We believe a woman can have both beauty and brains. In order to encourage young women to engage in the field of science we are sponsoring a $500 scholarship in homage to the classic dame Hedy Lamarr.
For every Classic Dame Matte Lipstick* sold we will donate $1 to the "Women in Science" scholarship.
Dame Cosmetics "Women in Science" Scholarship
Hedy Lamarr, although better known for her Silver Screen exploits, also became a pioneer in the field of wireless communications following her emigration to the United States. The international beauty icon, along with co-inventor George Anthiel, developed a "Secret Communications System" to help combat the Nazis in World War II. By manipulating radio frequencies at irregular intervals between transmission and reception, the invention formed an unbreakable code to prevent classified messages from being intercepted by enemy personnel.
Lamarr and Anthiel received a patent in 1941, but the enormous significance of their invention was not realized until decades later. It was first implemented on naval ships during the Cuban Missile Crisis and subsequently emerged in numerous military applications. But most importantly, the "spread spectrum" technology that Lamarr helped to invent would galvanize the digital communications boom, forming the technical backbone that makes cellular phones, fax machines and other wireless operations possible.
As is the case with many of the famous women inventors, Lamarr received very little recognition of her innovative talent at the time, but recently she has been showered with praise for her groundbreaking invention. In 1997, she and George Anthiel were honored with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) Pioneer Award. And later in the same year, Lamarr became the first female recipient of the BULBIE™ Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award, a prestigious lifetime accomplishment prize for inventors that is dubbed "The Oscar™ of Inventing."
Proving she was much more than just another pretty face, Lamarr shattered stereotypes and earned a place among the 20th century's most important women inventors. She truly was a visionary whose technological acumen was far ahead of its time.**
How To Apply:
1. Write a 800 word essay on why you should be considered for this scholarship.
2. Submit your essay via email at [email protected]
Here are a few prompts you can use to help write the essay:
- How has science impacted your life for the better?
- Have you participated in a science-based competition? What did you create? What was its impact?
- What difference do you hope to make in the future through innovation and technology?