuum-tube tech & cognizant if anything went wrong with her automated systems, she was completely on her own. A testament to the raw courage of a pioneer. 🚀

@admirablewomen.bsky.social

Engineer & cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman to fly in space in Vostok 6. She was just 26. #WorldSpaceWeek🚀

The only woman to ever fly a solo space mission. She spent 3 days alone in space & orbited the Earth 48 times...inside the little pod in the pic. Extraordinary. #WomenInSTEM

A classic color portrait of Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to fly in space, taken in her mid-20s shortly after her 1963 Vostok 6 mission. She is in full Soviet Air Force uniform, wearing a brown military jacket with blue and red shoulder boards, a tie, and a chest covered in numerous medals and orders (including the Hero of the Soviet Union star, Lenin Order, and others). Her short dark hair is neatly styled, and she gazes to the right of the camera with a calm, resolute, and dignified expression against a plain blue-gray background. The image highlights her pioneering role as the first female cosmonaut and her decorated status as a national hero of the Soviet Union.A color photograph taken at the Science Museum's Cosmonauts exhibition, showing Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova standing beside a full-scale replica or original Vostok 6 spacecraft capsule. The spherical, dark metallic capsule with a circular window and visible hatch is displayed on a stand under dramatic red lighting. Tereshkova, an older woman with short gray hair, wears a dark patterned jacket over a light blouse, and looks toward the camera with a composed, proud expression. The image captures her as the first woman in space (June 16, 1963), standing next to the very vehicle she piloted during her historic solo Vostok 6 mission.
@admirablewomen.bsky.social

Astronaut Eileen Collins was the first female Space Shuttle pilot. #WorldSpaceWeek🚀

She piloted the Space Shuttle Discovery during mission STS-63 (1995), a mission that included the first-ever rendezvous between a US Space Shuttle and the Russian space station Mir. #WomenInSTEM

An official NASA portrait of a smiling Eileen Collins (born 1956), the first female Space Shuttle pilot and commander, posing in front of a studio backdrop. Positioned left of center, she is captured from the waist up, turned slightly right while facing forward with a warm, confident expression. Her short, light brown hair is neatly styled in a voluminous, feathered cut. She wears a vibrant orange Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES) complete with a bulky metallic neck ring, black collar fabric underneath, and an intricate harness. A circular mission patch for STS-93 is prominently affixed to the right side of her chest, reading the names Collins, Ashby, Coleman, Hawley, and Tognini, while a blue-and-white NASA name tag on her left side reads "EILEEN M. COLLINS". Her right hand gently rest on a glossy black-and-white astronaut helmet held in her lap. The backdrop features the United States flag draped on the far left, while a detailed desktop model of the Space Shuttle stacked with its solid rocket boosters and external tank stands on a pedestal to the right. The overall composition balances a professional, historic mood with Collins' approachable demeanor, celebrating her groundbreaking milestones as a trailblazing woman in STEM and space exploration.
@admirablewomen.bsky.social

Under her leadership, the campaign grew to >1,000 NGOs in >60 countries by 1997. The ICBL, working w/govts, the UN & the ICRC, drove the 1997 Ottawa Treaty which banned the use, production, stockpiling, & transfer of anti-personnel landmines while requiring clearance and victim assistance.

@admirablewomen.bsky.social

Jody Williams & International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) shared the 1997 #Nobel Peace Prize for their work for the banning & clearing of anti-personnel mines. She was born #OTD in 1950.

Williams was the founding coordinator & key organizer of the ICBL, launched in 1992 with six NGOs.🧵

A studio portrait of political activist Jody Williams (born October 9, 1950), the core organizer of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines who shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for her historic disarmament efforts. The subject is framed from the chest up against a plain, neutral grey-beige background. Tilted slightly to her right, she faces the camera with a bright, genuine, open-mouthed smile that creases the corners of her expressive eyes. Her light blonde hair is cut into a short, textured style with soft bangs framing her forehead. She wears a simple, solid black V-neck top, which beautifully contrasts with her fair complexion. She wears a thin metallic necklace holding a small, intricate pendant featuring a dark red or purple gemstone. The lighting is soft and directional, illuminating her face and casting subtle shadows that highlight her features. The composition focuses entirely on her approachable demeanor, evoking a warm, hopeful, and deeply human mood that balances her status as an influential global diplomat with her grassroots origin.
@admirablewomen.bsky.social

Congratulations to Navi Pillay! She was awarded the #Nobel Peace Prize this morning.

The South African #HumanRights rights lawyer & jurist won "for her efforts to promote peace & international law." A life-long dedication to ensuring war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide are prosecuted.

@admirablewomen.bsky.social

On October 1, 2026, Dr. Watkins made history again, launching as Commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13—becoming the first Black woman to command a crewed orbital spaceflight. She is also an elite athlete who played for the USA Eagles at the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens.

#WomenInSTEM

@admirablewomen.bsky.social

In 2022, planetary geologist & NASA astronaut Dr. Jessica Watkins became the first Black woman to serve on a long-duration International Space Station mission. She spent 170 days in orbit executing vital medical, biological, and physical sciences experiments.

#WorldSpaceWeek🚀 #WomenInSTEM

An official NASA portait of planetary geologist and history-making NASA astronau,Dr. Jessica Watkins. She smiles warmly in a formal portrait, exuding a focused and joyous mood. Captured from the waist up against a deep blue background, she is framed by the American flag on the left and the NASA logo flag on the right. Dr. Watkins is posed leaning forward slightly, her hands calmly resting on a dark surface in the foreground, showcasing her short, natural hair, gold hoop earrings, and open, vibrant expression. She wears a crisp, royal blue NASA flight suit adorned with official insignia: the iconic round NASA patch on her right chest, a rectangular blue nametag reading "JESSICA WATKINS" with the astronaut symbol on her left chest, and an American flag patch on her upper left arm. This balanced, professional composition honors her historic milestone as the first Black woman to serve on a long-duration International Space Station mission and command an orbital spaceflight.
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