Daphne Jackson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Daphne Jackson
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Daphne Jackson
23 September 1936 Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom
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| Died | 8 February 1991 (aged 54) |
| Nationality | British |
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| Occupation | Professor of physics |
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| Title | Professor |
Daphne Frances Jackson OBE (born September 23, 1936 – died February 8, 1991) was a brilliant scientist who studied nuclear physics. This is a type of science that looks at the tiny parts inside atoms. In 1971, she made history by becoming the first female physics professor in the United Kingdom. After she passed away in 1991, a special organization called the Daphne Jackson Trust was created to continue her important work.
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Daphne Jackson's Early Life and Education
Daphne Frances Jackson was born in Peterborough, England. Her dad worked with machines, and her mom was a textile designer before she got married. Daphne went to her local grammar school, Peterborough County Grammar School for Girls. From there, she was able to go to Imperial College in London to study physics. She was one of only two girls in her class, with 88 boys!
Later, Daphne moved to what is now called the University of Surrey. She was invited by a professor named Lewis Elton to study nuclear physics. She became a lecturer, which is like a teacher at a university. In 1962, she earned her doctorate degree, which is a very high level of education.
Becoming a Professor and Helping Others
In 1971, when she was just 34 years old, Daphne Jackson became Britain's first female professor of physics at the University of Surrey. This was a huge achievement! She later became a dean at the university, which is a senior leader. She also worked with important groups like the Meteorological Office, which studies weather. She was also the president of the Women's Engineering Society and a vice-president of the Institute of Physics. She was even the youngest person ever to become a fellow of the Institute of Physics.
Daphne cared a lot about making things fair for women. She was sad to see that many talented women couldn't use their skills because they had to take breaks from their careers. This often happened when they had children or cared for family members. In 1985, Daphne came up with a plan to help these women. She wanted to create a program where they could work for two years to get back into their field after a break. She believed it was a waste of talent if smart women couldn't return to their jobs. She once said, "Imagine a society that would allow Marie Curie to stack shelves in a supermarket simply because she took a career break for family reasons."
Daphne believed that smart women who were not working or were in jobs below their skill level were a big loss to society. She knew many of these women wanted to return to their original careers or try new fields. She thought they should get help to learn new things or refresh their skills. She also felt they should be able to work part-time at first.
Daphne's Later Life and Legacy
Daphne Jackson was diagnosed with cancer. It's sad because she had actually done a lot of work to fight cancer through her research. She had written 55 articles about how nuclear physics could be used in medicine. In 1987, she was given a special award called an OBE for her amazing contributions. Daphne passed away in Guildford in 1991 from cancer.
Daphne Jackson's Lasting Impact
Daphne Jackson left a big mark on the world.
- The Daphne Jackson Medal and Prize: In 2016, the Institute of Physics created this award in her honor. It's given to young scientists who do amazing work in physics education and help more people get involved in physics.
- The Daphne Jackson Trust: This organization was started in 1992 because of Daphne's ideas. Its goal is to help talented people return to their science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers after taking a break. The Trust has helped over 370 researchers get back to their chosen fields!
- Blue Plaque: In 2020, a special blue plaque was put up at her old school in Peterborough. This plaque is a way to remember important people and their achievements.
See also
In Spanish: Daphne Jackson para niños
