Back in October we introduced you to the free-downloadable “Forces of Nature” poster series by Perimeter Institute, which celebrates the contributions women have made to science, especially those women who did not get the full recognition they deserved in their lifetimes. The response to the series has been so positive that Perimeter is planning to produce a second set! WOOHOO!

But they need YOUR help deciding who to include.

science posters

“Forces of Nature”

Based on suggestions they received in response to the “Forces of Nature” posters, Perimeter has compiled a shortlist of great women they are considering to celebrate in the next set of posters. So take a look through the list below and CAST YOUR VOTE on which scientist you would like to see next. Voting will remain open until January 10, 2018.

** Note: Perimeter has one small caveat: “in some cases, we will need to seek the blessing of families of these women to proceed; we shall do our best, but no promises.”

The Contenders

Vera Rubin was a legendary astronomer and physicist who uncovered the galaxy rotation problem, the strongest evidence yet for dark matter. This discovery has driven physics theory and experiment for more than 40 years. <learn more>

Maryam Mirzakhani was a brilliant mathematician and a winner of the prestigious Fields Medal. Her work on geometric and dynamic complexities of curved surfaces opened new paths of research in theoretical physics, engineering, material science, pure math, and cryptography. <learn more>

Claudia Alexander was a specialist in geophysics and planetary science, the last project manager of NASA’s Galileo mission to Jupiter, and served as project manager and scientist for NASA’s role in the European-led Rosetta mission.

Lise Meitner was a pioneer in the fields of radioactivity and nuclear physics. Her work helped discover and build a working understanding of nuclear fission, which led to a Nobel Prize for Otto Hahn. Albert Einstein glowingly referred to her as the “German Marie Curie.”

Vivienne Lucille Malone-Mayes was one of the first African-American women to earn a PhD in mathematics who, despite facing persistent racism, went on to have a long and distinguished research career. An active participant in the civil rights movement, Malone-Mayes fought racism and sexism throughout her career.

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was an innovative astronomer whose career included studies of stellar composition, the structure of the Milky Way, and the study of more than 3 million variable stars. Her work helped bring female astronomers into the mainstream, and her PhD thesis was once called “the most brilliant ever written in astronomy.” <learn more>

Henrietta Swan Leavitt was an astronomer who received little recognition in her lifetime, but forever changed our understanding of the universe. It was Leavitt’s work that allowed astronomers to measure the distance between the Earth and faraway galaxies, and made Edwin Hubble’s work on the expanding universe possible. <learn more>

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This post is in collaboration with  of Perimeter Institute, a leading centre for scientific research, training and educational outreach in foundational theoretical physics. Founded in 1999 in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, its mission is to advance our understanding of the universe at the most fundamental level, stimulating the breakthroughs that could transform our future. Perimeter also trains the next generation of physicists through innovative programs, and shares the excitement and wonder of science with students, teachers and the general public. Learn more. Follow in Facebook and Twitter. **lead image