C - G - Famous Scientists - LibGuides at Mater Christi College

Gertrude Elion: Chemist and Pharmacologist

Gertrude B. Elion: Biographical Notes
From the Nobel Prize Organisation site.
Gertrude B. Elion - Academy of Acheivement
American biochemist and pharmacologist Gertrude B. Elion helped develop drugs to treat leukemia and prevent kidney transplant rejection. She won a Nobel Prize for medicine in 1988.
Gertrude B. Elion: Discoveries
Using a method known as “rational drug design,” Elion and Hitchings developed a number of effective drugs for treating leukemia, gout, malaria, herpes, and many other illnesses.

Dian Fossey: Primatologist

Dian Fossey (ProQuest database)
See the LC team for the password if accessing from home.
Dian Fossey (1932-1985) devoted her life to studying the mountain gorillas of Africa. Born in San Francisco, she made her first trip to Africa in 1963. There she met noted anthropologist Louis Leakey.
Dian Fossey Biography
She was an excellent student and was extremely interested in animals from a very young age. At age 6, she began horseback riding lessons and in high school earned a letter on the riding team.

Annie Jump Cannon: Astronomer

Biography: National Women's History Museum
Known as the “census taker of the sky,” Annie Jump Cannon was a brilliant astronomer that revolutionized the way scientists classify stars.
History of Scientific Women
Annie Jump Cannon was an American astronomer whose cataloging work was instrumental in the development of contemporary stellar classification.

Jane Goodall: Primatologist

About Jane Goodall
In the summer of 1960, 26-year-old Jane Goodall arrived on the shore of Lake Tanganyika in East Africa to study the area’s wild chimpanzee population.
Jane Goodall: biography
Jane Goodall is known for her years of living among chimpanzees in Tanzania to create one of the most trailblazing studies of primates in modern times.

Marie Curie: Physicist and Chemist

Marie Curie: biography
Marie Curie discovered radioactivity, and, together with her husband Pierre, the radioactive elements polonium and radium, while working with the mineral pitchblende.
Marie Curie: biography from the Nobel Prize site
Mme. Curie throughout her life actively promoted the use of radium to alleviate suffering and during World War I, assisted by her daughter, Irene, she personally devoted herself to this remedial work.
The History Chicks - Podcast
This site has a lengthy 2 part podcast but also some information about Marie's life and achievements. Worth a look

Sylvia Earle: Marine biologist

Sylvia Earle: biography
Fascinated by all aspects of the ocean and marine life, Sylvia decided to specialize in botany. Understanding the vegetation, she believes, is the first step to understanding any ecosystem.
First woman to become chief scientist of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
An interview with Sylvia Earle, she provides insights into the challenges she faced.
National Women's Hall of Fame
Short read about Sylvia's achievements and her challenges.
Her deepness: Dr Sylvia Earle
Sylvia Earle has lived underwater for a week, walked the sea floor at a (record-breaking) depth of 381 metres and has led over 50 ocean expeditions. At 84, Time’s ‘Hero for the Planet’ isn’t slowing down.

ProQuest

On-site access for MCC students and teachers.

See the Learning Commons team for passwords to access from home.

Rachel Carson: Marine biologist

Rachel Carson: biography
Rachel Carson was a marine biologist, environmentalist and author who demonstrated to the world the impacts of using fertilizers and pesticides on the environment.
Rachel Carson: National Women's History Museum
A marine biologist and nature writer, Rachel Carson catalyzed the global environmental movement with her 1962 book Silent Spring.

PODCAST (18 mins) from The New Yorker Radio Hour, including readings of her most famous work and an insight into the challenges she faced. Once, she received a letter addressed to her as "Dear Sir" even though the sender knew her to be a woman but he could not come to terms with a female having such an intelligent mind.

Rosalind Franklin: Genetics

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Rosalind Franklin University
Our university was dedicated in 2004 to Rosalind Franklin, PhD, the brilliant and trailblazing scientist whose Photo 51 revealed the double helix of DNA
Rosalind Franklin: A Crucial Contribution
Meet Rosalind Franklin, a sidelined figure in the history of DNA science

Famous Scientists: C - G