Events/Courses - Event View

Science has traditionally been a male-dominated enterprise, but astronomy has been a notable exception. Throughout history, women have made significant contributions to our understanding of the universe. In this course we will explore the role that women have played in the “first science” and how they have overcome barriers to become leaders in the field. The discoveries made by female astronomers have transformed our view of the cosmos, including understanding the Sun and other stars, the size of the universe, and the mysterious dark matter. Learn who these women were, what they did, how they earned the respect of their male colleagues, and opened doors for women across the scientific landscape.

Instructor Theodore (Ted) Williams is Professor Emeritus of Physics and Astronomy at Rutgers University and former Director of the South African Astronomical Observatory. He has a physics B.S. degree from Purdue University and astronomy Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology. He spent most of his career at Rutgers, where he pursued observational studies of galaxies and developed astronomical instrumentation, while teaching a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in physics and astronomy. Ted has spent innumerable nights at telescopes around the world, including observatories in California, Arizona, Texas, and Hawaii, as well as Chile, China and South Africa, and an orbiting facility on the Space Shuttle (Ted stayed firmly on the ground). He has taught a number of astronomy courses for Coastal Senior College.