Speaker
Description
This presentation concerns the women who researched, taught and studied physics at Queen’s during the mid-twentieth century. The project considers the contributions of professors and students alike, but particularly emphasises the work of Allie Vibert Douglas, a leading Canadian physicist who helped foster the study of physics at Queen’s during the tumultuous mid-twentieth century. Douglas’s journey at Queen’s, from a non-academic role as the Dean of Women to a professor at the Department of Physics, illustrates her efforts to participate in academic physics. The memoirs and correspondence of Douglas particularly illustrate the connections she made with leading physicists around the globe, as she waited to obtain a professorship at Queen’s. This study draws a connection between the rise and the development of physics at Queen’s, as well as the growing presence of women in this department. This research demonstrates, through the case of Douglas in particular, that women have historically created spaces for themselves in the Department of Physics at Queen’s, where they changed the intellectual culture. The findings of this project bear significance for the development of Physics and the role of women in doing so in a broader climate of Canadian higher education.
| What area of study best describes your talk? | Other (specify below) |
|---|---|
| If you answered 'Other', please provide the study area. | History of Physics |