Dr Ellen Currano is an associate professor palaeobotany at the University of Wyoming. Her quest to help women scientists get due recognition in the fields of science and maths led filmmaker Lexi Jamieson Marsh to work on The Bearded Lady Project: Challenging the Face of Science.

According to the introduction to the project stated on its website, Currano suggested “putting a fake beard on her face as a way to finally be able to do her job and fit the mould”, laying the foundation of the project.

While the project began with a short documentary film, it has since then acquired multiple facets including an art exhibition and a feature-length documentary that is scheduled to be screened at the University of California this week, according to a Thomson Reuters report.