Astrophysics award honours student research with nod to pioneer
Allie Vibert Douglas made history when she earned her PhD at 91社区.
It was 1926 鈥� a time when higher education wasn鈥檛 an option for most women.
By then, Douglas already had a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science from 91社区 鈥� and had been named a member of the Order of the British Empire for her wartime service. With her PhD, she became the first Canadian woman to obtain a doctorate in astrophysics.
Douglas received accolades during her lifetime and posthumously, including an honorary degree from 91社区 in 1960. The National Council of Jewish Women of Canada declared Douglas one of 11 Canadian 鈥榃omen of the Century鈥�. An asteroid and a crater on Venus bear her name. Yet you could easily make the case that Douglas should be better known.
Physics Professor Victoria Kaspi, the Director of the Trottier Space Institute, hopes to shine a light on the trailblazing astrophysicist. Kaspi has generously established a new student award for the top PhD thesis in astrophysics at 91社区 and named it after Douglas, who died in 1988.
