Annual Report 2009.pdf - School of Physics - University of Melbourne

alumni & friendsWe highly value the support we receivefrom our alumni for prizes and awardsthat support our staff and students aswell as our potential building projects inthe future2009 Victorian HonourRoll of WomenDr Jean E LabyThe Victorian Honour Roll of Women recognises andcelebrates the achievements of Victorian women. Allof the inductees have used their skills, knowledge, andcommitment to better their communities. They haveexcelled in their chosen fields and are testament to thedepth of talented women we have in this State.“Being the first female PhD in physics showed itcould be done. She pushed on the doors that werelocked to women and burst through them - she wastruly a trailblazer” commented David Jamieson wheninterviewed about Jean’s achievements.In 1959 Dr Jean Laby became the first woman toreceive the Doctor of Philosophy degree in physicsat the University of Melbourne. Jean was one ofAustralia’s pioneer atmospherics physicists and thesole female atmospherics physicist of her generation,and her work gained international recognition. Shehad several papers published in Nature, the mostprestigious scientific journal. As a role model sheopened the way for women to participate equally withmen within the scientific and academic world at a timewhen it involved obstinate gender hurdles.There is a legion of female PhD students who havefollowed on from Jean’s legacy. Jean and her sister,Betty spent much of their childhood at the universityaccompanying their father, Professor Thomas H. Laby,who was head of what is now called the School ofPhysics. Not only did Jean inherit her father’s love ofphysics, but also the desire to teach. The two don’talways go together. Scientists aren’t always the bestcommunicators but Jean possessed both these skills.In 1961 she took up the position of senior lecturer at theRoyal Australian Air Force Academy at Point Cook andremained the only woman on staff until 1980.In 1975 she obtained a $US25,000 grant for a globalstudy of climatic impact and developed lightweightmicro-electric control systems to automate thecollection of high altitude atmospheric data. Jeanand her colleagues can claim to be the pioneers in54an experimental technique that continues to be ofcritical importance today to our understanding of, andthe interaction with, the earth’s climate. She laid thefoundations for climate change and pollution studieswith the techniques they developed. Jean also travelledto South Africa and South America to undertakeatmospheric research with high-altitude balloons. Shecamped out in fields in primitive conditions and she justput up with it, along with all the discrimination.All up an outstanding achievement by a remarkablewoman - now appropriately recognized on the VictorianHonour Roll of Women.Dr Jean E Labywww.physics.unimelb.edu.au