For every Ada Lovelace whose story has been told, hundreds of female scientists remain unknown to the public at large and the Lost Women of Science Podcast aims to tell their stories one episode at a time. The podcast is distributed by PRX and published in partnership with Scientific American. Their latest installment celebrates Yvonne Y. Clark. Yvonne Y. Clark was the first woman to get a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering at Howard University, the first woman to earn a master’s degree in Engineering Management from Vanderbilt University, and the first woman to serve as a faculty member in the College of Engineering and Technology at Tennessee State University. Check out the latest episode!

Yvonne Y. Clark, or Y.Y., taught at Tennessee State University, a historically Black university, for 55 years. In this episode, we hear from Y.Y.’s colleagues, students and family members about who she was as an educator and how she’s remembered. We’ll also explore where historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) stand today—particularly, the reason they graduate so many many successful Black scientists, compared with other institutions, and their place in the future of science. Plus, we present a reimagining of Y.Y.’s accomplishments: What did it mean to be the first?

We covered Yvonne for National Women of Engineering day!