Esther M. Conwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Esther M. Conwell
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Conwell in 2010
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| Born | May 23, 1922 |
| Died | November 16, 2014 (aged 92) |
| Education | Brooklyn College (1942) University of Rochester (M.S., 1945) University of Chicago (Ph.D., 1948) |
| Awards | IEEE Edison Medal (1997) National Medal of Science (2009) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Physics |
| Institutions | University of Rochester Bell Laboratories |
Esther Marley Conwell (May 23, 1922 – November 16, 2014) was an important American scientist. She was a chemist and a physicist. She is famous for her work on how tiny particles called electrons move through materials. This work helped create modern computers. Many people called her one of the most important women in science.
Conwell studied materials called semiconductors. These are materials that can conduct electricity, but not as well as metals. She also studied how electrons move through organic conductors. Later in her career, she studied how electrons move through DNA.
She held four patents for her inventions. She also wrote over 270 scientific papers. Her textbook, High Field Transport in Semiconductors, became a very important book in her field. She received many awards, including the National Medal of Science in 2009.
Education and Early Research
Esther Conwell earned her first degree in physics from Brooklyn College in 1942. She then went to the University of Rochester. There, she completed her master's degree in physics in 1945. She worked with a famous scientist named Victor Weisskopf.
During her master's studies, she helped develop the Conwell-Weisskopf theory. This theory explains how electrons travel through semiconductors. Her research was first kept secret because it was important for the war effort. It was made public in 1945.
Conwell continued her studies at the University of Chicago. She earned her Ph.D. in physics in 1948. Her advisor was Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, a Nobel Prize winner. She also worked as an assistant to another Nobel Prize winner, Enrico Fermi.
Career Highlights
After her first year of graduate school, Conwell worked at Western Electric. She faced challenges there because of her gender. Her job title was changed, and her pay was lowered. This was because the company did not have a job code for female assistant engineers.
From 1946 to 1951, she taught physics at Brooklyn College. She then became a researcher at Bell Laboratories (1951–1952). There, she studied how strong electric fields affect electrons in semiconductors. She worked with William Shockley, who helped invent the transistor.
Conwell later worked at Sylvania Electric Products and GTE Laboratories (1952–1972). In 1972, she joined the Xerox Wilson Research Center. She became a Research Fellow there in 1981. At Xerox, she studied materials used in copiers.
She also held visiting professor positions at other universities. These included École normale supérieure in France and MIT in the United States. In 1990, she became a professor at the University of Rochester. She joined the faculty full-time in 1998.
Honors and Awards
Esther Conwell received many important honors throughout her career.
- In 1960, she received the Achievement Award from the Society of Women Engineers.
- She was made a fellow of the IEEE in 1980. This was for her work on semiconductor theory.
- She was also a fellow of the American Physical Society.
- In 1992, she became a member of three important national academies: the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Sciences, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was the only person from the University of Rochester to achieve this.
- Brooklyn College gave her an honorary Doctor of Science degree in 1992.
In 1997, Conwell received the IEEE Edison Medal. This award is given for important contributions to electrical engineering. She was the first woman to ever win this award. Other famous winners include Alexander Graham Bell.
In 2002, Discover magazine named her one of the 50 most important women scientists.
The University of Rochester honored her in 2006 with the Susan B. Anthony Lifetime Achievement Award. This was for her work in supporting women in science.
In 2009, President Barack Obama gave her the prestigious National Medal of Science. This is one of the highest awards a scientist can receive in the United States. She received it for her work on how electrons move in materials. This work helped create many electronic devices we use today.
Personal Life
Esther Conwell was born in New York City in 1922. Her parents were immigrants. She had two sisters.
Her son, Lewis Rothberg, also became a professor of physics and chemistry. He teaches at the University of Rochester, just like his mother did.
Esther Conwell passed away in an accident on November 16, 2014. She was 92 years old and was still actively doing research.
See also
In Spanish: Esther M. Conwell para niños
