In March of 1997, Joycelyn Simpson Harrison and Anne St. Clair were recognized for their innovative work with piezoelectric polymers. These materials make electricity when they are pushed or squashed.
The pressure of the wind or ocean waves on five square miles of these polymers would generate enough electricity for 7.5 million people at only two to four cents per kilowatt-hour—a fraction of current costs, with no pollution. African American Joycelyn Simpson Harrison is a research scientist at NASA.
