Innovations

* Mahoney was born in 1845 and knew from a young age that she wanted to be a nurse, possibly due to seeing immediate emergence of nurses during the American Civil War. * As an adult she was admitted into a sixteen-month program at the New England Hospital for Women and Children and in 1879 she became the first African-American to graduate from an American school of nursing. * In her professional life, Mahoney became acutely aware of discrimination in the nursing field. To address this, Mahoney met in 1908 with two nursing colleagues to found the National Association of Colored Graduate Nurses (NACGN). * This organization worked to improve access to educational and nursing practices and to raise standards of living for African-American registered nurses. * The NACGN continued to play a foundational role in eliminating racial discrimination in the registered nursing profession until it was integrated into the American Nurses Association in 1951.

* Staupers fought for the full inclusion of nurses of all races in the U.S. military; this was granted in January 1945. * At the time the military had a strict 56 black nurse quota to enter the service and it enforced segregated practices for those who were already in the service. * Staupers attacked the hypocrisy of Surgeon General Norman T. Kirk's plan to draft white women as nurses instead of enlisting qualified black nurses to meet the shortage of nurses in the military. * In 1945 the U.S Army opened its Armed Forces Nurses Corps to all applicants regardless of race. * In 1948, the American Nursing Association followed suit and allowed African-American nurses to become members.

helped increase the number of women in the nursing reserves & after 1912 traveled to recruit women to train as nurses & volunteer in the Armed Services during times of war; thanks to her by 1917 there were 8,000 nurses ready to serve immediately in WWI & by 1918 at least 18,732 nurses had volunteered to serve in the war; spearheaded efforts to organize emergency response teams for disaster relief; was an advocate for providing health education & social services to rural communities & founded Red Cross Town & Country Nursing Services in 1912 to bring health care to rural areas (now known as American National red Cross Public Health Nursing Service); worked to get nurses recognition as full members of the medical profession; established courses for the training of nurses' aides; 1909 founded Red Cross Nursing Services

1965 co-founded the Nurse Practitioner Model with pediatrician Dr. Henry Silver

* Abdellah’s 21 Nursing Problems Theory prioritizes the holistic needs of individuals over merely addressing their medical conditions. * Categorizes nursing challenges into a systematic structure that aids nurses in comprehensively assessing and addressing patient needs. * The theory identifies four levels of nursing problems, ranging from basic care requirements to restorative care needs. * This categorization supports healthcare professionals in prioritizing interventions based on the severity and complexity of patient issues. * 21 Nursing Problems Theory represented a significant transformation in nursing education and practice. * Abdellah also in 1955 formed the National Institute of Nursing Research.

1985 founded MedAire Inc; 1987, founded MedLink; critical care flight nurse, telemed pioneer; offered the 1st global in-flight assistance program; founded a paramedic training program; author of One Life Lost, Millions Gained - The Story of a Flight Nurse Turned MedAire CEO;

* Petry Leone became the founding director of the Cadet Nurse Corps, created by Congress in 1943 to provide federal funds for housing and training costs of educating nurses. * The cost of a student's tuition, fees, room, and board as well as a monthly stipend would be paid. * From July 1943 to October 1945, about 132,000 women were admitted to colleges across the country under the act. * In exchange for federal funding, participating colleges were required to establish a 24- to 30-month accelerated education program for nurse candidates. The women who enrolled had to pledge to "engage in essential nursing, military or civilian, for the duration of the war.” * On graduation, the cadet nurse had received a complete nursing education, and was eligible to become a registered nurse. * The program was a success, training 124,000 nurse cadets, making it unnecessary to draft nurses for war service. * This program was instrumental in laying the academic foundations for standardized nursing education.

* Following her nursing experience in the Crimean War, Nightingale returned to England to found the first professional nurse training school in London in 1860. It was the first secular nursing school in the world. * As part of the developing nursing curriculum, she stressed the need for improving sanitary conditions, including hand washing, to decrease the death rate of patients. * Her social reforms included improving healthcare for all sections of British society, advocating better hunger relief in India, helping to abolish prostitution laws that were harsh for women, and expanding the acceptable forms of female participation in the workforce.

published over 20 papers on the availability of essential amino acids from foods;

* Menkin was famous for her in vitro fertilization (IVF) research with John Rock. In February 1944, she became the first person to conceive human life outside of the body. * As medicine advanced, IVF was transformed from natural research to a stimulated clinical treatment.

* As the first African-American woman licensed to practice in South Carolina, Evans was able to treat both white and black patients, causing her services to be in great demand. * She built up a large clientele of wealthy white women, who paid her sufficiently to allow her to treat poor black women and children for free. Her large and rare interracial clientele were built up due to her great discretion and professionalism. * She practiced obstetrics, gynecology, and surgery, and cared for patients in her own home until she established the Taylor Lane Hospital and Training School for Nurses, the first Black hospital in the city of Columbia, in 1901.

was an advocate for increasing minorities in marine science & oceanography; saw education as the way to escape from poverty; wrote "Science of Man's Environment-Principles of Science & Technology for Environment, Marine, Engineering, & Ocean Science Technology" a textbook in 1986; helped develop job opportunities for minorities in marine science & oceanography; established & operated the Marine Science Technology program at Washington Technology Institute & later at the University of the District of Columbia; helped establish "Passing the Bar" Testing Techniques to help minorities pass the bar exam; wrote "Impact of Man on the Environment: Pollution & Radiation" a book about environmental law; her paper "Tidal Energy & the Energy Crisis-An Assessment of Technology & the Interrelationship" in 1979 discussed the energy crisis with a focus on tidal energy

1st person to train sharks to press targets & choose between targets of different shapes & colors & to develop "test tube" babies in female fish; 1972 discovered Moses sole a species that lives in the Red Sea & produces a natural, but short-lived, shark repellant; helped prove sharks don't need to move in order to breath; 1995 her team discovered whale sharks give birth to live young; was a frequent contributor to National Geographic; conducted groundbreaking research on sand fish; was an advocate for marine & reef conservation

* Johnson researches and teaches in the field of Aquatic radiochemistry * various biochemical indicators are used to interpret past events which impact marine, estuarine & freshwater environments * participates in numerous diversity-focused initiatives in marine/ocean academia * created "Minorities Striving & Pursuing Higher Degrees Success in Earth System Science (MS PHDS).

* Wright is credited with development of the techniques of using human tissue culture rather than lab mice to test the effects of potential drugs on cancer cells. * Pioneered the use of methotrexate to treat breast & skin cancer. * Developed a non-surgical procedure using a catheter to deliver chemotherapy drugs to previously inaccessible tumors in the kidneys & spleen.

* Cobb's research included work on the relationship between melanin and skin damage, and on the effects of hormones, ultraviolet light, and chemotherapy agents on cell division. * Cobb discovered that methotrexate was effective in the treatment of certain skin cancers, lung cancers, and childhood leukemia. * This drug is still being used in chemotherapy today to give treatment to a variety of cancers and autoimmune diseases.

* Slye’s work focused on the heritability of cancer in mice. She raised—and kept pedigrees for—150,000 mice during her career. * Her belief that cancer was a recessive trait that could be eliminated through breeding caused clashes with fellow scientists. * She was also an advocate for the comprehensive archiving of human medical records, believing that proper mate selection would help eradicate cancer. * She was one of the first scientists to suggest that cancer can be an inherited disease. For that Slye was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1923.

* In 1986, Bath was able to begin early studies in laser cataract surgery, including her first experiment with excimer laser photoablation using human eye bank eyes. * Bath coined the term "laser phaco" for the process, short for laser photoablative cataract surgery, and developed the laser phaco probe, a medical device that improves on the use of lasers to remove cataracts, and "for ablating and removing cataract lenses". * Bath first had the idea for this type of device in 1981, but did not apply for a patent until several years later. The device was completed in 1986, which quickly and nearly painlessly dissolves the cataract with a laser, irrigates and cleans the eye and permits the easy insertion of a new lens. * It is now used internationally to treat the disease. Bath continued to improve the device and successfully restored vision to people who had been unable to see for decades.

known for the development of optoelectronic processing systems 3-D imaging & color-management systems; 1985 co-founded NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC) for Optoelectric Computing Systems; founder of Enduring Hydro a clean-energy firm; holds 50 patents

* Strickland was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018, together with Gerard Mourou, for the practical implementation of chirped pulse amplification (CPA) * Method of making pulses of laser light of high power & short duration * Technique whereby laser pulse is stretched out temporally and spectrally, then amplified, and then compressed again * Stretching and compression uses devices that ensure that the different color components of the pulse travel different distances * CPA is the technique used by most high-powered lasers in the world.

filed the patent for the first progressive lens (patent granted 1923); her work with Edgar Tillyer at the American Optical Company (now part of Carl Zeiss Vision) improved the optics of eyeglasses, cameras, telescopes, and military optical instruments; worked as a geometric optician with Tillyer for nearly 10 years, doing the mathematical work to develop the Tillyer corrected curve lens but didn't receive credit for her work; developed a breakthrough camera lens; 1946 she published a paper on "Practical Methods of Computing Finite Throw Schmidt Systems;" did considerable mathematical research on the theory of iseikonic systems especially focused on investigating the theory of variable magnification systems without change in focal power and applied this theory to variable size lenses;

* Brown worked to develop the compound cilastatin sodium * This led to the creation of Primaxin, an antibiotic used to treat severe internal infections, diseases caused by flesh-eating bacteria, & some types of pneumonia * Spent 36 years in research before switching to a career as an educator * Has written 2 books profiling African-American women in chemistry.

* Crans specializes in the fundamental chemistry and biochemistry of drugs, with particular focus on vanadium * Research also in other transition metal ions as metals in medicine and their mechanisms of toxicity * Contributed to over 215 peer-reviewed articles.

* Bahr’s painting, ‘Homage to Martin Luther King’, depicts MLK giving his ‘I Have a Dream’ speech * Began exhibiting her art in the 1930s * First woman artist recognized by Maryland's Women's Hall of Fame * Sketched important events during the 20th century, including political trials, demonstrations & marches along with portraits of people * She was arrested at a big May Day anti-war demonstration at The Pentagon * Worked in multiple media & often incorporated natural elements like pebbles, shells & feathers in her work *Also did sketches, oil & watercolor paintings, lithographs, sculptures, book illustrations, collages & constructions of found materials * Opened a museum in Ellicott City MD called Humpty Dumpty Museum of Dolls & Toys

1811 discovered the first full skeleton of an Ichthyosaurus; 1823 discovered the first full Plesiosaurus skeleton; 1828 discovered the first Pterosaur skeleton outside of Germany; pioneered the study of Coprolites (poo); discovered Belemnite fossils contained fossillized ink sacs like those of modern cephalopods; 1829 discovered a Squaloraja fish skeleton;

Known for her work in palynology-the study of plant pollen & spores; used pollen data to study the vegetation history of the past 21,000 years; showed conclusively that temperate- and boreal-forest species migrated at different rates and in different directions while forming a changing mosaic of communities; introduced the method of studying pollen influx or pollen accumulation rates (number of pollen grains per square centimeter per year) in cores, which was an important advance for interpreting fossil pollen data in terms of changes in past vegetation and past sedimentation conditions; her work helped to develop the modern theoretical basis for predicting changes in forest composition in response to global warming;

opened Mission Working Dogs a non-profit in July 2020 in Oxford, Maine to provide service dogs to other Army vets; has written a few children's books; spearheaded the creation of an adaptive track and field program through Central Maine Adaptive Sports, a non-profit organization that offers adaptive sport opportunities like skiing, snowboarding, sled hockey, track and field and others; 2015 co-founded the New England Warriors sled hockey program, a sister program to the USA Warriors and is designed for the rehabilitation of ill and injured veterans;

* Prescod-Weinstein worked on “Physics: A Reconstruction of Observers" seeking to answer questions regarding how to re-frame who is an "observer" * Study of cultures existing outside of the European Enlightenment framework, and how that might change knowledge production in science * Also studies the origin & history of the Universe.

* Randall’s research postulates that there are more than 4 dimensions * Contributed to the Randall-Sundrum model with Raman Sundrum * Describes the world in terms of a warped-geometry higher-dimensional universe * works toward understanding & building models of the Standard Model of particle physics supersymmetry.

* Lawrence researched negative psychological effects of segregation on Black children * Developed pioneering programs in child psychotherapy in schools, day cares & clinics using play & artwork * Also researched the presence & development of ego strength in inner-city families * Lawrence is the first African-American female psychoanalyst in U.S. & first black female physician certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.

* Lucas was one of just nine women medical doctors in Washington, D.C. by the early 1920’s, specializing in pediatrics. * Her practice was considered lucrative at the time. * Having begun her career as a teacher, Lucas remained involved in various educational efforts, both medical and non-medical. * She lectured on hygiene at what was then the Maryland Normal and Industrial School at Bowie, now Bowie State University.

* Zacharias summarized and debunked various erroneous hypotheses about the potential causes of blindness in premature babies. * Her work helped lead to the identification of high oxygen levels in incubators as the primary factor by 1955. * This discovery was groundbreaking, revealing that the oxygen therapy used to support premature infants’ developing lungs at the same time disrupted blood vessel growth in the retina, leading to retinal detachment and blindness. * In 1956, her colleague Kinsey was awarded the Lasker Award, but Zacharias' name was omitted from the list of contributors.

* Ferguson created guidelines for diagnosing sickle cell anemia in children under 12 using a blood test. * The blood test she developed to detect the disease at birth became a standard test in forty U.S. states by 2010 and remains the standard in most states to this day. * Through experimentation, she determined that if infants drank a glass of water once a day before age five, the increased blood volume reduced their chances of having a sickle-cell crisis, a condition in which the flow of damaged red blood cells is impeded, causing painful clogging of blood vessels.

* Apgar noted that while infant mortality rate decreased, the number of infant deaths within the first 24 hours after birth remained constant. * As an obstetric anesthesiologist, Apgar was able to document trends that could distinguish healthy infants from infants in trouble. * This investigation led to a standardized scoring system used to assess a newborn's health after birth, with the result referred to as the newborn's "Apgar score". * By the 1960s, many hospitals in the United States were using the Apgar score consistently. In the 21st century, the score continues to be used to provide an accepted and convenient method for reporting the status of the newborn infant immediately after birth.

* Alexander's work aimed to advance research of infectious diseases and the biology of the microorganisms that cause meningitis in a time before antibiotics or vaccinations. * Her research focused primarily on the mechanisms and effects of meningitis in children which at the time had a high mortality rate. * By developing standardized techniques for diagnosis and treatment, she and her associate Grace Leidy helped reduce the mortality rate from Hib from nearly 100 percent to less than 25 percent. * Later, Alexander and Leidy studied the effect of antibiotics on Hib. The combined use of the antiserum, sulfa drugs, and antibiotics significantly lowered the mortality rate from Hib.

* Francis-McBarnett used antibiotics with her patients with sickle cell disease, with positive results. * Its effectiveness was not confirmed until fifteen years later in an article in The New England Journal of Medicine. * By 1970 her clinic had screened over 20,000 school children for the disease, placing those with the disease on antibiotics, which some continued to take throughout their lives.

* Denmark is credited as co-developer of the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine, with support from Eli Lilly and Company, and Emory University. * She was the world's oldest practicing pediatrician until her retirement in May 2001 at the age of 103, after 73 years.

Received 2 patents for cotton swabs & 1 for a washrag/soap holder

Pharmaceutical development of deuterium-enabled chiral switching & chirality in drugs; holds 31 patents

* Taussig heard about babies in Germany being born with undeveloped or missing limbs. * After traveling to Germany to learn more, she returned to the States to try to stop the pending approval of this drug by the FDA. * Thalidomide was banned in the United States and Europe in 1967.