BUFFALO, N.Y. — For the Buffalo Museum of Science and Tifft Nature Preserve's president and C.E.O., International Women's Day, celebrated on March 8, is a day to recognize the incredible progress that women have made, and yet the significant amount of progress yet to be achieved.
"It's always important to stop and recognize where we are celebrate what has been been accomplished," Marisa Wigglesworth told 2 On Your Side.
This year, museum teamed up with Turner Construction for a Women's History Month exhibit honoring the work of ten women who were groundbreakers in the science, technology, engineering and math fields.
"The women we've selected are from all over the world, their accomplishments span an incredibly wide spectrum of those fields, and each one has truly made a meaningful impact on how we live our lives today," Wigglesworth said.
The exhibit spans several decades in women's history and work that impacts the real lives of Western New Yorkers. Scottish virologist June Almeida was the first person to identify the group of viruses that today we call coronaviruses. It also features social psychologist Mamie Phipps Clark, who completed fundamental research on the negative impacts of discrimination and segregation on children and was used in the arguments for the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court Case.
Bringing a little Western New York pride to the exhibit is Esther Takeuchi, a former member of the board of directors at the Buffalo Museum of Science.
"She holds more than 150 patents, so just an incredibly accomplished individual in the science field and was a volunteer right here at the museum," Wigglesworth said. "So when we think about women and accomplishment in science, we don't have to look far afield, it's happening all around us. It's happening at UB, it's happening at the Medical Campus, it's happening in schools and high schools and kindergartens. Science is all around us."
The Buffalo Museum of Science is open Wednesdays-Sundays, and tickets must be reserved in advance. Learn more and get yours by clicking here.