Margaret Eliza Maltby
American physicist
Died when: 83 years 145 days (1000 months)Star Sign: Sagittarius
Margaret Eliza Maltby (10 December 1860 – 3 May 1944) was an American physicist notable for measurement of high electrolytic resistances and conductivity of very dilute solutions.
Maltby was the first woman to be awarded a Bachelors of Science (B.S.) degree from MIT, where she had to enroll as a "special" student, because the institution did not accept female students.
Maltby was also the first woman to be awarded a PhD in Physics from the University of Göttingen in 1895.
Maltby was also a great advocate for physics, teaching physics courses specially tailored for non-physicists.She taught concepts such as the physics of music, in an attempt to show people that physics is exciting and open to everybody.
During her 31 years career as Chair of the Physics department at Barnard College, Maltby focused heavily on her students' professional advancement.
Maltby was also Chair of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Committee on Fellowships and she used her position to actively support women in engaging with physics and open doors to formal education paths.