MATH 350: MATH 350

Pioneering Women in American Mathematics More than 14 per cent of the PhD's awarded in the United States during the first four decades of the twentieth century went to women, a proportion not achieved again until the 1980s. This book is the result of a study in which the authors identified all of the American women who earned PhD's in mathematics before 1940, and collected extensive biographical and bibliographical information about each of them. By reconstructing as complete a picture as possible of this group of women, Green and LaDuke reveal insights into the larger scientific and cultural communities in which they lived and worked.The book contains an extended introductory essay, as well as biographical entries for each of the 228 women in the study. The authors examine family backgrounds, education, careers, and other professional activities. They show that there were many more women earning PhD's in mathematics before 1940 than is commonly thought. Extended biographies and bibliographical information are available from the companion website for the book. The material will be of interest to researchers, teachers, and students in mathematics, history of mathematics, history of science, women's studies, and sociology. The data presented about each of the 228 individual members of the group will support additional study and analysis by scholars in a large number of disciplines.

Women Becoming Mathematicians by Margaret A. M. Murray Women mathematicians of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s and how they built professional identities in the face of social and institutional obstacles. Women Becoming Mathematicians looks at the lives and careers of thirty-six of the approximately two hundred women who earned Ph.D.s in mathematics from American institutions from 1940 to 1959. During this period, American mathematical research enjoyed an unprecedented expansion, fueled by the technological successes of World War II and the postwar boom in federal funding for education in the basic sciences. Yet women's share of doctorates earned in mathematics in the United States reached an all-time low. This book explores the complex interplay between the personal and professional lives of those women who embarked on mathematical careers during this period, with a view to understanding how changes in American society during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s affected their career development and identities as mathematicians. The book is based on extensive interviews with thirty-six women mathematicians of the postwar generation, as well as primary and secondary historical and sociological research. Taking a life-course approach, the book examines the development of mathematical identity across the life span, from childhood through adulthood and into retirement. It focuses on the process by which women who are actively involved in the mathematical community come to "know themselves" as mathematicians. The women's stories are instructive precisely because they do not conform to a set pattern; compelled to improvise, the women mathematicians of the 1940s and 1950s followed diverse paths in their struggle to construct a professional identity in postwar America.

Women Scientists in Math and Coding by Catherine Brereton Before modern day desktops and laptops, there were human "computers" or mathematicians who handled complex calculations. Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson, and Dorothy Vaughan were among the greatest computers, but their vital work at NASA has been largely left out of history. This immersive book explores the lives and accomplishments of ingenious women mathematicians and coders throughout history, such as Johnson, Jackson, and Vaughan. Mini bio and feature boxes provide fast facts; while quotes from featured mathematicians, coders, and their contemporaries inspire readers to develop their own love for STEM. Original illustrations and stunning photographs bring the lives of these incredible women into exciting focus. A thorough timeline highlights the progress of women in STEM and lists Nobel Prize winners. A gallery spread introduces readers to even more women mathematicians and coders, while a "Science Now" spread shows readers the modern world of math and coding.