Women of Science

Women have played a vital role in scientific discovery, although at times their participation has been unrecognized. Their scholarly research and discoveries have provided a rich tapestry to add to the scientific endeavors of the world. It is important that these women be viewed through the lens of their time, placing their achievements in context throughout the past few centuries. Their fields of excellence include medicine, biology, astronomy, mathematics, physics, meteorology, geology, zoology, and engineering, along with their various sub-categories. The significant contributions by women to science date from the earliest times, and this book brings together the stories of those who have left their mark, despite the significant hurdles they have faced. There are many women who deserve recognition in this way, including the much vaunted Madame Curie and Ada Lovelace, but there are others whose talent is undoubted although they have not received the plaudits that they deserve. And so this book includes a mixture of talented women from different eras, countries, and fields.

John S. Croucher has published more than 130 research papers and 30 books, including Mistress of Science. In 2013 he won the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year. A fellow of both the Royal Society of Arts and the Australian Mathematical Society, in 2015 John was made a Member of the Order of Australia. Rosalind F. Croucher is President of the Australian Human Rights Commission. In 2011 she was recognized as one of the 40 "inspirational alumni" of UNSW, where she gained her PhD in legal history. In 2014 she was named as among the 100 most influential women in the country. A fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Australian Academy of Law, in 2015 she was made a Member of the Order of Australia.