Contributions of Women and Minority Physicists

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Contributions of Women and Minority Physicists

• Rebecca D. Yapp
• Illinois State University

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AIP StudyPercent of Physics Bachelors and
Ph.D.s Earned by Women, 1971-1998
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The Girls of Science

• Dr. Lise Meitner
• Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson
• MyselfRebecca Yapp

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Lise Meitner(1878-1968)

• Discovery of Nuclear Fission
• The Woman Behind the Bomb

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Lises Childhood

• Born in Vienna Austria--1878
• Family is Important
• Interest in Science Math

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Lise in School

• No Women Allowed?
• 1901 University of Vienna
• Received her doctorate
• University of Berlin

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Lises Career

• Research with Otto Hahn
• Lise fled Germany due to Nazi Power
• Discovery of Nuclear Fission
• Nominated 9 times, yet never awarded Nobel Prize

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Shirley Jackson(1946- )

• 1st African American Woman to receive a doctorate
  from M.I.T.
• 1st Woman to serve as Chairman of the Nuclear
  Regulatory Commission

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Shirleys Childhood

• Born in Washington, D.C.--1946
• How do things work?
• Aim for the stars so that you can at least reach
  the treetops
• --Dad

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Shirley in School

• High School Valedictorian
• Studied Physics at M.I.T.
• Ph.D. in Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics

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Shirleys Career

• Research at Bell Labs
• Professor at Rutgers University
• Chairman of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• President of Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute

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Interesting Careers in Physics

• Medical Physics
• Nuclear Physics
• Physics in Automotive Industry

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Why I Chose Physics

• Interest in How Things Work
• Like Math and Science
• Physics and Biomedical Engineering