I attended a lecture by Sally Gregory Kohlstedt titled “Uncovering the past, charting the future: the rise of women in science.” A few points she made that stuck with me:
- History writing is entwined with history making
- The concept of “compensatory history” – seeking out women to study
- The role of “collaborative couples” – how being married to a scientist gained female scientists access to resources
- Yes, Marie Curie was amazing, but focusing too much on well-known women like Curie overshadows the work of ordinary women in higher education science.
- The “leaky pipeline” – women drop off as you move to higher and higher degrees
- Research has shown that fathers make a big difference in encouraging daughters to pursue science.
