About the Book

In recent years, fewer than 20% of college graduates in engineering and computer science were women. While stereotypes pervade about women in these fields, many girls have never even heard of these careers and are not aware of the wide range of options that exist.

In STEM Gems, chemical engineer Stephanie Espy tells the stories of 44 inspiring women in STEM to show girls and young women around the world a new set of women heroes to look up to. The eight-chapter book features stories of 44 inspiring women in diverse STEM fields and how they made it, the challenges they faced in pursuit of their dreams, their tremendous accomplishments in STEM fields, advice on how to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers, and actionable steps girls and young women can take right now to set themselves up for success, and what they can expect in a promising STEM career. 

About the Author

Stephanie Espy '01 earned a BS in chemical engineering from MIT in 2001, along with an MS in chemical engineering from UC Berkeley (2004) and MBA from Emory University (2008). In 2009, Espy founded Math Strategies and Problem-solving or MathSP, which "transforms the lives of its students by unlocking their potential, imparting a methodology that centralizes problem solving and critical thinking, and empowering them to achieve their dreams and thrive". Espy attributes her success to the "strong STEM influences" in her family, including her aunt Carol Espy-Wilson MS '81, EE '84, PhD '87, who in 1987 became the first African-American woman to earn a PhD in electrical engineering from MIT. 

Espy, Stephanie. STEM Gems: How 44 Women Shine in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and How You Can Too! Atlanta: MathSP, 2016.