10 Female Scientists of Color You Should Know

Sunita Williams during a seven hour, 31 minute spacewalk in 2006 (Photo via NASA)

Sunita Williams

Like the other women on this list, Sunita Williams excelled in school. After her childhood in Ohio, she attended the United States Naval Academy, where she received her a bachelors degree in physical science 1987. In that same year, she was commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy. In December 1993, she graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.

She also studied at the Florida Institute of Technology while working as a test pilot, where she earned a Master of Science degree in Engineering Management in 1995. All told, Williams has logged over 3,000 hours flying over 30 different types of aircraft.

Not only did she manage to hold down a high-intensity job flying very fast, very complex aircraft, but she also studied for a graduate degree while doing so. In contrast, I was proud to have put on a clean pair of pants while working my way through grad school.

Williams continued work with the Navy until she was selected for astronaut training in 1998. She flew her first mission in 2006, on the space shuttle Discovery. Williams holds the records for most spacewalks by a woman (seven), and the longest total amount of time spent on spacewalks (50 hours, 40 minutes). She also was the first person to run a marathon in space, participating in the 2007 Boston Marathon from the International Space Station, about 210 miles above the surface of the Earth.

Next: Ellen Ochoa