SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A new exhibit at Balboa Park is highlighting the women who shaped science, technology, engineering, and math in San Diego and beyond.
The Women in STEM exhibit is now open at the San Diego History Center, celebrating the contributions of women who not only changed San Diego, but also made a lasting impact on the world.
"We decided to tell an accurate history of San Diego where everyone saw themselves," said Melissa Jones, the public programs manager at the San Diego History Center.
The exhibit begins at the STEM Pioneers Wall, where visitors can learn about women like Kate Sessions and Belle Benchley.
"She [Belle Benchley] was the first woman to direct any zoo in the world," Jones said.
From there, the exhibit moves through history, highlighting women during the World War II era.
"We wouldn't have Qualcomm if we didn't have all this wartime manufacturing and production," Jones said.
The exhibit then turns to figures like Dr. Janice Swanson, who transformed the 1990s by creating the game "Where in the World Is Carmen San Diego?" and inventing toys specifically designed for young girls.
"To show that girls just as much as boys can play with these things and be interested in technology," Jones said.
The hope was that those toys would encourage girls to pursue STEM, as research shows they tend to drift away from it over time.
"It's at that middle school age we start to see girls dropping out of science, even if they're good at it," Jones said.
The exhibit is designed to show young women the possibilities available to them, including the possibility of going to space. It features Dr. Ellen Ochoa, who grew up in La Mesa and became the first Hispanic woman in space.
It also highlights figures such as Dr. Erica Ullman Safire, who exemplifies women's leadership in medicine and played an integral part in developing the first COVID-19 vaccine.
"Women have always been leaders, that they have always been inventors and scientists, and it's not a surprise or a shock to see women as leaders and bosses in their field," Jones said.
The San Diego History Center is open to the public from Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
There is no admission cost, but donations are accepted.
On Thursday, March 4th, the exhibit will host a panel discussion about female engineers and the challenges they face in the workforce both past and present.
