Margaret Eliza Maltby
| Margaret Eliza Maltby | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
December 10, 1860 Bristolville, Ohio |
| Died | May 3, 1944 (aged 83) New York City |
| Nationality | United States |
| Fields | physics |
| Known for | Measurement of high electrolytic resistances and of the conductivity of very dilute solutions. |
| Spouse | Never married |
| Children |
Philip Randolph Meyer (1897- 1986) |
Philip Randolph Meyer (1897-
Margaret Eliza Maltby (10 December 1860 – 3 May 1944) was an American physicist notable for measurement of high electrolytic resistances and conductivity of very dilute solutions. She was born in Bristolville, Ohio, and died in New York City.
In 1887, Maltby enrolled as a "special student" at MIT because the institution did not accept female students. She was the first woman to earn a B.S. degree at MIT in 1891. She was the first American woman allowed to take a degree at the University of Göttingen in 1895. She was also the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in physics from Göttingen; in fact, she was the first woman to obtain a physics Ph.D. from any German university. After she received her doctorate she worked at the newly founded Institut für Physikalische Chemie at Göttingen under Walther Hermann Nernst. Invited back to Germany in 1898 to work at the Physikalisch-Technische Reichsanstalt in Charlottenburg, Maltby was research assistant to the President, Friedrich Kohlrausch, and helped set the research methodology in the field of conductivity. After returning to the United States, Maltby studied mathematical physics with Arthur Webster at Clark University from 1899 to 1900.
Most of her significant research occurred before she began teaching at Barnard College, a women's college founded in 1889, where her involvement in administration left her little time for research. Maltby was a mentor to her students, vigorously extending efforts to support their professional advancement. During her 31 years of teaching at Barnard, and the nearly 20 years that she was chair of the physics department, Maltby took a great interest in her students' learning, even introducing physics courses for non-physicists, including probably the first course in the physics of music.
There are many examples of her efforts to support the professional advancement of female physicists. As chair of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Committee on Fellowships, Maltby administered funds that supported women actively engaged in physics research during the early part of their careers. Since women were not eligible for many research fellowships because of their gender, the AAUW Fellowships were critical for maintaining a cadre of women physicists. Maltby's enormous effort contributed to the Fellowships' preservation.
...
Wikipedia