Christina Miller facts for kids
Christina Cruikshank Miller (born August 29, 1899 – died July 16, 2001) was an amazing Scottish chemist. She made history as one of the first five women, and the very first female chemist, to be chosen for the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1949. Christina faced challenges throughout her life. She was deaf from childhood and also lost the sight in one eye after a laboratory accident in 1930. Two buildings are named in her honor: the Christina Miller Building at Edinburgh University and Christina Miller Hall at Heriot-Watt University.
Contents
Early Life
Christina Cruikshank Miller, often called Chrissie, was born in 1899 in Coatbridge, Scotland. Her father was a stationmaster, and she was the older of two sisters. When she was five years old, she got measles and rubella. These illnesses damaged her hearing, which got worse as she grew older.
Christina became very interested in chemistry after reading a magazine article. It showed that analytical chemistry, which is about figuring out what things are made of, could be a job for women. She first wanted to be a teacher, but her hearing problems made that difficult.
Education
Christina studied at two places at the same time. From 1917 to 1920, she took a three-year degree course at Edinburgh University. At the same time, from 1917 to 1921, she took a four-year diploma course at Heriot-Watt College, which is now Heriot-Watt University. These classes were held in the evenings during the First World War. During this time, she was one of only three women to earn a diploma in chemistry.
In 1920, she graduated from Edinburgh University with a special degree. She won a class medal and a scholarship that helped her do research for her PhD. She then graduated from Heriot-Watt College in 1921. In 1920, she asked Professor Sir James Walker if she could work with him at Edinburgh University. He told her to learn German first, because many important science books were written in German back then. In 1951, she was the only woman among the first 25 fellows of Heriot-Watt University.
Research and Discoveries
Christina did her PhD research with Sir James Walker. She studied how liquids affect the movement of substances, like iodine, within them. This work was published in a famous science journal.
After her PhD, Miller started researching a substance called phosphorus trioxide. In 1928, she was the first person ever to get a pure sample of phosphorus trioxide. She showed that the glow seen in older samples was actually caused by tiny bits of phosphorus mixed in. This important discovery won her the Keith Medal from the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Because of this success, she achieved her goal of earning a higher science degree, a DSc, before she turned 30. A top chemist at the time said her work was the biggest step forward in understanding this topic in 20 years.
Her research on phosphorus trioxide stopped after an accident in the lab where she lost the sight in one eye. After this, Christina focused on making new ways to do Microanalysis. This is a method for analyzing very tiny amounts of substances. She used these new methods to study rocks and metals.
Christina Miller was a true pioneer. She made important discoveries in analytical chemistry, a field mostly done by men back then. She was also a great teacher and helped many students. In 1933, she became the director of the teaching laboratory. She worked hard to make sure chemistry students learned the best and newest ways to do analytical chemistry.
In 1949, she was chosen as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. She also won the Society's Keith Medal for her work between 1927 and 1929.
Legacy
The University of Edinburgh created the Christina Miller Fellowship Scheme. This program helps new scientists from groups that are not always well-represented in chemistry, such as women, people from minority ethnic backgrounds, or those with disabilities. Some of the Christina Miller Fellows at the University of Edinburgh include Dr. Ben Bhawal, Dr. Toni Mey, Dr. Claire Hobday, Dr. Amanda Jarvis, and Dr. Jennifer Garden. Dr. Hobday, Dr. Jarvis, and Dr. Garden have all gone on to win important UKRI Future Leader Fellowships.
Honours and Awards
- Keith Medal 1929
- Fellow of Royal Society of Edinburgh 1949
- Honorary Fellowship of the Heriot Watt College 1951
Retirement
Christina retired from her career in 1961. She retired because of her own health and to take care of her mother and sister. She lived to be almost 102 years old.
Images for kids
-
A robot, representing science and learning.
See also
In Spanish: Christina Miller para niños
