Evelyn Boyd Granville

Born in Washington D.C., Evelyn Boyd Granville truly reached for the stars, even if she stayed firmly on Earth. After earning her bachelor's degree from Smith College and her Ph.D. from Yale—a rather impressive feat for anyone, let alone an African-American woman in 1949—she began a career that would have her crunching numbers for Uncle Sam.

Her work wasn't just theoretical; it was literally rocket science. Granville joined IBM and worked on the Mercury and Apollo space programs, ensuring that astronauts had trajectories that would actually get them to space and, more importantly, bring them back. One could say she helped put the "math" in "mathematics of orbital mechanics."

Later, she transitioned to teaching, inspiring new generations of students, particularly women and minorities, to pursue STEM fields. While her direct involvement with moon landings eventually ceased, her impact on both space exploration and education continued to resonate, proving that some calculations are simply priceless.

Despite her astronomical achievements, there's no indication that Evelyn Boyd Granville ever had a particular connection to Judaism. Her legacy, however, is undeniably kvell-worthy, a testament to intellect and perseverance that transcends any single faith or background.