Friends Talk with a Member
M. Cecilia Gaposchkin, Willis F. Doney Member, School of Historical Studies
Monday, February 23
5:00 p.m. | Reception
5:30 p.m. | Talk
Rubenstein Commons Café

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin, the Woman Who Discovered the Universe: Reflections from Two Generations Onward

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin (1900–1979) is one of the twentieth century’s most celebrated astronomers, whose role as a “woman in science” is gaining increased attention both within the academy and outside of it. In "Stellar Atmospheres", her famous Harvard doctoral thesis of 1925, Payne-Gaposchkin established that, contrary to scientific opinion, hydrogen and helium were the most abundant elements in the universe– effectively “discovering the nature of the universe.”  In both her professional and private life, Payne-Gaposchkin broke and exceeded most expectations. Even if she holds the rank of the first woman at Harvard to receive tenure, however, it is still commonly held that the university and the profession in general were too slow to recognize and reward the magnitude of her contributions. Her granddaughter, M. Cecilia Gaposchkin, Willis F. Doney Member in the School of Historical Studies, will talk about her namesake’s life and contributions from the perspective of family memory and personal legacy.

To learn more about M. Cecilia Gaposchkin's work, visit her IAS scholar page.

Register below to attend.