Mary Earle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Earle
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Earle in 1992
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| Born |
Mary Davidson Cameron
20 October 1929 Banavie, Inverness-shire, Scotland
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| Died | 18 April 2021 (aged 91) Palmerston North, New Zealand
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| Alma mater | University of Glasgow |
| Spouse(s) |
Dick Earle
(m. 1961) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Food technology |
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| Thesis | The purification of soya lipoxidase (1957) |
Mary Davidson Earle (born Mary Cameron; 20 October 1929 – 18 April 2021) was a brilliant food scientist from New Zealand. She was born in Scotland.
Mary Earle made history as the first woman to teach in an engineering department at a New Zealand university. This happened when she joined Massey University in 1965.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Mary Davidson Cameron was born on 20 October 1929 in Banavie, Scotland. This town is near the famous mountain Ben Nevis.
She studied chemical engineering at the University of Glasgow. In 1957, she earned her PhD in food science. Her research focused on purifying a substance called soya lipoxidase. After her studies, she worked in the British food industry for five years.
While at the University of Glasgow, Mary met Richard Lawrence Earle, known as Dick Earle. He was also studying for his doctorate. They got married in 1961.
Career in New Zealand
In 1961, Mary Earle moved to New Zealand. She started working at the Meat Industry Research Institute of New Zealand.
In 1965, she joined the Food Technology Department at Massey University. This made her the first female engineering teacher in New Zealand. Mary helped improve the university's food technology courses.
She later created the Food Technology Research Centre. This center helped businesses use the university's resources for their food products.
In 1992, Mary Earle became a full professor at Massey University. She was the first woman to achieve this in the university's technology faculty. She was also the fourth female professor at Massey overall.
Mary retired from Massey University in 1994. She was given the special title of professor emerita. This title is given to retired professors who have made great contributions.
Later Life and Legacy
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After retiring, Mary and Dick Earle wrote eight books together. One of their books, Creating New Foods: The Product Developer's Guide, was published in 2009.
They also started scholarship programs to help students. These programs especially supported women studying engineering and technology. They founded the Earle Creativity and Development Trust. This trust helps develop science, technology, arts, literature, history, and music. It focuses on the Manawatū and Rangitīkei regions.
Mary Earle passed away in Palmerston North on 18 April 2021. She chose to be buried in Turakina. This area is where some of the first Scottish immigrants to New Zealand settled. Mary was also a president of the Clan Cameron Association of New Zealand. This group celebrates Scottish heritage.
Honours and Awards
Mary Earle received many awards for her important work.
- In 1992, she became an honorary fellow of Engineering New Zealand.
- In 1993, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). This award was for her services to food technology.
- In the same year, she received the New Zealand Suffrage Centennial Medal 1993. This medal celebrated 100 years of women's right to vote in New Zealand.
In 2018, Massey University gave Mary Earle an honorary Doctor of Science degree. She also received an honorary doctorate from Khon Kaen University in Thailand. She was an honorary fellow of the Institute of Food Science & Technology.
See also
In Spanish: Mary Earle para niños
