These honorees have been historical firsts, or they’ve been inventors making a direct impact on science, health, and representation in education.

Ramarni Wilfred — Wilfred scored a higher IQ than scientist Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, and physicist Stephen Hawking at age 11. By achieving a 162, the young student, who studies at a comprehensive school in east London, is considered a genius and the smartest boy in England’s capital.
Courtesy of BBC
Alena Wicker — Wicker is set to begin her studies at Arizona State University, where she will have a double major in astronomical and planetary science and chemistry. Wicker’s ultimate goal, she says, is to become an engineer for NASA someday — and maybe even go into space!
Courtesy of Alena Wicker
Alena Maze — Maze successfully completed her Ph.D. in survey methodology, and she’s the first-ever African American to do so.
Courtesy of Alena Maze
Caleb Anderson — While most kids are preparing to go to middle school at 13-year-old, Caleb Anderson is hitting the books at Georgia Tech, where he is a sophomore studying aerospace engineering.
Courtesy of Caleb Anderson
Hadiyah-Nicole Green —Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green — a multi-disciplinary physicist and the second African American woman to graduate with a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Alabama at Birmingham — has become the first to successfully cure cancer using laser-activated nanoparticles.
Courtesy of Hadiyah-Nicole Green
Kizzmekia Corbett — Corbett, a viral immunologist at the National Institutes of Health, and a group of other scientists were responsible for helping to co-create the Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.
Courtesy of Kizzmekia Corbett
Josh Aviv — The days of locating the nearest charging station for your vehicle are gone thanks to BoostEV, the world’s first on-demand mobile electric vehicle charging network. That’s thanks to Josh Aviv.
Courtesy of Josh Aviv
Zaila Avant-garde — Zaila Avant-garde made history as the first African American contestant to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Photo Credit: Jim Watson
Raven Baxter — The molecular biologist — also known as Dr. Raven the Science Maven — embraces various mediums such as content creation, education, and music to spread awareness with hopes to foster creative thinking and create an inclusive space for students.
Photo Credit: Dr. Raven the Science Maven
LaShyra Nolen — Growing up as a child in Compton, California, LaShyra “Lash” Nolen dreamed of being a neurosurgeon and an astronaut. Her ambitions proved to be profitable leading her to become the first Black woman class president of Harvard Medical School.
Courtesy of LaShyra Nolen

AfroTech Future 50

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