Ruth Moore Epiphany Of A Role Model

Ruth Ella Moore is a remarkable woman that has contributed greatly to society, yet has received little to no recognition. Moore was born in Columbus, Ohio on May 19, 1903. She achieved distinction when she became the first African American woman in the United States to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in the natural sciences (Brown, 2007). Her academic achievement was significant because her minority status was combined with an era of social prejudices against women in educational and professional fields. Dr. Moore is a role model because she was able to overcome an oppressive environment to achieve her goals.
Dr. Moore received her Bachelor in Science and Master of Arts degrees from Ohio State University in 1926 and 1927, respectively (Warren, …show more content…
By overcoming social and academic obstacles, she created a sense of belonging for women in science. Additionally, she was a student during the segregation era, thus she was a role model to young adults to get educated despite the political and racial problems affecting the United States. Even though Moore was affiliated with a historically black university, she was involved in educational institutions her entire life and that had to be a challenge on its own because the U.S. Supreme Court declared that racially segregated public schools were unequal in 1954, soon after Moore finished her studies. Therefore, she was a part of the Brown v. Board of Education era making her journey even more unique and noteworthy. Finally, Dr. Moore studied a significant topic in health that has affected the way doctors understand infectious diseases. Today, everyone gets a Tuberculosis shot and goes to the clinic three days later to check their arm for a positive or negative read. Without the research done in this field of science many people would have die. Moore’s contributions and significance to our society is truly endless. She has also been a role model for me in the field of science all throughout my …show more content…
Ruth Ella Moore because I know how it feels to be a minority in the field of science. Even though we come from different branches of science, she has been one of the scientists I admire since I can remember. I obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Earth Science at Syracuse University; I was the only Latina undergraduate in the Earth Science Department. Moreover, I was one of two Latinas pursuing a Masters of Arts in Teaching with a focus on Earth Science at the American Museum of Natural History. Like Dr. Moore, I have been a minority all throughout my academic career. I also struggled to find Latina scientists to network with or have as mentors, which has made my academic journey even more challenging because I don’t always have someone to share cultural experiences or obstacles. On the other hand, being a Latina in the field of science education has opened numerous doors for me. I have been blessed with numerous job offers, because of my distinctive abilities in Earth Sciences, Pedagogy, and Spanish. It has been brought to my attention countless times that “not all schools have bilingual science teachers, but all schools have science students and Spanish English Language Learners.” The demand to have a person who is able to teach different audiences has made me realized that my passion and hard work in the Earth Science field is worth it. Like Dr. Moore, my academic and cultural challenges have had an impact on the woman I have