Women in STEM – Past, Present & Future
Women built the early foundation of modern programming and revealed the structure of DNA.
Credit: obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/women-in-stem
Their work inspired environmental movements and led to the discovery of new genes.
They broke the sound barrier — and gender barriers along the way.
Inspiring more young women to pursue careers in science starts with simply sharing their stories.
The Robert Boyle Summer School took place online due to COVID restrictions on 26 June 2021. You can watch the recordings at the bottom of the page.
This year’s Summer School addressed the topic of Women in STEM.
In science, one is rarely alone, as it often involves teamwork and collaboration. Ideas and concepts are discussed with peers, as was the case for Robert Boyle and his sister in the 17th century. While it was socially acceptable for his sister to do charity work, it was not acceptable for her to publish her work due to the need to preserve her reputation. Unfortunately, there is no evidence of her work except in her letters. This year’s summer school focused on women in science, technology, engineering and maths, who are often overlooked.
Learn more about the woman beside the father of chemistry, Lady Ranelagh, with 2 podcasts here.
Programme
Introduction: welcome by Eoin Gill and message from Patron Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland.
Click on each session title to read the speakers biography and see their presentation.
Session #1: Women in STEM
Clodagh Finn, Irish Examiner journal: Through Her Eyes – Historical Women in STEM
Clodagh Finn is well known as a journalist with the Irish Examiner and author of Through Her Eyes. She has a degree in Archaeology from UCD and has a particular interest in history and archaeology. Clodagh talks about historical Irish women Scientists: Mary Mulvihill, Ellen Hutchins, Maude Delap, Kathleen Longsdale, Kay McNulty, Jemma Redmond. Look at her presentation here.
Dr Elizabeth Bruton, Science Museum of London: Electrifying Women – Understanding the long history of women in engineering in Ireland
Dr Elizabeth Bruton is the curator of Technology and Engineering in the late nineteenth and twentieth century at the Science Museum, London. She is specialising in the history of communications, and women and technology. She is passionate about widening public access to history of technology on her blog. Elizabeth talks about Historical Irish women engineers from Britain and Ireland. Look at her presentation here starting at 17:05.
Colm Mulcahy, Spelman College, Atlanta: “Pioneering WIMEN”
UCD graduate Colm Mulcahy is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, Spelman College, Atlanta, and the creator and curator of the Annals of Irish Mathematics and Mathematicians (AIMM). Colm talks about “Pioneering WIMEN” (Women in Irish Maths Exceeding Norms) from the past 150 years. Look at his presentation here starting at 29:45.
Session #2: STEM journeys
Listen to the panel discussion chaired by Kayleigh Foran here.
Prof Dervilla Donnelly, became a lecturer in chemistry at UCD in 1956, rising to full professor in 1979. During her career she supervised more than 80- PhD students. Amongst many other honours, she was the first woman president of the Royal Dublin Society.
Regina Moran has held a number of senior roles in the tech industry. She is currently Vice-President Strategic Programs and Change at Fujitsu. Regina began her engineering journey at Waterford Institute of Technology. A Chartered Engineer and Fellow of Engineers Ireland, Regina served as 192nd president of Engineers Ireland in 2014.
Dr Vida Hamilton is National Clinical Advisor and Group Lead, Acute Operations with the HSE. She is a consultant anaesthesiologist at University Hospital Waterford and honorary Senior Lecturer with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland.
Session #3: Lady Ranelagh
Dr Michelle DiMeo is the Arnold Thackray Director of the Othmer Library at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia. The Institute is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve and celebrate our scientific and technological culture and to make it accessible for investigation and knowledge creation.
Michelle earned a PhD in history and English from the University of Warwick and a certificate in curation and management of digital assets from the University of Maryland.
Listen back to Talking History, March 2020 on Newstalk FM on Lady Ranelagh with Michelle DiMeo, Clodagh Finn, Evan Bourrke and Eoin Gill
Listen back to The Almost Forgotten Story of Katherine Jones, Lady Ranelagh – The woman beside the father of chemistry, January 2018 on Distillations, a podcast from the Science History Institute with Michelle DiMeo.
Session #4: Discovery of Pulsars in Context
Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, DBE FRS FRSE FRAS FInstP
Jocelyn Bell Burnell was born in Lurgan Co Down. She inadvertently discovered pulsars as a graduate student in radio astronomy in Cambridge, opening up a new branch of astrophysics – work recognised by the award of a Nobel Prize to her supervisor.
She is now a Visiting Academic in Oxford, and the Chancellor of the University of Dundee, Scotland. She has received many honours, including a $3M Breakthrough Prize in 2018.
‘In this talk I will describe the accidental discovery of pulsars (pulsating radio stars), discuss some earlier incidents where they were ‘nearly’ discovered, and reflect on what this might mean for future, more automated, data analysis.’ See her presentation here.
Session #5: Where do we go from here?
Listen to the panel discussion chaired by Dr Sheila Donegan here.
Dr Eucharia Meehan is the CEO and Registrar of the Dublin Institute of Advanced studies (DIAS). She has over 20+ years of leadership experience across a range of public and private research based organisations.
Dr Ruth Freeman is Director of Science for Society in Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). Ruth joined SFI as a Scientific Programme Manager in November 2006, and then, has held a series of positions at SFI, including Director of Innovation, Communications & Education and Director of Programmes, Enterprise and International Affairs. Prior to joining SFI, Ruth worked as a researcher at Trinity College Dublin.
Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell inadvertently discovered pulsars as a graduate student in radio astronomy in Cambridge, opening up a new branch of astrophysics – work recognised by the award of a Nobel Prize to her supervisor. She has been President of the UK’s Royal Astronomical Society, in 2008 became the first female President of the Institute of Physics for the UK and Ireland, and in 2014 the first female President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Recordings of the presentations
Thanks to all the speakers, chairs and participants. Apologies for the sound in the Session #1 recording.
Partners and Sponsors
