This week’s Wednesday’s Women in STEM Series features Jewel Plummer Cobb, a scientist who not only contributed to the field of cell biology but also served as a mentor to women and minorities, encouraging them to pursue education and to make a difference in their communities.
Jewel Plummer Cobb was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1924 where she was fortunate to grow up with parents that supported her exploration into science and biology at a young age. She originally attended University of Michigan but became upset by the racial discrimination taking place. Many of the dorms were still segregated with all the black students being forced to live in one building. She decided to transfer to Talladega College in Alabama which was an African-American school with more tolerance and opportunity. She later went on to earn her Ph.D. in cell biology from New York University.
During her research career, Dr Cobb made many important discoveries about how cells grow, divide, and become cancerous. In particular, she studied a type of skin cancer called melanoma and how the pigment melanin affects cancerous cells and how chemotherapy can control cancer.
Later in her career she pivoted away from research and focused on administrative positions and became president at California State University, Fullerton in 1981. Dr Cobb worked to encourage minority students, particularly women to pursue education and to leave their own mark on society. In 1979 she wrote a paper called Filters for Women in Science where she talked about her concerns about the lack of women in science and engineering.
Dr. Cobb not only made significant strides in cell biology and better understanding melanoma but also encouraged many women and minorities to go after their dreams.