Stephanie Kwolek at a polarizing microscope. Courtesy DuPont.. Stephanie Kwolek (1923–) Introduced to the wonders of the natural world by her father who took her hiking as a child in the woods of western Pennsylvania, Stephanie Kwolek developed a desire to study medicine. After earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, she looked for work so she could save money for medical school. Hired by DuPont in1946, she was assigned to polymer fiber research. Becoming hooked on research, she quickly forgot about medical school. Building on the work of Wallace Carothers, Kwolek synthesized the polymer that would become known as Kevlar in the 1950s. This rigid rod polymer was difficult to work with, but when it dissolved it formed an opalescent solution, the first observed polymer liquid crystal. (Paul Flory had predicted the existence of polymer liquid crystals some years earlier.) The polymer, chemically similar to nylon, formed incredibly strong fibers which have since found use as tire cords, in sporting equipment, and in body armor. Kwolek remained at DuPont her entire career and was involved in many activities to draw women and girls into the sciences and to encourage and support women scientists.