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Female Celebrities You Didn’t Know Were in STEM

By Sheila Zhang 

8/11/2020



What do Karlie Kloss, Lisa Kudrow, Natalie Portman, and Cindy Crawford all share in common? Despite the media’s rather negative portrayal of female celebrities as merely a simple, “pretty face,” these four celebrities (and many more) actively defy these demeaning labels. 


Aside from making it big with a career in either Hollywood or on the runway, these inspirational women industriously serve as solid examples that there’s more to females than just physical appearance and attributes. Instead, they encourage other women to branch out into STEM-- science, technology, engineering, and math-- with their personalized experiences and backgrounds in the male-dominated field, and that no woman should ever feel inhibited from channeling their masked intelligence. 



  1. Karlie Kloss

Supermodel Karlie Kloss was a self-proclaimed math and science nerd when she ventured into the modelling world at the young age of fifteen. Although her path into the modelling industry subsequently yielded a majorly successful career, she had yet to abandon her passion for STEM. 



“Karlie Kloss: Converting to Judaism Wasn't Just about Josh Kushner.” Jewish Ledger, 9 July 2019, 

www.jewishledger.com/2019/07/karlie-kloss-converting-judaism-wasnt-just-josh-kushner/.


In an interview with Teen Vogue, Kloss revealed that she was keen on becoming a doctor or scientist as a child, suggesting that Kloss exhibited her enthusiasm for STEM at an early age. On the contrary, things took a turn for Kloss when she was scouted to become a model, transitioning from a STEM related career path to fashion. Nevertheless, her avidity for science and technology sufficed. 

At age 22, Karlie participated in her first ever coding class-- and immediately fell in love. Little did she know that the outcome would inspire thousands.

In this male-dominated field, Kloss uses her platform for good-- by empowering young teenagers interested in STEM to become their own leaders with her self-made coding program, ‘Kode With Klossy.’  Furthermore, her highly successful program includes over 300 scholarships that are provided to young women all across the country pursuing STEM related careers. 



  1. Lisa Kudrow



“Lisa Kudrow: TV Guide.” TVGuide.com, www.tvguide.com/celebrities/lisa-kudrow/162436/.



Former Friends star Lisa Kudrow may have played a seemingly foolish character behind the camera, when in reality, she was contradictory to the role. Graduating with a BA in biology, Kudrow has triumphantly published  several various scientific studies alongside her acting career. For instance, one of her most significant studies consisted of research on the relationship between handedness and both cluster headaches and migraines. Accompanied

by her father, Lee Kudrow (who is a neurologist), they yielded significant data and successfully published the study in 1994. 



  1. Natalie Portman 


Spangler, Todd. “Natalie Portman Launches Her First Online Acting Course.” Variety, Variety, 13 Mar. 2019,    variety.com/2019/digital/news/natalie-portman-online-acting-course-masterclass-1203160407/.


Notable for her appearances in films as a teenager, israeli-american actress Natalie Portman is an actress by day, and a scientist by night. Graduating from the prestigious Harvard University with a degree in psychology, Portman advanced on to publish significant research while simultaneously maintaining a victorious career in Hollywood. In total, she has co-authored two research studies. 







  1. Cindy Crawford


Pels, Jessica. “Cindy Crawford: The Model's Body Makes Waves.” Marie Claire, Marie Claire, 29 Mar. 2018, www.marieclaire.com/fashion/news/a13348/cindy-crawford-photo/.


Perhaps one of the most eminent icons in the world of modelling and fashion, Cindy Crawford originally had a different path in mind. She was pursuing a STEM related career prior to when her modelling career took off. Deemed one of the most successful models on an international scale, Crawford has further exemplified success in the world of STEM. As a chemical engineering major at Northwestern university in Chicago, she was dutifully  awarded with the opportunity to become a chemical engineer at Northwestern University on a scholarship. Additionally, Crawford was the valedictorian of her graduating class, however, she made a life-changing decision to pursue modeling instead. 




References


Kloss, Karlie. “Karlie Kloss Shares Why She Learned to Code.” Teen Vogue, Teen Vogue, 25 

Singal, Jesse. “The Times When Lisa Kudrow and Sully Sullenberger Published Research

Papers.” The Cut, The Cut, 30 Sept. 2016, 

Scutts, Joanna. (June 14, 2016). “The Manhattan Project Physicist Who Fought for Equal Rights 

Staff, Biography.com. (February 27, 2018). “Chien-Shiung Wu Biography.” Retrieved from 

“Women in STEM.” Retrieved from https://www.bestcolleges.com/resources/women-in-stem/

Wong, Zara. “Straight-A Student to Supermodel: Cindy Crawford on the 90s, Her Photogenic

Family and Modelling Today.” Vogue Australia, 17 Jan. 2018,



 
 
 

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