Stephanie Kwolek

I believed in the power of observation and careful analysis.

It's about pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

I always found joy in the small victories, the incremental progress.

My work was a testament to the power of human ingenuity.

I just wanted to do something useful. I didn't want to be a housewife.

I was just looking for a better fiber, not a super fiber.

I never thought of myself as an inventor. I was a chemist.

Sometimes you have to go against the grain to find something new.

The liquid crystalline solutions were a beautiful, opalescent, and very unusual material.

My supervisor was very supportive and allowed me to pursue this unusual solution.

It was a serendipitous discovery, but you have to be prepared to recognize serendipity.

Kevlar was born out of a desire to find a lighter, stronger material for tires.

I was always curious, always asking 'why?'

Don't be afraid to try something different, even if it looks wrong.

The impact of Kevlar on saving lives is something I'm very proud of.

Science is a team effort. No one achieves great things alone.

I hope my work inspires young women to pursue careers in science.

The most exciting part was seeing the fiber come out of the spinneret.

I was fortunate to work at a company that encouraged exploration.

Kevlar is a testament to the power of basic research.