Roger Arliner Young Biography

Roger Arliner Young

Roger Arliner Young overcame racial and sexual barriers to become the first African-American woman to be awarded a Ph.D. in zoology, which she earned from the University of Pennsylvania in 1940. Her scientific contributions, resulting largely from research she performed at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, include improved understanding of the structures that control salt concentration in the paramecium, as well as the effects of radiation on sea urchin eggs. In addition, Young taught at a number of universities, including Howard University, North Carolina College for Negroes, Shaw University, North Carolina, as well as at colleges in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.