Jan Anderson (scientist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jan Anderson
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Joan Mary Anderson
12 May 1932 |
| Died | 28 August 2015 (aged 83) Canberra, Australia
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| Relatives | William Anderson (father) |
Joan Mary "Jan" Anderson was a brilliant scientist from New Zealand. She lived and worked in Canberra, Australia. She is famous for her important discoveries about photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the amazing process where plants use sunlight to make their own food.
Contents
Jan Anderson's Life
Jan Anderson was born in 1932 in a beautiful place called Queenstown, New Zealand. Her father, Dr. Bill Anderson, was a country doctor. When Jan was eight years old, her mother sadly passed away after being sick for a long time.
Jan's father wanted her to become a doctor, just like him. But Jan chose a different path. She decided to study organic chemistry at the University of Otago. She was a very good student and earned two degrees: a Bachelor of Science (BSc) and a Master of Science (MSc), both with top honors.
Studying in the United States
Jan received a special scholarship called the King George V Memorial Fellowship. This allowed her to study in the United States for one year. She went to the University of California, Berkeley. At first, her degrees from New Zealand were not recognized there. This meant she couldn't use the library or research labs easily.
To fix this, she decided to enroll for a PhD degree. She studied from 1956 to 1959 at the UC Berkeley College of Chemistry. Her supervisor was a famous scientist named Melvin Calvin. He later won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1961!
Returning Home and Big Discoveries
After her studies, Jan taught at Wellington Girls' High School in New Zealand. But she soon got an exciting job offer from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia. She decided to take this job.
At CSIRO, Jan Anderson made a huge discovery. She was the first person to show that photosynthesis has two main parts. These parts are called photosystem I and photosystem II. This discovery helped scientists understand much better how plants turn sunlight into energy.
Jan Anderson also worked as a professor at the Australian National University. She passed away on August 28, 2015, in Canberra, Australia.
Awards and Honors
Jan Anderson received many important awards and honors for her amazing scientific work.
- In 1987, she was chosen as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. This means she was recognized as one of Australia's top scientists.
- In 1996, she became a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a very old and respected group of scientists in the United Kingdom. Being a Fellow means you are among the best scientists in the world.
- She received an honorary doctorate from Umeå University in Sweden in 1998. An honorary doctorate is a special degree given to people who have achieved great things.
- In 2001, she was given the Centenary Medal. This award celebrates people who have contributed to Australian society.
- In 2017, the Royal Society of New Zealand honored her as one of "150 women in 150 words". This recognized her as one of New Zealand's important women.
See also
In Spanish: Jan Anderson para niños
